@@holistichyp unfortunately I don’t I only cook for pleasure now and take photos of the food as do family and friends and I am a herbalist which I combine with the foods I cook and have a lovely fruit and veg garden thank you kindly 🙏
As you've discovered, this works but takes ages. A mixture of water and a dab of butter might make a difference. Once the water evaporates, the butter will crisp the bacon. As a chef, we get oil/butter to smoke point and then start to fry. Do this at home, and your hyper sensitive interlinked smoke alarms will start kicking off!!!
@ Janet oooh yes and my great grandad used to cook the bacon for us then cut the bread in quite thick slices and dip the bread in the bacon fat in the pan ( it was lard they cooked in then) and that was and always will be my favourite bacon butty. Wow that’s took me back a few decades lol xx
What you can do is get some grease proof paper put the bacon on it wrap it all up and stick in the microwave for about 3 minutes, have a check on it and go again unt it's done . It's Goes all brown and crisp. I do that most mornings 😊
Thanks for this interesting experiment Gareth. I've just come back from my daily visit to my elderly parents in their 80's, neither can walk very well, with my dad having Parkinsons and dementia, whilst mum falls constantly through low blood pressure issues. Dad was always a vegan, never smoked and seldom drank and used to jog around 15 miles per weekday for over 20 years. Now both falling apart and their lives are consumed with hospital checkups, restbite breaks in care and no real quality of life whatsoever. With that in mind, I think I will stick to fried or grilled bacon, the fatter the better, it gives more chance of my kids not having to waste their lives tending to my health issues as I rot as a living corpse, by dying a bit younger! Food for thought.... Anyway, great video as always.
I’m with you Adam, my Dad died very suddenly aged 70, but my Mother lingered in a nursing home needing 24/7 care as she had Alzheimer’s she was just a wrack of skin and bone when she died aged 88, she would have been better off dying like my Dad, I’m 77 myself now and feeling my age so not bothered about snuffing it as long as it’s quick like my Dad. 👍
If you want Crispy bacon, use a non-stick pan and put the rashers in a cold pan (no oil) and cook normal... The key bit is not to heat the pan first, which feels counterintuitive.
Hi mate good video, I fry a lot of my bacon in water, just a quick tip have the heat higher and just keep adding water, normally fry mine In around 5 to 7 minutes and it will come crispy, yours looked nice and crispy, well done mate keep up the good videos 👍🏻
You can't really 'fry' anything in water because it will only reach 100C and then boil away as steam and vapour. Oil and fat will safely heat to around 190C. Perfect for those crispy bacon pieces. I like crispy bacon between two slices of toast. Delicious!
The "frying" in water the boiling escaping water vapour from the inside of the bacon drags some fat with it so it makes the inside less fatty and the outside more fatty, then when moisture is lower due to the evaporation it fries but as the fat is more on the outside you get a crust i.e. crispier.
Interesting idea. Personally I think that grilling bacon is by far the best method, as it cooks out the excess fat and gets the bacon far crispier. As for health issues, I always follow the simple rule: Everything in moderation.
This could be a new part of your mission, Gareth - to have a look into the nitrates/nitrites issue and find us some good products/cooking techniques that lessen the dangers. Also, don't be afraid to talk plainly about the health risks - everyone reading this now has lost loved ones/been impacted by cancer and any advice to reduce the risks would be incredibly positive. Great video, buddy - entertaining and informative as always!👍👍👍
Gareth, i wasn't sure how it would turn out, but it looked lovely. I always snip the bacon so it lies flat. I need 4 rashers of bacon to make a sandwich because i cut all the fat off. It's unusual when you have dry cure bacon to get any of the white stuff. All that was missing was some HP brown sauce. When I used to fry bacon i used to get a slice of dry bread and rub it round the pan and get all the brown bits off, it was lovely
Tip for calorie counters: A comment I saw elsewhere noted that a good estimate for _any_ bread is 70 calories for 28g or 1oz. Some breads will be more, like brioche for example.
I would try it but when I'm frying bacon on a Sunday I add the mushrooms half way though and do some fried bread at the end which soaks up all the tasty bacon fat from the pan. Not a healthy choice but it's only once a week and it's lovely.
It warms the cockles of my refurbished heart to see all the comments from bacon lovers. Recently, I've been eating Lidl's deluxe dry-cured streaky. The opened packet keeps a lot longer than standard bacon.
Gramps used to fry bacon in a cast iron pan with lurpak butter, not spread, 6oyrs ago, then cut 2 thick slices of white farmhouse bread, then put both slices into the pan to soak up the fond and a pint pot of tea, I was 5...
Try again, Gareth: streaky bacon (not back), a little water, max heat to start and turn gas down when all the water has gone, flip the rashers 4 or 5 times when the water's gone to crisp evenly. This method allows the water to render the fat without burning the meat. When the water has boiled off, the rendered fat and meat cook evenly and crisp together (the usual frying method with burn the meat before the fat has fully rendered). Good luck..!
Yes indeed Kevinsyd, exactly the same way as I do mine, and an added bonus is, the rashers hardly curl up like they do in the "traditional method" unless frying very thin rashers.
