What's the best way to cook bacon at home? (Food science explained)
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- Опубликовано: 8 июн 2024
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⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro
1:54 - The 2 Questions we need to answer
3:10 - 1. Fat Melts
4:18 - 2. Collagen turns to Gelatin
5:18 - 3. Moisture Evaporates
6:21 - 4. Maillard Reaction
7:35 - Why these 4 steps are important
8:20 - The Graph That Explains it All
10:44 - How do we evaluate the 'best' bacon technique?
13:13 - Blind Taste Test
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I love the jump cut after the taste test where the water cooked bacon disappeared.
14:25
@@Gherit1 Idk if you believe in god but you’re doing his work. Bless you.
My thoughts exactly!
Jump cut? Is that how my bacon disappears as I'm cooking it?
Tells it all 👍😊
Never used water to cook bacon, but I've been using about a third of an inch of water to cook breakfast sausage in a skillet forever. The sausage links are thick enough that the water cooks the interior perfectly by the time it evaporates so you don't have to nearly burn the sausage to cook them through completely. You then brown the sausage. It leaves the sausages more tender.
I agree, been doing that for years.
Thats how my mother taught me to cook all pork sausage when I was a kid 30+ years ago.
Surprised at the results , BUT! Still prefer overbite marinaded baby back ribs over water soaked, as the host efficiencies, preference taste of the consumer. Definitely will try surf board bacon though.
Same method works great for browning ground beef
wait you mean people don’t cook sausage links in water? I’ve done this my whole life
I greatly appreciate Ethans scientific yet concise explanation. The way he structures the lesson is informative but not wordy and the results of it all is very entertaining!
So you missed one method.
To give you a little background, I am a mechanical engineer specializing in Heat transfer but I have been involved in the restaurant business since the mid 70s.
All the restaurants here in Montreal use this method.
The bacon is pre-cooked in the oven until most of the fat has rendered(250F for about 20 min, remember we are cooking 20lbs at a time) , it's still soft and tender when it comes out of the oven.
Then it's finished on a per order basis on high heat.
This gives a tender piece of bacon, with very good flavour and nice crispness but without burning. Just browning.
This works great because it cooks rapidly for each order.
Sounds like a great method, but as a home cook, I don't think par-cooking bacon is very feasible. I bet it tastes delicious though. Same method with fries is THE legendary method, so it has tons of merit.
@GunNut37086 I do it at home too. It's actually pretty easy. I also drain the rendered fat and keep it to add to stews and chilli
Ethan, My wife has her degree in food science. Ever since the kids were small {25 years ago} she would cook bacon in the microwave wrapped in paper towels, but she soaks the towels in water and squeezes them down to heavy damp first. The bacon is SOOOO good that way. If you do a follow up video you should try it!
wow,how many minutes to microwave? now I wanna try!
I'm surprised being a food scientist she fed your children bacon.
bacon when cooked in high heat produces 90k units of AGEs that's been proven to linked to alzheimer and mental aging. A breakfast with some slices of bacon are one of the worst things u can possibly feed children 🚶♂️
I wonder if anyone in your family have alzheimer and heart disease or diabetes yet
Cool idea. So exactly what do you mean by wrapping them in paper towel?
A minute per piece
Don't do more than 4 pieces= 4 minutes
Thanks for doing a deep dive into bacon. It's not the fancy recipes that improve cooking, but a good understanding of ingredients and techniques. Would love to see more of these.
Cook it *sous vide* then brown in a pan. Best results.
You have quickly become my favorite food/cooking youtube channel. I have been watching your videos for about 2 years now and I've learned so much about food science and ways to make traditional meals lower calories. Your content is just so enjoyable to watch. Keep up the great work!
Again, thank you to Vital Farms - good to be able to support a business that cares about their animals and the land.
I just learned of the water method a few weeks ago, and that’s probably how I’ll cook bacon for the rest of my life. Seriously- It’s THAT good. Perfect bacon every time.
All you need to do is add a splash of water from the tap after you’ve laid the bacon in a cold pan- just enough to cover the surface of the pan, but not enough to completely submerge the bacon. Put it on medium-low heat (3.5-4 on my electric glass top range), and let it do its thing until the water is almost gone. Once it’s gone, it’s business as usual. The bacon fries in it’s own fat, and it’ll brown within a few minutes. Flip occasionally until it looks good to you.
Sweet thank you for the information. Will try too!
