How to cook bacon

I love crisp bacon. (You probably do too.) My doctor almost had a heart attack when I told him that I eat a pound of bacon every weekend. (Well, at least 3/4 of a pound.) He was only slightly assuaged when I told him that the bacon had been completely rendered of its fat content leaving essentially a crackling.

For years I struggled with the issue of how to cook bacon so that it was supremely crisp. I tried everything. It’s been so long that I don’t remember what caused me to find the secret but it’s so completely counterintuitive that I thought I’d share it.

You should start with good bacon. It doesn’t have to be thick-sliced but that’s the way I like it. My preferred brand is Wellshire available at Whole Foods:

The secret is to do the “frying” in a enough previously-rendered bacon fat to submerge the uncooked bacon:

Cooking on a medium-high flame, you need to watch carefully (at least until the process is well-understood). When the downward-facing side is a medium-dark brown, turn the bacon.

When the second side is the same color, it’s done. Remove the bacon to a double layer of paper towels and blot each strip while still hot.

Allow to cool so it becomes completely crisp and eat it. Notice how very little fat remains in what you’re eating. Cook up some more!