4:47 you beat me to it! Well done! Keeping people informed about them nasties. You should try, after replacing the water, add a bit of white wine and let the bacon steam on it! Makes good bacon into great bacon as it infuses the flavours. (If you are keen on wine flavour only)
I always cook my bacon this way but I put a lid on it until all the water has evaporated. Then remove the lid for the last few minutes. The result is lovely crispy fat on the bacon which is light and crispy and not hard. Delicious!
lovely video. i just did a bit of research on the nitrate thing you was saying, and think it's true. soaking it for a few while before/during the cooking can help. but i think the best way to not have nitrate is to simply avoid food like ham or bacon because they do have nitrate to prevent molding. but i'm definitely not 100% sure of what i said, anyone feel free to correct me. have a good sunday.
You can also fry chicken in water. An old student hack! I just add the minimum amount possible to get it cooking without catching/burning and as that evaporates away... add a little more as needed.
Never ever thought of frying with water! However good tip to help a fried egg is to add water and put a lid on the pan and it steams the top, quicker and sort of half poaches the egg. Plus thanks for the tip about nitrates, never heard of it so going to look up what nitrates do. Don't worry about what people comment on, you are always going to attract d*ck heads! Comes with the territory! Edit holy chit I've just read about nitrates and damn I'm going to do the water thing from now on with bacon! Thanks for the heads up.
I always cook eggs with a lid, I do bacon til crispy, it leaves a brown crud stuck to pan, then I add mushrooms, they release water and moving mushrooms around while cooking cleans the pan without ruining non-stick, then the mushrooms as they finish cooking then release back the fat having absorbed the crud, then I do eggs with lid on over low heat and the pan is nearly clean, and at most wipe with kitchen roll or leave fat for the next cook.
Afternoon Gaz, hope you and the family are all well? Just watched the video, bless you, you always make light of everything you do. I thought it was gonna turn into bacon soup, either that or you'd come back tomorrow with the finished product.🤦♀️🤣 but all in all it looked like it worked just a long process. Cheers and have a lovely rest of the day.😊👍
Not for everyone..but i microwave mine on a microwave griddle type plate it has ridges to allow the fat to run out,but for me its my way and its never been undercooked/overcooked nor soggy white bits.3 rashers about 4 mins fullpower @ 850w power.
Alright Gaz? Never done this myself but can see why this would work. Thought you were gonna pack it in and use oil at one point. But I think it's just essentially cooking the bacon in its own lovely juices once the water has done its thing and part cooked it. The fat instead of oil is from the bacon itself, so that would make sense as to how the flavour was intensified. Good vid and a good topic for discussion. Stick at it I say 😄
For years now I have put 3 rashers in a bowl and poured boiling water straight from the kettle stir for half a minute take the bacon out and pat dry with kitchen towel, and fry in hot oil, with all the additives and excess water purged, the bacon fry's to nicely crisp and tasty.
I'd save the pan fat and use that to fry your next batch. I've got to be honest, I grill my bacon. It's not so much the nitrates you have to worry about, but the nitrites, which can become carcinogenic. Love the channel. 👍
At nearly 70, I've stopped looking round corners Gareth !!!!!!!☹☹😦😦😮😮😮😮👹👹👹😂😂 Your Channel is such a 'God Send' for folks who suffer from Anxiety and depression. Today is the last day of Mental Awareness Week. Thank You for what you do. Hope you don't mind me mentioning this ??? 😍😍
Going back to my camping/scouting days in the late 50s we would cook bacon and eggs over the camp fire. Ordinary steel or cast iron fry pan (no non-stick in those days) heated over the fire, the bacon added to the hot dry pan first as it produced enough fat to fry the egg and prevent it sticking. Simples! Not sure with modern supermarket bacon which contains rather a lot of water.
Always keep your bacon fat in a container in the fridge, keeps for ages and is super useful and tasty for loads of things. You can just top it up every time you make bacon.
Brill, you really are a breath of fresh air, I have a lot of trouble getting decent bacon, and usually end up dabbing the chemical stuff off it in the pan.
Today’s bacon is nothing like what we were buying in the 70’s. The only packet bacon then was Danish bacon, the tv advert for Danish bacon showed how much the bacon sizzled in the pan but the reason it sizzled so much was because it was pumped with water.
Hey man , I love the way you don’t cut out blooper mistakes , proper natural real filming 👍🏼 and you make me laff 💯🤣, anyway I think that here it’s detrimental that pressing the bacon into the pan with the spatula as cooking will help it crisp much quicker using the water method as the oil I’m sure you know is a much better conductor for heat to meat thus transferring it through the bacon faster and easier.And well the water ,It works at least and good survival info 😉🇬🇧, great video here baldie food guy , proper content this . Cheers 🍻
I cut the rind off, and as posted elsewhere feed the birds. But would cut diagonally. But that's a habit because it makes it easier for soup. Bacon and cheese loaded toasties with tomato soup is my favourite winter meal. Or chicken soup if feeling unwell, flu, cold etc. Btw not a cook, just home cook. So soups simple but nice tins or instant.
Looks really tasty, so I’ll give it a try next time I have some bacon 🥓! I’ve not had fried bread for years, (my late Dad used to make it for me), so that’s another good accompaniment to go with the bacon and egg 🍳. Thanks for sharing this idea! 😬
My Irish immigrant dad would fry bacon...then fry eggs in the bacon fat.....the fry green tomatos in the bacon fat...then what was left in the pan was used to fry the bread.....in bacon fat. That was the usual Sunday breakfast after Mass.
I dry cure and air dry my own bacon,air drying allows a lot of the nitrates to offgas(the same for sausages,always open freshly brought and allow to breath in fridge for 2 days minimum,all tests on bacon and sausages are straight out of packet and give squew wif info)I worked in a butchers and we never sold freshly made sausage it was all allowed to rest for 2 days in holding fridge .