Thank you for the specifics. Can't wait to try this.
Thank you so much for taking the time to post the instructions!
You saved me having to Google it.
That was brilliant of you!! 🥰
so it makes it like softer and chewy, right? I prefer really crunchy and crispy bacon but not burnt, so this would probably not be for me?
@@pecosR0B no, it actually makes it crispier since it breaks down the chewy collagen into gelatine which makes the bacon snap easier
For oven cooked bacon try putting a piece of parchment paper over top of it. It keeps the moisture in longer and makes the bacon more tender.
Yeah, 7 min turn take paper off 3 more minutes
Also depends on the thickness.
@@tvsoup4405 What temp are you cooking bacon that it's done in ten minutes in the stove? I like my bacon chewy and even I would gag at how undercooked it would be at that point, it would basically be half raw.
@@Goldenkitten1 maybe you didnt see my second comment that says "also depends on the thickness" but litterally any working oven at 375. Chewy 350.
@@Goldenkitten1 i also have convection ovens at work so that prob makes a huge difference as the hot air blowing helps dry and make crisp
Did you make a follow up cook? Like bacon cooked with water in a pan, water in the oven, water in the microwave? Or convection oven, toaster oven, air fryer or combination cooking? This was really interesting I’d like to see more! I have a culinary arts degree and have owned my own restaurant for almost 16 years now and this was very entertaining!
Not doing water in the oven is disappointing.
I mean also, how much water? "Hey guys, water method tasted best but i wont talk about it for even 15 seconds."
@@jakasmalakas It would be nice to elaborate. From personal experience, we just coat the bottom of the pan with water. So the bacon aren't submerged or anything, but the full surface of the pan will be covered in water.
and testing flowered bacon.
That was good. Show us how to cook bacon in water
In life there are few choices more important than how to cook bacon. Thank you for this vital and informative video.
You said it in your recap - microwave for very specific applications… for me is when I incorporate it into a massive assembly line of breakfast burritos that I will eat hours later. The dry brittle texture absorbs liquid making the burrito less mess and the bacon better.
I've been making my bacon in the oven for years, mostly because it is so easy. I can put it in, set the timer and I don't really have to pay any attention to it until the timer goes off. After watching this I think it would be interesting to put some water in the sheet pan and then cook it in the oven.
Exactly what I was thinking. Seems like it could potentially be an optimization of both taste/texture and lifestyle.
@@adamdebosier We tried it and it was fantastic! My husband was skeptical but when he tasted it he quickly became a believer. My son was putting a pan of bacon in the oven a few days later and hubby yelled from the living room, "Don't forget to put some water in the pan!"
This one is easy. In the frying pan. Bacon goes first, use the leftover grease to fry egg and hash brown. No warming up oven, less food waste, and less dishes to wash. Bacon comes out good every time and the egg and hash browns will taste better. Bacon doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s pretty simple.
a genius if ever did see one. bacon first and everything gets cooked in bacon fat
We cook bacon in the oven with water on the baking sheet. It takes a bit longer but is very consistent and repeatable. Just like swapping trays of cookies when the timer goes off, it helps when we need to cook a lot of bacon at one time and are busy with other tasks.
Try using some parchment pager between bacon and your cooking sheet. Pour off your bacon grease into a container to use to cook with later. Throw away the parchment paper and clean up on the pan will be a lot easier.
Time and temp?
Try using brewed coffee instead of water on a sheet or two. You will be happy with the taste.
@@mbproduction7558 Parchment is used to avoid browning, so this perplexes me.
@@kathyratino962 I don't think that it's to avoid browning of the cooked product. It's to avoid sticking to the surface. Stuck food may also shoot past brown to charred quicker. I'm no pro, just my 2 cents.
Another important thing to remember is to take the bacon out of the pan/oven just before you think it's done. It will continue to cook/crisp as it cools. I've had the result of a lot of over cooked bacon before I realized this. May be a rookie thing, but wish I'd have known sooner!
I was about to post if anyone else noticed this. It def continues cooking on the paper towel.
There is no such thing as overcooked bacon, only undercooked.
@No. No.
@@No-cg9kj Wrong! It can definitely be overcooked.
@@No-cg9kj put a bacon slice on a hot pan and leave it on a burner set to high for 30 minutes, and tell me the end result's good. Burning is a type of overcooking.
Wow! Another great deep dive into bacon. Loved the graph and its clarity of time and temperature. I think your water technique has convinced me. Thanx.