Alternatively if you are on a diet Spray a bit of extra virgin olive oil in the pan, put in one slice of bacon, ( plus egg) after a few minutes turn it over then eat on a couple of pieces of lightly done toast without marg or butter . Ps , I can never get those so called oil sprayers to actually “spray”
...a day late in getting here but you should try doing sausages like this, it cooks the inside of the sausage without burning the outside, then fry to the degree that you like. works great everytime. Apologies if someone has already made this comment.
@@BaldFoodieGuy Should've added that as long as you don't pierce or burst the sausage skin, that'll continue cooking the inside in it's own juices and oil. Keep them coming.
There's a way of doing sausages where you put water and oil in the pan. As the water boils away the sausages are cooked then the oil takes over for the browning. Actually works!
We use a similar bacon cooking method, a small splash of water, but using a iron bacon press weight to keep the bacon in contact with the pan better, not perfect contact unless you keep pressure on via the handle. Make sure to save the bacon fat in the fridge for when you want that golden crispy crunch sinful fried bread fix. The bacon press also works for smash burgers, just need to add a square of greaseproof paper to avoid stickage. For the cheap "oh my god" that is saltly cooking bacon offcut chunks, we slice it and soak it for about an hour in cold water to remove some of the salt if i proves to much.
would it cook quicker if used boiled water at start . have heated an egg in a pan till white then put in little bit of water and covered it to steam . cooks it quicker .
The bacon bought in supermarkets has water added to it whilst bacon bought from a butcher doesn't contain water that's how you get less product in the supermarkets compared to that in a butcher's shop. You pay more for the butcher's bacon but when you take the added water out it's probably just as expensive as the butchers bacon as they can add as much as 30% water to a pound of sliced bacon.
That white stuff Mrs Beeton called albumen. She used to get on her high horse about it saying you should never waste or loose it during cooking process.
Ive always done my smoked streaky in dry pan on the lowest heat ? Takes ages ! But it comes out as concentrated bacon that snaps like a biscuit and is perfect for so many snacks and recipes. !
I microwave mine. Two rashers covered, 1 min 50. Drain off LOADS of water and put in again for about 10 to 20 seconds depending if you want it more crispy
Not tried doing bacon that way but I use a similar method for button mushrooms. Frying pan with water which boils off and cooks the mushrooms then when its nearly all gone add a knob of butter to give them some colour.
I use the water method when cooking streaky bacon. But i use way less water, maybe 50-75ml, just enough to slow the frying process down by a min or two and give the fat more time to render out, then you still let it go until all the water has gone and the bacon starts to look foamy.
Try using a George Foreman Griller this takes out a lot of the nasties whilst leaving the bacon tasty and reducing your calorie intake. The downside is the cleaning but if you get one with detachable plates this makes it easier
I’ve been doing it since I left my last posting in BAOR ……. that’s quite a few years back too…… just to get rid of the crap that they pump in to give some taste, keep it longer on the shelf, and to add weight to scam us with! Change the pan just as the water is about to disappear, and fry it properly. Don’t boil the water, just let it simmer, and you won’t lose the fatty bit, and it will cook well after you transfer pans. The American Test Kitchen has recently picked up on it to do their caramelised onion as well. My old man was a chef in the navy, wartime, and showed me how to do the same thing donkeys years ago. Also the Army Concrete Company teach their cooks to grill the breakfast bacon on the big trays with water added to the trays just before grilling. Try it again, and you’ll enjoy it without the stuff that does so many bad things to our bodies. Keep up the brilliant work, and be as entertaining as ever. Cheers Pal. 😅
Happy Sunday afternoon Gareth, well we do have boiled bacon,just a different cut of pork. It was worth a try, but i can't see the point of all that faffing about. If you grilled the bacon,fat out,crispy in😊Now like you i 😍 the porky devil 👿 it's so bad.BUT taste&texture,smell, i tell you the aroma of cooking bacon can raise the dead and change the mind of a vegetarian 😂 joys of life 2 slices white bread,butter,brown sauce at least 4 back rashers or 6streaky😊well cooked. Build the sarnie AND THEN The press or squash flatten said sandwich, pour mug of tea. Then watch the stress of life fade away. As ever Gareth a bright spot in any day. Thank you and keep 'em coming 😊❤ Cheers
Here's and recommendation for you, Gareth... I always GRILL my bacon (the M and S smoked, back bacon is superb) for around twelve mins, turning occasionally until lovely and sizzly brown and crisp. Then serve with BRIE cheese on generously buttered, fresh-baked rustic white bread and a grilled tomato on the side. A sensational light supper 😎👍
cook bacon in the airfryer.. depends on the thickness and your own bacon you buy.. just keep adding a minute after 5 minutes till you get it perfect.. mine is 4 rashers.. 7 mins.. know the time means its the same each time. Streaky is great too.. fattier the better as cooked long enough and the fat goes like Frazzles crisps.
I use greaseproof paper, lay a rashee down, fold paper over, another rasher, fold and so on to keep them separated, into the freezer for half hour. Pour enough water in pan to cover bottom, bring to a raging boil, lay the near frozen rashers in, leave heat on high until water is gone and bacon starts to brown, drop a teaspoon of butter in middle of pan, place greaseproof paper you wrapped them in on top and a large pot on top to flatten rashers down, 2 minutes - done 😮
What has happened to our bacon-rinds? When I was a little girl my Dad was the only one in the family who would be given bacon for breakfast. My mother had the rinds but I would occasionally be given a piece of one, which I loved. It was normal practice in the 60s & 70s for men to be given the best food. Women & children sometimes got very little protein indeed.