Dude, you're channel is so insanely useful! Thanks for this wisdom!
Ethan, that time lapse you added as you explained the cooking process for bacon was just phenomenal! Keep up the great work!!
Adding water works with any other kind of fatty meat and is great for making a stew as well, it has the exact same effect as described here. I usually set it to cook with some water and salt, let it boil down, then when it turns to a sizzle I add the vegetables and brown everything up, deglaze with wine, season and add some liquids, let it cook for a bit and done.
I use this metod to reheat roast meat. I cut it in fine slices and put it in a pan with some onions, water and stuff. Great for sandwichs.
But the discussion is about bacon methods here; not braising meats and other recipes. Please focus.
@@lindalove7193 plisi ficis.
His Carnitas recipe uses the same idea funnily enough
@@janknoblich4129 oh, I'm gonna look up for the video. Thx
You definitely need a video on the Maillard Reaction! That is such a huge part of food science. I think it’s beneficial for everyone who enjoys cooking (and hasn’t attended culinary school) to learn. 😊
Something to know is that it's not a single reaction but a family of reaction which is why there is such a wide temperature window in which it happens.
Sorta like the Milgram experiment that was also frying.
@@tocarules are you willing to explain more? I love these far fetched connections.
@@chadrydjord829 yeah, it almost doesn't make sense to call it the Maillard rxn, it should be Maillard-family reactions, since there is such a diversity depending on temp/reactants (ingredients), whether it's in air/oil, etc.
Please no. It's so over done
I get the juices flowing and tilt the pan, allowing the bacon to fry in its own grease. It cooks the fat so good!
This episode is so fun! I make normal (not thick!) bacon in the oven. I put bacon on a plain sheet pan w a very thin layer of water in a cold oven at 350 degrees. I cook it until it looks brown, turning once after the water boils off. Perfect crispy fat w slight chew to lean!
My favorite episode of Good Eats was the chocolate chip cookie episode, when Alton Brown broke down all the various specifics of how to customize a cookie recipe for your personal preference. I did just that and created my own, unique chocolate chip cookies with a hint of coconut from the coconut oil that made up half the fat of the recipe.
Anyway, this video reminded me of that episode a lot. So props to you.
@@aliceowens300 For me, it was more about getting the effect of shortening without using shortening by mixing coconut oil and butter. But yeah, the subtle coconut flavor is great.
My mother made the best toll house cookies. When she passed away, my sister decided to supply the cookies at Christmas. She was never satisfied with hers because they would flatten out like pancakes and my mother's were "cookies shape". I asked her if she used butter in the recipe and she said yes. I pointed out that Mom always used margarine (as specified in her recipe). She didn't believe me and have made pancake cookies ever since.
Alton rules!!!
i coined him “the scientific cook” and none greater in my opinion. he really is the best.
Alton Brown has for years had a great authentic simple Saurebraten recipe
Perhaps equally important is knowing your oven and it's hot spots. Rotating the baking sheet about 3/4 of the way through cooking will give you much more even browning among all the strips. That way you don't end up with some overcooked, some undercooked and some in the middle when you cook a bunch at one time. Also relevant is whether you are using gas or electric, and whether or not there is a fan to circulate air ( A convection oven )
Knowing your equipment is equally important as knowing your ingredients ! ( I'm a retired chef )
Excellent point, Jesus!
What do you think about using a pizza stone?
Wow! Thanks Jesus!
Your still a chef 👨🍳 just maybe not still a practicing 😂professional 😊
My family has different preferences for bacon, so I usually fry them to different levels of crispyness. The uneven sheet cook sounds like it might be a good technique to cut down on my breakfast prep time. Plus, they all come out at the same time which is a nice bonus.
I really liked the way you explained the science behind the cooking. Would you be able to do some more of these on subjects like grilled fish or other meats?
Oven can work similarly if you put the bacon in a cold oven. I also recently tried cooking bacon with water for the first time recently and was pleasantly surprised.
This is the best video I have seen on cooking bacon at home. I love the practical approach and the graph is really a great way to visualize what’s happening. I feel like I have the info to create my own perfect bacon using this as a reference. Well done!
I love the fact that the water one disappeared between the unveil and the result discussion 🙂
Yeah I was kind of wondering how he wasn't resisting eating them all before that and right then that one disappeared
I love and appreciate the scientific approach in your videos
I've watched a few of your videos (all tonight) but this one got me to subscribe. Thank you for putting out cooking videos that teach me useful things, like the Maillard reaction. (That's what I'll always go for.)
I cook bacon in the oven because I always make the whole pack at once. Oven is the only method that can handle that volume. That being said, the water method always yields the best texture. I'm going to try putting water on the sheet pan with the bacon next time I use the oven method.
not just that but i feel like it makes it more crispy and brittle
@@midshipman8654 what does? the oven or the water?
💧 + 🥓 = 😋
I was thinking about adding water to my sheet pan as well.
@@s02mike I tried it last night. It took SOOO long. Like an hour and a half. I learned that the amount of water you have to add to cover the bacon on such a large surface area is so much that it takes forever to evaporate at oven temps
there you are
Crap, they found me.
*runs*
Here i am
Do I know you?
Didn't know you were looking for me
Wherever you go,
This is awesome. I instantly started doing the water add. And I can really tell the difference. Thank you for a great video.
i think you should make 2 posts of this video and or 2 of all your videos one short and sweet for people that have a general good understanding of how food cooks and one for people that are going next level.
I always thought that the advantage of using the water method was that it helps evenly distribute heat across the pan and the bacon, preventing any hot spots and uneven cooking. It's nice to know that it also leads to some texture and taste advantages as well!
I would assume the fat does that on its own
@@jamismiscreant7514 to some extent, but water would cause the pan to heat up more slowly and some of the unevenness comes from the beginning - it takes a while for enough fat to render to evenly distribute the heat
@@andrewlipnick8131 it does cause the pan to heat more slowly but that’s not what the important part is or related to even heating.
It only heats more slowly because the same energy is a lower temperature and the energy intake is the same with or without water
The things that causes it to be the same temperate are largely dimensions and thermal conductivity
The thing that the water does very differently is boil earlier. When water boils under normal conditions it will remain at 100 C regardless of changes in the energy input into the system because all excess energy is lost in the form of steam. This causes (as can be seen in the graph) a temperature plateau whilst the water is in the pan allowing for the pre-Maynard processes mentioned to occur for longer
@@jamismiscreant7514 well, slow heating is relevant because when something heats more slowly it'll heat more evenly. If you set a pan on high heat and wait until the middle is 400 degrees, the edges will be cooler than if you set the pan on low heat and wait until the center reaches 400 degrees.
The energy intake is the same, the water just absorbs a lot of energy and evenly distributes the heat faster because water has a higher heat capacity then the pan.
Yeah, I understand the plateauing of the graph, my original comment was just saying that I never thought of that aspect, only the more even heating aspect, so now I have 2x the reasons to say the water method is better!
@@jamismiscreant7514 you make a good point here, I think it's also worth taking into consideration that because bacon curls as it heats up on a dry pan, the spots where the bacon touches the pan cooked at a significant faster rate than the stuff not touching the pan, because thermal conductivity of the pan is far greater than of the bacon itself. The water helps render out fat first (amongst several other things) before you start to crisp up the bacon, giving you significantly more surface area for the bacon to cook against as a result of the rendered fat being a liquid. It is fair to say that the extra fat rendering is a process caused by the extended pre maillard period, but I think it's also fair to say the water does cause the bacon to cook more evenly, because it allows more fat to render before the bacon can be adversely affected by the uneven cooking that is pretty normal with cooking bacon the "normal" way
Ethan I just found your channel and man I literally meal prepped 3 meals already thanks to you. Super easy and simple videos. You’re like an older brother I never had 😂
Always love the food science vids, keep it up. As for me I just use an air fryer with thick cut until its crisp, but not as dark as the 30 minute oven one 😁
Ethan: Combine your favorite oven cooking with the water method. Put the bacon in an oven safe pan or tray deep enough to put water over the bacon and put that in the oven for long enough to keep the bacon in the "tenderizing" zone for a long time. Low temps will prolong the process. High temps will speed the process but demand a more watchful eye near the end to avoid overcooking the bacon.
I was going to ask him to follow up with this - so, you’ve done it? When you talk about low or high temps, what kind of range are you talking about?
14:23 I love how it just cuts to the rest of the water bacon vanishing haha. That was clearly Ethan's favourite one
Cold oven, place bacon on cookie sheet in oven on the center rack, set to bake at 400 degrees, 14 to 18 minutes depending on your preference on chewy or crispy, perfect every time!! 🤗
I like this method because it is a set it and forget it until the timer goes off.