This was an interesting experiment - thanks for sharing - I think I will stick to frying mine in olive oil - that white stuff you were mentioning does seem to depend on the type of bacon you get - james back never seems to have much of it at all
If you want quick crispy bacon use the grill, for anything else try steam frying... a finger rub of oil in the fry pan, chuck the bacon in, put a lid on the pan on a low ish heat, water is released from the bacon and creates a steam environment and bobs yr uncle :)
I cook sausages in water before I then cook them on the outside. It definitely makes a difference to them. Looking at the bacon scenario, it does not seem to make any difference to the end result but takes more time. I prefer to grill bacon, like eating burnt offerings…. 😂👍…
The method is to start the bacon in a dry pan on a medium to high heat. Wait for it to start cooking as the fat renders out and then to keep topping up the water to prevent burning.
I always soak joints of gammon overnight and change the water before I cook it because of the nitrates. Don't the nitrates stay in the pan and cook back into the bacon?
I had breast cancer, diagnosed 2015. Went through chemo and radiotherapy. Eight years cancer-free October. Was told to steer clear from bacon and sausages. 😮😮 I now just have it as a treat every so often. I fry and drain on kitchen paper, is all!
@BaldFoodieGuy Aww thank you, so am I. I'd rather be six foot above with grey hair, he he. I used to have gorgeous, glossy, geometric haircut but now it's grey! My husband, (who's bald) said we could be bookends on the mantlepiece, bless him!
I agree with R chippy, just try weighing it before and after cooking and you will see, very expensive water!!! Try avocado oil for frying, I think you will love it.
Butter on a Bacon Sandwich 😲 I just put good quality Bacon into a none stick pan fry it till it's crisp transfer bacon to a plate 2 slices of bread into the pan ,fry on one side then make sandwich fried sids in and eat, maybe a bit of HP/Daddies sauce depending on mood, Food of the Gods. I usually have this once a week so I'll risk the nitrates. Keep the Content Flowing I'm really enjoying your channel 👍🇬🇧🍺
Theres enough water injected into it as there is. Even our local butcher explained that these days all our bacon has water added apparently it keeps the cost down! You had a go Kudos to you for trying
I wondered how long it would take after seeing 'Andy Cooks' on TikTok where he does this with streaky bacon. His videos are edited super-fast and give the illusion of quick prep - no such thing! Your 'experiment' is the reality! Glad it tasted good.
If I find the mince I have bought is full of fat, I bring it to the boil in a pan of water. Then cool it down and pick the thick layer of fat off the top of the water, before straining. I last did this with a bag of frozen mince, and made spag bol with it.
Always good video, thanks. Get bread in the fry pan for fried bread, after saying on a diet! 😊😊 After watching, I'd agree. I'll stick with the fry pan and some oil or lard. Obviously can't eat them all day every day, when you have a treat, w0w! are they tastey.
No no no. I've also seen this water method recently. I watched it n thought no. I've now seen your attempt n I'm definitely in the camp of no. I grill or oven bake for 12 minutes until crispy. I will stick to them methods. Hope you're doing well and all is good Gareth.
Next time you fry bacon, try sprinkling a little bit of flour onto it before cooking. works a treat. keep up good work from one Gareth to another. enjoy.
I've always started off cheap "uncured" bacon in water, until all the nitrites and other additives have washed out. They leave a white fluffy residue in the water. I take out the bacon, leaning behind the crappy stuff, whole out the pan, the bacon then crisps up beautifully in a dry pan, with out the additives.
I was an executive head chef and it’s great seeing people experimenting with food because food is an art and a science so thanks for sharing 😊🙏
You're welcome
@mel davis hi; i hope you have a cooking/baking channel like darren mcgreevy?? royal family former chef
@mel davis darren mcgrady was a former royal chef
What McDonald's was that
@@holistichyp unfortunately I don’t I only cook for pleasure now and take photos of the food as do family and friends and I am a herbalist which I combine with the foods I cook and have a lovely fruit and veg garden thank you kindly 🙏
Hi all, hope you're having a good weekend. Just a little experiment with bacon. Too much water probably, ah we live and learn. All the best 😋😄
If you haven't tried turkey bacon you should, just don't over cook as it goes dry.
As you've discovered, this works but takes ages. A mixture of water and a dab of butter might make a difference. Once the water evaporates, the butter will crisp the bacon. As a chef, we get oil/butter to smoke point and then start to fry. Do this at home, and your hyper sensitive interlinked smoke alarms will start kicking off!!!
So great, so sublime, and so flipping funny. This always gives me a smile Gaz.
Works for speeding up the caramelisation of onions, also works on mushrooms.
...and sausages. It's called the boil and burn method😊
Who remembers chewing on bacon rind back in the good old days. I seem to remember people always hanging out bacon rind for the birds.
I still do. They love it!
We'd fight over it as kids back in the 60s / 70s
My dad use t crisp the bacon rind for us all those years ago those were the days
It's frustrating, my fave bit. Supermarkets just don't do it anymore, I wonder why.