I saw this video last winter and you were right, adding water is now my favored way to cook it. but here is something I noticed and I chose this video to post it because you emphasized the science of it. When I add water (I just rinse the slices under water before sticking them in the pan), the cooking process is slowed down and I don't overcook them anymore, but I also noticed I have less grease in the pan at the end by almost half. The rendering of the fat is inhibited by the water. I don't know the science of it but it is interesting, maybe the science guy can explain it better.
I don't think this is the case. Adding water is what you do to render out more fat.
I'll always choose the oven method just because it's pretty much set and forget while I'm cooking other things. Especially since I also enjoy chewy bacon while my girlfriend enjoys it more crispy.
The water method is also amazing for cooking mushrooms. You add just a bit of water, around 1/4 or so for a cup of sliced shrooms. Then let them cook until the water evaporates, stirring on occasion.
I'm glad you mentioned that a consideration is the bacon you start with. I'm near Amish country, and I buy bacon from a country store that has heavily smoked (but delicious) bacon). I've found that it cooks much differently than bacon I'd but at a local chain grocer.
In the Philippine we also add water to our Longaniza and Tocino before frying them. Yes, it makes the difference. Love Bacon!
I'm switching back to Vital Farms. Love the 360 cam! I used to use them exclusively but switched back to Costco eggs when I needed to save some money on the grocery bill. But the few bucks are honestly worth it to me for what they offer and for the lifestyle of those chickens. Thanks, Ethan!
Thanks for including metric temps as well.
I was literally just watching food vids and thinking "I haven't seen an Ethan video in a while". Great timing, and about bacon none the less!
literally had the same exact thought a week ago
Leftover bacon???! Never heard of it.
Thanks for your video and definitely the outcome!! I’ve only just started cooking my bacon this way and Love it!! 😋
That was actually a commercial worth watching. Thank you.
I’ve seen a few videos of yours but this is the one that made me subscribe!! Love these science-y deep dives into cooking. Every RUclips cook talks about teaching technique but never really does.. THIS is the kind of thing that makes you a better cook!!
I have tried the water method and we all loved it. Despite how well it turns out, though, I personally prefer bacon from the air fryer. It's fast, delicious, and I find the cleanup easier than any other method.
How long and what temp would you say for a couple pieces?
When I do bacon in the oven, I put aluminum foil on the pan. When it's done, I let the pan cool until the fat is hard and toss the foil in the trash.
@@brysonmalpass3823
I do 7 slices for 6 minutes on 180 degrees.
@@johnmc7587 Hey thanks man I’ll try it out!
@@brysonmalpass3823
I have the emeril legasse airfryer so i hang the bacon over the rack to cook.
I've been buying Vital Farms eggs and butter for a few years now. Love what they're doing and their eggs are fantastic! Also, I've been watching food and cooking videos on RUclips for a long time and none of them has ever made me crave something as bad as this one made me crave a perfectly cooked slice of bacon.
This video turned me into a water bacon convert. It really makes a huge difference!
I always use the oven now (I'm 20-25 minutes) simply because it's easier to make a perfectly flat piece that way. That's great for things like BLTs. Also, it's much easier to do a full pound on a cookie sheet in the oven than it is in a pan on the stove.
yup. all true
I also use the oven method for many of the same reasons, but I put my bacon on a non-stick cooling rack over the cookie sheet.
thick sliced 400 for 20 min, flip for 5 on parchment paper...no clean up
@@PocketDelicious I use water on the tray in the oven AND start it in a cold (not preheated) oven works great.
@@anitabellefeuille7362 Because of how ovens work (air just isn't really that great at tranferring heat) you probably could start in a pre-heated oven and end with a product just as good as what you get now, but I imagine it's less convenient to have to preheat the oven. Probably can save a bit of time if you do turn your oven on first thing when you enter the kitchen to cook bacon, but honestly, the difference's probably insubstantial anyways, and you'll spend a similarly insubstantially higher amount of energy (be it gas or electricity) cooking too.
I was pleasantly surprised as well when I first tried the water method. I find it actually intensified the flavour (I, too, thought it might dilute it) and is less greasy while still maintaining that delicious fat umami. That's how I cook it everytime now, unless I'm on a tight time budget. I have a small countertop oven that I use as well that cooks it a bit faster than the big oven. You can get some nice crispy bacon good for crumbling that way.