@ Janet oooh yes and my great grandad used to cook the bacon for us then cut the bread in quite thick slices and dip the bread in the bacon fat in the pan ( it was lard they cooked in then) and that was and always will be my favourite bacon butty. Wow that’s took me back a few decades lol xx
What you can do is get some grease proof paper put the bacon on it wrap it all up and stick in the microwave for about 3 minutes, have a check on it and go again unt it's done . It's Goes all brown and crisp. I do that most mornings 😊
Thanks for this interesting experiment Gareth. I've just come back from my daily visit to my elderly parents in their 80's, neither can walk very well, with my dad having Parkinsons and dementia, whilst mum falls constantly through low blood pressure issues. Dad was always a vegan, never smoked and seldom drank and used to jog around 15 miles per weekday for over 20 years. Now both falling apart and their lives are consumed with hospital checkups, restbite breaks in care and no real quality of life whatsoever.
With that in mind, I think I will stick to fried or grilled bacon, the fatter the better, it gives more chance of my kids not having to waste their lives tending to my health issues as I rot as a living corpse, by dying a bit younger! Food for thought.... Anyway, great video as always.
Cheers Adam, all the best mate 👍
I’m with you Adam, my Dad died very suddenly aged 70, but my Mother lingered in a nursing home needing 24/7 care as she had Alzheimer’s she was just a wrack of skin and bone when she died aged 88, she would have been better off dying like my Dad, I’m 77 myself now and feeling my age so not bothered about snuffing it as long as it’s quick like my Dad. 👍
@@jimflynn466 Hi Jim, yeah, its terrible seeing them waste away, I hope too to be like your dad. Best wishes.
If you want Crispy bacon, use a non-stick pan and put the rashers in a cold pan (no oil) and cook normal... The key bit is not to heat the pan first, which feels counterintuitive.
Hi mate good video, I fry a lot of my bacon in water, just a quick tip have the heat higher and just keep adding water, normally fry mine In around 5 to 7 minutes and it will come crispy, yours looked nice and crispy, well done mate keep up the good videos 👍🏻
Cheers Andy
You can't really 'fry' anything in water because it will only reach 100C and then boil away as steam and vapour. Oil and fat will safely heat to around 190C. Perfect for those crispy bacon pieces. I like crispy bacon between two slices of toast. Delicious!
Just more RUclips bad science.
The "frying" in water the boiling escaping water vapour from the inside of the bacon drags some fat with it so it makes the inside less fatty and the outside more fatty, then when moisture is lower due to the evaporation it fries but as the fat is more on the outside you get a crust i.e. crispier.
This method brings to mind you don't boil your cabbage twice.
You shouldn't use any kind of oil only animal fat eg lard or ghee or dripping it burns at a high temp than oil and give it a better taste
I purchase 2 packs of 6 thick cut smoked bacon rashers and devour all 12 in one sitting
Interesting idea. Personally I think that grilling bacon is by far the best method, as it cooks out the excess fat and gets the bacon far crispier. As for health issues, I always follow the simple rule: Everything in moderation.
I agree. Grill on a wire rack, with another on top to keep the rashers flat. Catch the excess fat on kitchen foil.
Grilled Bacon is the way to go.
It's quick and provides scrumptious deliciousness.
@@ranavalona24 and then keep the fat to use later or feed to your salivating dog.
It's what I do.
😢@@ranavalona24and then you can pour it off into your large pot good for frying your next batch of bacon
This could be a new part of your mission, Gareth - to have a look into the nitrates/nitrites issue and find us some good products/cooking techniques that lessen the dangers. Also, don't be afraid to talk plainly about the health risks - everyone reading this now has lost loved ones/been impacted by cancer and any advice to reduce the risks would be incredibly positive. Great video, buddy - entertaining and informative as always!👍👍👍
Cheers Dom
@@BaldFoodieGuy great documentary by ENDEVR I think is the channel, ‘The Meet Lobby….” 👍🇬🇧
@Dom Norris, great idea along with Oxalates Salicylates Histamine etc.
😂😂😂...what a great video Gaz...cant stop laughing. 😂
Cheers
Gareth, i wasn't sure how it would turn out, but it looked lovely. I always snip the bacon so it lies flat. I need 4 rashers of bacon to make a sandwich because i cut all the fat off. It's unusual when you have dry cure bacon to get any of the white stuff. All that was missing was some HP brown sauce. When I used to fry bacon i used to get a slice of dry bread and rub it round the pan and get all the brown bits off, it was lovely
Tip for calorie counters: A comment I saw elsewhere noted that a good estimate for _any_ bread is 70 calories for 28g or 1oz. Some breads will be more, like brioche for example.
I would try it but when I'm frying bacon on a Sunday I add the mushrooms half way though and do some fried bread at the end which soaks up all the tasty bacon fat from the pan. Not a healthy choice but it's only once a week and it's lovely.
Cheers Mark
It warms the cockles of my refurbished heart to see all the comments from bacon lovers. Recently, I've been eating Lidl's deluxe dry-cured streaky. The opened packet keeps a lot longer than standard bacon.
Gramps used to fry bacon in a cast iron pan with lurpak butter, not spread, 6oyrs ago, then cut 2 thick slices of white farmhouse bread, then put both slices into the pan to soak up the fond and a pint pot of tea, I was 5...
Nitrates,I was Getting 15 pound an hour,13.50 an hour for dayrates.. Cured???? What was wrong with it before it was cured??
Try again, Gareth: streaky bacon (not back), a little water, max heat to start and turn gas down when all the water has gone, flip the rashers 4 or 5 times when the water's gone to crisp evenly.
This method allows the water to render the fat without burning the meat. When the water has boiled off, the rendered fat and meat cook evenly and crisp together (the usual frying method with burn the meat before the fat has fully rendered). Good luck..!