I've always found my best way is on an electric skillet with a drain. I never saw that graph before but it makes perfect sense to me because I can keep the bacon in that perfect range without the grease vaporizing the water too quickly. The same temps on a pan never worked because the grease crisps the bacon faster.
I loved that one! I will make sure to try some water pan bacon myself. Keep up the good content :)
I found your channel about a month ago, and you never disappoint. Awesome video-- great useful content, great personality, and good editing. I'm hooked. I get hungry and am throughly impressed and inspired every time I watch.
I've always put my bacon on a rack when I bake it, but about a year ago I started adding some water to the pan below the rack to limit the fat from popping and smoking. I noticed after I did though, that the bacon heated more evenly as well, and produced a much better result. After thinking about it, I realized the same thing you did here, that the 212 limit prevents it from "finishing," with the maillard reaction until most foods are fully cooked, so doesn't matter what it is anymore, I tend to crank the convection setting up to high, add some water to the pan to let it come to temperature and cook evenly, then after the water evaporates off, the outside crisps up really quickly. Keeps your food from drying out, gets a more even cook, and makes for a better texture.
I've been telling people recently that I think humidity control is going to be the next big "cooking revolution," the way pressure cookers, air fryers, and sous vide were. We're already seeing mini ovens with humidity controls, but I expect we're going to starts seeing that across a whole range of consumer gadgets, because the control the 212 limit sets is idiot proof to keep from overcooking for a while, then it just finishes the dish to your liking.
It's just bacon .just heat it up in a frying pan
@ulairi - great thoughts! For the last several years, I’ve been cooking my bacon on a cookie rack / pan in the oven at about 250F for about an hour and loving how it turns out - Time for me to experiment with water and a higher temp, faster cook!
for me it is: place bacon in a cold cast iron pan and then place a heavy cast iron bacon weight on top and put that on a gas stove on a low to medium heat, do other things but keep an ear on it because in about 5 minutes the water will have cooked off and it will start to sizzle. then I lift my weight and give them a flip and crisp the other side, which will not take very long at all. the bacon weight tends to keep the moisture on the bacon for longer extending that middle collagen breakdown step.
The food science aspect of this is so fascinating.
I think what makes it fascinating is that it's not in a vacuum, theres real world empirical application to go with it.
I do microwave bacon literally because it's convenient in my living situation, otherwise I would experiment with other methods.
It would be interesting to see how adding water to the oven sheet would impact the end product. If that gets you a similar chew vs crisp output as adding water to the stove top pan then it would seem like the best way to optimize since oven bacon is so easy and mess free.
I'd also be curious to see how it works when added to the microwave. In theory you could add the exact amount of water needed to boil off when the desired amount of collagen has been broken down.
It came to me a couple hours ago. Funny to see how many others already thought of it.
LMAO
That's what I'm thinking. 375F for 20 minutes, on a baking sheet with just enough water to cover the strips to extend that cooking time. Oven bacon is the best, so easy and clean, and you can start it early while you make the rest of the meal.
Great suggestion! I'll have to try that because I cook bacon a package at a time, and I was wondering how to do it in the skillet.
I hate when I post a comment, and then scroll down to somebody who said the same thing.
As video marketer for many years, I really appreciate when someone is good on camera.
You. Are. DYNAMITE!
Great presentation! (Didn't hurt that I had just eaten a piece of bacon, I'm sure!)
Congrats! I look forward to more from you.
Gay
@Contact High. That's ok! If you want to be gay, be gay!!! Not sure what it has to do with bacon though.
If you have the time, the water method is definitely the best! Thanks for trying it out. If you add a little butter to the pan afterwards it is great for browning up some tasty mushrooms.
Im an oven guy, too, but with one important difference: I start in a cold oven. I discovered this by accident, tryimg to save time preheating my oven to bake biscuits. put the bacon in the oven and set the temp for 375 F. by the time the oven reaches temp, the bacon should be almost done, depending on how crispy you like it, but retains a little more internal moisture and flavor han when I've used a preheated oven.
So the other morning while prepping my bacon and planning on water method cooking it... I accidentally made too much coffee. So I decided why not let it go to waste and let's use it instead of water... oh my God. Every coffee/bacon lover has got to try this combo.
😖
God will judge you
i love all your videos Ethan, but these types are my absolute favorite! i learn SO much + always learn new tricks n techniques to level up my cooking game. you're doing the lords work out here, thank you!
You continue to impress me with your camera presence and how/what you say. Congrats! (LOVE bacon, btw).
The thickness of the pan and temperature control with the flames plays a big part in cocking the perfect bacon. The thicker the metal, the more heat it retains. Also, you don't have to put the flame on high as it will more likely burn the bacon. That's why there's a difference between amateur cooks and professionals. The professionals know their tools, ingredients, and temperature control to make a perfect dish.
One technical aspect of bacon that most don’t know about is frozen vs bellies. When bacon is processed from frozen bellies (common) those bellies are thawed, processed and then usually refrozen. Even if not refrozen. The water separates on thaw and most companies pump them with salt water to put moisture back in. (Hence why a lot of bacon is super salty). Frozen bellies tend to cook completely flat and have very little moisture after cook leaving it almost jerky or rubbery when less cooked. Curious about whether that makes a difference here.
Ok I’m a believer! ❤ 🥓 made it today. He doesn’t say how much 💦 he uses, I covered the bacon. Never made bacon so plump yet crispy. Brought water to a boil, lowered to medium till water gone, lowered further to finish. It’s perfect, will always do this way when have time.
Wonderful video Ethan. Bacon is such a personal thing. I remember years ago visiting my husband's mom who had 7 children and she made tons of bacon low and slow in two electric fry pans and we would all wake up to the smell of bacon. Such joy. I use the oven but put my bacon on a rack so it's nice an crispy. I wonder if you could do the water version in the oven with just a sheet pan. I have a big family and doing it in a pan with water would take way too much time. What do you think? Also, by the way, I'm a degreed biologist and I absolutely LOVE when you start getting all sciency on us! Well done.
All I'll add is that this was very engaging and I would love to see more videos like this. Loved the mix of science and experience sharing.
my perfect slice of bacon really depends on what i'm using it for/how i'm eating it. if i'm having bacon and eggs, then i go for cooking it in a pan. if i'm adding it to a sandwich/burger or crumbling it and adding it to a dish, i use the microwave - that way it's super crispy. nothing sucks more than biting into a sandwich/burger and all the bacon pulls out of it on the first bite - i want it to snap right where i take the bite so that i can have bacon in every bite. guess i'm gonna need to try the water method, though - seems like the clear winner.
I fried my bacon in water and it was great!! just as he said in this video!!!! I was IMPRESSED!!!!!! Thanks!
I started water frying to slightly crispy a few years ago. I agree exactly with your findings. Microwave is good for bacon bits.
I love thick style bacon. I use the oven but in a different method. I start the bacon in a cold oven. I set the oven to 400F and let it go at least 35 minutes. I then check it for doneness and add more time if necessary. Also doing it in the oven allows me to do other things while its cooking.
For sure, I think the big advantage of the oven is the hands off nature!
@@EthanChlebowski the other big advantage is consistency, I don't use oven for bacon but I do use reverse sear for thicker steaks.
I'm also a fan of the cold oven method. Delightfully hands off and consistent.
Fucking add water to the bacon in oven method. It's dead simple.
Foolproof, no work with temp. Get out when right color. Perfect.
Agree, that’s the best way I have found by far
I had a bacon and cheese sandwich at a cafeteria at a job i had, with about 1 inch of bacon. It tasted different, like no other bacon I'd had before. Later i learned about cooking bacon in water and it was the same taste. It is more tender and cooked throughout, you can get whatever crispiness you want, depending on how long you cook it and is more salty cooked in water. I love it
I just happen to start sprinkling some water whenever I make bacon and could never explain why it tastes better than other methods.. now I know. Thanks Ethan!
Phone a friend with a pellet smoker. Cook the bacon @ 250-300 to your preferred level. I even sprinkle some of my favorite dry rub before cooling with amazing results. I cook enough to last us a week, warm as needed or just snack. You also haven’t lived unless you’ve had candied bacon.
Water method also great with link or patty sausage, tender inside, flavorful and crisp outside. Works from frozen which is handy if you live alone.
I start bacon in a cold dry pan then put it on medium heat and flip several times. Cooking it slower over a medium heat allows for the bacon to render its fat as well as cook to a crisp without any scorching or burning. Then, after draining the fat from the pan to save it for cooking later, I put water in the pan and bring it to a boil to de-glaze it for easy clean-up, no scrubbing required. Also, when cooking over a medium heat the bacon sizzles but doesn't pop violently. I prefer my bacon mostly crisp with a slight chew still in it, not extra crispy.