Yes indeed Kevinsyd, exactly the same way as I do mine, and an added bonus is, the rashers hardly curl up like they do in the "traditional method" unless frying very thin rashers.
4:47 you beat me to it! Well done! Keeping people informed about them nasties.
You should try, after replacing the water, add a bit of white wine and let the bacon steam on it! Makes good bacon into great bacon as it infuses the flavours. (If you are keen on wine flavour only)
I always cook my bacon this way but I put a lid on it until all the water has evaporated. Then remove the lid for the last few minutes. The result is lovely crispy fat on the bacon which is light and crispy and not hard. Delicious!
lovely video. i just did a bit of research on the nitrate thing you was saying, and think it's true. soaking it for a few while before/during the cooking can help. but i think the best way to not have nitrate is to simply avoid food like ham or bacon because they do have nitrate to prevent molding. but i'm definitely not 100% sure of what i said, anyone feel free to correct me. have a good sunday.
Cheers, enjoy your Sunday
You can also fry chicken in water. An old student hack!
I just add the minimum amount possible to get it cooking without catching/burning and as that evaporates away... add a little more as needed.
Great tip!
Great video as usual :) i always wonder if this is done for health reasons, No oil. Or it tastes diffrent?
Never ever thought of frying with water! However good tip to help a fried egg is to add water and put a lid on the pan and it steams the top, quicker and sort of half poaches the egg. Plus thanks for the tip about nitrates, never heard of it so going to look up what nitrates do. Don't worry about what people comment on, you are always going to attract d*ck heads! Comes with the territory! Edit holy chit I've just read about nitrates and damn I'm going to do the water thing from now on with bacon! Thanks for the heads up.
Yes Geoff you're right mate. ✅️
I always cook eggs with a lid, I do bacon til crispy, it leaves a brown crud stuck to pan, then I add mushrooms, they release water and moving mushrooms around while cooking cleans the pan without ruining non-stick, then the mushrooms as they finish cooking then release back the fat having absorbed the crud, then I do eggs with lid on over low heat and the pan is nearly clean, and at most wipe with kitchen roll or leave fat for the next cook.
@@AntonGullymps and scientists want to ban nitrites as they can cause bowel cancers. This was from a Guardian article last year by leading doctors.
Afternoon Gaz, hope you and the family are all well? Just watched the video, bless you, you always make light of everything you do. I thought it was gonna turn into bacon soup, either that or you'd come back tomorrow with the finished product.🤦♀️🤣 but all in all it looked like it worked just a long process. Cheers and have a lovely rest of the day.😊👍
Looked good, in fact I could smell the bacon.. and now I want some. I usually snip round the edge when frying, so the rashers sit flat & cook evenly.
I actually found this method works really well at making crispy and not burnt bacon.
Is this just boiling or steaming but with little water!
Not for everyone..but i microwave mine on a microwave griddle type plate it has ridges to allow the fat to run out,but for me its my way and its never been undercooked/overcooked nor soggy white bits.3 rashers about 4 mins fullpower @ 850w power.
Alright Gaz? Never done this myself but can see why this would work. Thought you were gonna pack it in and use oil at one point. But I think it's just essentially cooking the bacon in its own lovely juices once the water has done its thing and part cooked it. The fat instead of oil is from the bacon itself, so that would make sense as to how the flavour was intensified. Good vid and a good topic for discussion. Stick at it I say 😄
For years now I have put 3 rashers in a bowl and poured boiling water straight from the kettle stir for half a minute take the bacon out and pat dry with kitchen towel, and fry in hot oil, with all the additives and excess water purged, the bacon fry's to nicely crisp and tasty.
I'd save the pan fat and use that to fry your next batch. I've got to be honest, I grill my bacon. It's not so much the nitrates you have to worry about, but the nitrites, which can become carcinogenic.
Love the channel. 👍
At nearly 70, I've stopped looking round corners Gareth !!!!!!!☹☹😦😦😮😮😮😮👹👹👹😂😂 Your Channel is such a 'God Send' for folks who suffer from Anxiety and depression. Today is the last day of Mental Awareness Week. Thank You for what you do. Hope you don't mind me mentioning this ??? 😍😍
Cheers Richard. Not at all mate. Hope you're well pal.
Going back to my camping/scouting days in the late 50s we would cook bacon and eggs over the camp fire. Ordinary steel or cast iron fry pan (no non-stick in those days) heated over the fire, the bacon added to the hot dry pan first as it produced enough fat to fry the egg and prevent it sticking. Simples! Not sure with modern supermarket bacon which contains rather a lot of water.
Can't beat going camping 👌
Always keep your bacon fat in a container in the fridge, keeps for ages and is super useful and tasty for loads of things. You can just top it up every time you make bacon.
Good tip
My Nan used to spread bacon fat on bread, she also ate tripe, animal hearts etc. She lived to the grand age of 97
@super ted forgot to mention she smoked park drive as well 😂🤣
Keeping your bacon fat goes to back to rationing when fats were rationed up to 8 years after the end of the war.
@@teddy11179 love it. Old school brought up in war time. No foodie fads then!
Brill, you really are a breath of fresh air, I have a lot of trouble getting decent bacon, and usually end up dabbing the chemical stuff off it in the pan.
You're welcome 😊
Today’s bacon is nothing like what we were buying in the 70’s. The only packet bacon then was Danish bacon, the tv advert for Danish bacon showed how much the bacon sizzled in the pan but the reason it sizzled so much was because it was pumped with water.