Thank you for your research and dedication to yum
I've been cooking bacon in a cold pan on low to medium heat. Just tried cooking in water first, definitely much better taste. It's exactly how you described it, so much more tender while still having a good bite
I added water to my oven bacon last weekend. I was equally skeptical but my wife and I were so surprised as to how much better the bacon was! It does dilute the salt a bit but still tasted great
It's impossible to ruin bacon. I've eaten blackened bacon, that my sister set on fire, still bacon.
Yeah, I've tried to water and skillet idea a few times and I can't say that I'm a fan. It reduces the mess but I found a significant loss of flavor. I stick to the oven method because it's less fussy than using the pan. It's still the best way in my opinion.
Curious what the effect would be of using salted water, which presumably would lessen the outflow of salt from the bacon.
I wondered why he didn't try this method after stating he likes the water method best but is an oven guy.
I use the oven method but use a wire rack so water would just steam mine lol
@@apathetic25 Bacon on a wire rack makes bacon that melts in your mouth. The absolute best way to cook bacon.
Huge fan here, just circling back to this video. My go to is in the oven, but on a wire rack. Comes. Out perfect for me. Ill try the water method now
Never tried water, but I have tried many cooking methods for bacon over the years. Best bacon I’ve had is on a Traeger for 15 minutes on each side at 275 degrees, on the top rack. Best if the smoke pellets used compliment pork such as cherry wood pellets. I also love your cooking methods, mostly because the resonate with my own. I used to be a big bacon-in-the-oven guy and I still do when I don’t feel like doing it on the grill. Big thing is bacon needs to be monitored on the smoker. Pieces in the back cook faster, just like oven cooking.
Oddly, or not, mushrooms are also great with the same water method. I even do diced bacon and mushrooms at the same time sometimes. Great way to start a pasta.
agreed, boil your mushrooms!
The good thing about mushrooms are that they are nigh indestructible, so you can practically do ANYTHING to them and they can turn out alright :)
I cook mine in the oven. A couple baking sheets with some heavy duty foil on them overlapping the sides and ends for easy clean up and the bacon cooks evenly.
First of all, I watched your whole 40 minute video on the science of cooking steak and that is what motivated me to subscribe. I know you know way more than I do so I'm here to learn. Having said that, Sometimes I cook bacon super slow and low on the smoker but it seems to still go through all 4 stages. Also, I don't cook my brisket at 280-330 and I still get a nice bark. If you're going to cook it in a microwave, shouldn't you let it fry in it's on fat, without a paper towel?
I love that vital farms is sponsoring you. Our family has been eating their eggs over the last year and they are a superior product and totally worth the price. The yolks are deep orange, and I have yet to find a better tasting egg, even better than my neighbors!
LMAO, better tasting eggs, lol, right!
@@lowvpro9651 definitely true with eggs. The pale yolk eggs have less flavor and the whites are usually runnier. You can always tell how healthy a hen is
Vital farms have better chemicals.
I get farm eggs from a friend's farm. Cheaper than store bought and cheaper than Vital Farms and better than store and probably better than VF
I’m getting these next trip to the grocery store. Thanks for the input!! Always admire the packaging. 😊
Great video. I'd like to see a video talking about the best ways to cook chicken, maybe focus on chicken breasts. How to avoid them being too dry, but safely cooked.
Great experiment and results!
I watch this video months ago and considering the crucial temps you identified in the video, I tried cooking a pound of bacon on my recently purchased pellet smoker. Well, it’s not recommended for speed or convenience, but it might be my new favorite method for texture, tenderness and additional imparted flavors.
My Dad loved to prepare sausage. I’m talking about what is referred to as fresh country pork sausage not Polish or Italian sausage. He would use a cast iron skillet and added water! It placed a lid on the cast iron skillet. He said it was how his Mother cooked sausage. Try creating a video using sausage cooked in the same processes as you did bacon. You will be like the taste and texture and it cooks quickly. ❤
I grew up with my mom doing the same thing! Now I can't make sausage any other way (except on my Blackstone).
I do sausage the same way, but I also add a hearty portion of butter to the water as well. It really enhances the flavor.
mix in some fresh bread crumbs with the sausage mix; brown the patties then steam
This is the kind of hard hitting science experiment we need! 👍🥓💪❤️
Tried the water method for the first time today and I am sold on it.