Hey man , I love the way you don’t cut out blooper mistakes , proper natural real filming 👍🏼 and you make me laff 💯🤣, anyway I think that here it’s detrimental that pressing the bacon into the pan with the spatula as cooking will help it crisp much quicker using the water method as the oil I’m sure you know is a much better conductor for heat to meat thus transferring it through the bacon faster and easier.And well the water ,It works at least and good survival info 😉🇬🇧, great video here baldie food guy , proper content this . Cheers 🍻
Cheers pal
I cut the rind off, and as posted elsewhere feed the birds. But would cut diagonally. But that's a habit because it makes it easier for soup.
Bacon and cheese loaded toasties with tomato soup is my favourite winter meal.
Or chicken soup if feeling unwell, flu, cold etc. Btw not a cook, just home cook. So soups simple but nice tins or instant.
The best way is to dry fry it first on high and then add a little water. Turns out lovely and crispy.
Looks really tasty, so I’ll give it a try next time I have some bacon 🥓! I’ve not had fried bread for years, (my late Dad used to make it for me), so that’s another good accompaniment to go with the bacon and egg 🍳. Thanks for sharing this idea! 😬
My Irish immigrant dad would fry bacon...then fry eggs in the bacon fat.....the fry green tomatos in the bacon fat...then what was left in the pan was used to fry the bread.....in bacon fat. That was the usual Sunday breakfast after Mass.
@@TheWolfsnack Sounds good! Anything my Dad cooked was tasty; always had the knack for making something good from few ingredients.
I dry cure and air dry my own bacon,air drying allows a lot of the nitrates to offgas(the same for sausages,always open freshly brought and allow to breath in fridge for 2 days minimum,all tests on bacon and sausages are straight out of packet and give squew wif info)I worked in a butchers and we never sold freshly made sausage it was all allowed to rest for 2 days in holding fridge .
Alternatively if you are on a diet Spray a bit of extra virgin olive oil in the pan, put in one slice of bacon, ( plus egg) after a few minutes turn it over then eat on a couple of pieces of lightly done toast without marg or butter . Ps , I can never get those so called oil sprayers to actually “spray”
The frying bacon in water method is mostly applicable to American style (streaky in the UK) bacon, rather than the UK style.
Yes not tried it again.
...a day late in getting here but you should try doing sausages like this, it cooks the inside of the sausage without burning the outside, then fry to the degree that you like. works great everytime.
Apologies if someone has already made this comment.
Cheers Peter thank you pal. 😊
@@BaldFoodieGuy Should've added that as long as you don't pierce or burst the sausage skin, that'll continue cooking the inside in it's own juices and oil.
Keep them coming.
I always buy the streaky bacon and just fry it on low in a dry pan as the fat in the bacon cooks it beautifully, nice and crispy 😋
Interesting experiment Gareth! Thanks for showing us! 👍
You're welcome
There's a way of doing sausages where you put water and oil in the pan. As the water boils away the sausages are cooked then the oil takes over for the browning. Actually works!
We use a similar bacon cooking method, a small splash of water, but using a iron bacon press weight to keep the bacon in contact with the pan better, not perfect contact unless you keep pressure on via the handle. Make sure to save the bacon fat in the fridge for when you want that golden crispy crunch sinful fried bread fix.
The bacon press also works for smash burgers, just need to add a square of greaseproof paper to avoid stickage.
For the cheap "oh my god" that is saltly cooking bacon offcut chunks, we slice it and soak it for about an hour in cold water to remove some of the salt if i proves to much.
would it cook quicker if used boiled water at start . have heated an egg in a pan till white then put in little bit of water and covered it to steam . cooks it quicker .
The bacon bought in supermarkets has water added to it whilst bacon bought from a butcher doesn't contain water that's how you get less product in the supermarkets compared to that in a butcher's shop. You pay more for the butcher's bacon but when you take the added water out it's probably just as expensive as the butchers bacon as they can add as much as 30% water to a pound of sliced bacon.
Cheers pal
That white stuff Mrs Beeton called albumen. She used to get on her high horse about it saying you should never waste or loose it during cooking process.
Ive always done my smoked streaky in dry pan on the lowest heat ?
Takes ages !
But it comes out as concentrated bacon that snaps like a biscuit and is perfect for so many snacks and recipes. !
I microwave mine. Two rashers covered, 1 min 50. Drain off LOADS of water and put in again for about 10 to 20 seconds depending if you want it more crispy
I dry cook streaky bacon in the pan. Heaped up in a nice roll with a wedge of cheddar it is just awesome.
Not tried doing bacon that way but I use a similar method for button mushrooms. Frying pan with water which boils off and cooks the mushrooms then when its nearly all gone add a knob of butter to give them some colour.
Putting a lid on the pan, so it steams in its own juices, works just as well.
I use the water method when cooking streaky bacon. But i use way less water, maybe 50-75ml, just enough to slow the frying process down by a min or two and give the fat more time to render out, then you still let it go until all the water has gone and the bacon starts to look foamy.
Try using a George Foreman Griller this takes out a lot of the nasties whilst leaving the bacon tasty and reducing your calorie intake. The downside is the cleaning but if you get one with detachable plates this makes it easier
I’ve been doing it since I left my last posting in BAOR ……. that’s quite a few years back too…… just to get rid of the crap that they pump in to give some taste, keep it longer on the shelf, and to add weight to scam us with!
Change the pan just as the water is about to disappear, and fry it properly. Don’t boil the water, just let it simmer, and you won’t lose the fatty bit, and it will cook well after you transfer pans.
The American Test Kitchen has recently picked up on it to do their caramelised onion as well.
My old man was a chef in the navy, wartime, and showed me how to do the same thing donkeys years ago.
Also the Army Concrete Company teach their cooks to grill the breakfast bacon on the big trays with water added to the trays just before grilling.
Try it again, and you’ll enjoy it without the stuff that does so many bad things to our bodies.
Keep up the brilliant work, and be as entertaining as ever.
Cheers Pal. 😅
Cheers pal
Happy Sunday afternoon Gareth, well we do have boiled bacon,just a different cut of pork. It was worth a try, but i can't see the point of all that faffing about. If you grilled the bacon,fat out,crispy in😊Now like you i 😍 the porky devil 👿 it's so bad.BUT taste&texture,smell, i tell you the aroma of cooking bacon can raise the dead and change the mind of a vegetarian 😂 joys of life 2 slices white bread,butter,brown sauce at least 4 back rashers or 6streaky😊well cooked. Build the sarnie AND THEN The press or squash flatten said sandwich, pour mug of tea. Then watch the stress of life fade away. As ever Gareth a bright spot in any day. Thank you and keep 'em coming 😊❤ Cheers
Here's and recommendation for you, Gareth...
I always GRILL my bacon (the M and S smoked, back bacon is superb) for around twelve mins, turning occasionally until lovely and sizzly brown and crisp. Then serve with BRIE cheese on generously buttered, fresh-baked rustic white bread and a grilled tomato on the side.
A sensational light supper 😎👍
Smoked bacon is an abomination.
You learn a new thing every day. Your sarnie would be good with brown sauce xx thank you for the video xx
Farmfoods do an American style thin Bacon which is smoked with maple just over a quid which is really good 👍
Why do I always watch you when I’m hungry lol great vids love your channel fella 🇮🇪🤘🏴
Cheers pal
It worked for me. It works but so does the way I normally do it! The recipe I saw - from Australia - didn't put the water in to start with.
cook bacon in the airfryer.. depends on the thickness and your own bacon you buy.. just keep adding a minute after 5 minutes till you get it perfect.. mine is 4 rashers.. 7 mins.. know the time means its the same each time. Streaky is great too.. fattier the better as cooked long enough and the fat goes like Frazzles crisps.
I use greaseproof paper, lay a rashee down, fold paper over, another rasher, fold and so on to keep them separated, into the freezer for half hour. Pour enough water in pan to cover bottom, bring to a raging boil, lay the near frozen rashers in, leave heat on high until water is gone and bacon starts to brown, drop a teaspoon of butter in middle of pan, place greaseproof paper you wrapped them in on top and a large pot on top to flatten rashers down, 2 minutes - done
😮
Cheers
i preffer mine done in the air fryer , but i do my fried eggs in water great job as always good to see new ideas
What has happened to our bacon-rinds? When I was a little girl my Dad was the only one in the family who would be given bacon for breakfast. My mother had the rinds but I would occasionally be given a piece of one, which I loved.
It was normal practice in the 60s & 70s for men to be given the best food. Women & children sometimes got very little protein indeed.
This was an interesting experiment - thanks for sharing - I think I will stick to frying mine in olive oil - that white stuff you were mentioning does seem to depend on the type of bacon you get - james back never seems to have much of it at all
Hi , Nice one ...Dave😄👍👍
If you want quick crispy bacon use the grill, for anything else try steam frying... a finger rub of oil in the fry pan, chuck the bacon in, put a lid on the pan on a low ish heat, water is released from the bacon and creates a steam environment and bobs yr uncle :)
I cook sausages in water before I then cook them on the outside. It definitely makes a difference to them. Looking at the bacon scenario, it does not seem to make any difference to the end result but takes more time. I prefer to grill bacon, like eating burnt offerings…. 😂👍…
Omg looks great Gareth making me hungry lol❤
The method is to start the bacon in a dry pan on a medium to high heat. Wait for it to start cooking as the fat renders out and then to keep topping up the water to prevent burning.
I always soak joints of gammon overnight and change the water before I cook it because of the nitrates. Don't the nitrates stay in the pan and cook back into the bacon?
I had breast cancer, diagnosed 2015. Went through chemo and radiotherapy. Eight years cancer-free October. Was told to steer clear from bacon and sausages. 😮😮 I now just have it as a treat every so often. I fry and drain on kitchen paper, is all!
Oh I'm glad you're ok now
@BaldFoodieGuy Aww thank you, so am I. I'd rather be six foot above with grey hair, he he. I used to have gorgeous, glossy, geometric haircut but now it's grey! My husband, (who's bald) said we could be bookends on the mantlepiece, bless him!
I think it is just boiled bacon. Need the crispyness and fat. and takes way too long. BTW. Is that real butter?
I agree with R chippy, just try weighing it before and after cooking and you will see, very expensive water!!! Try avocado oil for frying, I think you will love it.
Good one Eric
I like dry frying my bacon, I find it goes really crispy, this however was interesting to watch your process.........
Butter on a Bacon Sandwich 😲 I just put good quality Bacon into a none stick pan fry it till it's crisp transfer bacon to a plate 2 slices of bread into the pan ,fry on one side then make sandwich fried sids in and eat, maybe a bit of HP/Daddies sauce depending on mood, Food of the Gods. I usually have this once a week so I'll risk the nitrates. Keep the Content Flowing I'm really enjoying your channel 👍🇬🇧🍺
Thank you pal
Theres enough water injected into it as there is. Even our local butcher explained that these days all our bacon has water added apparently it keeps the cost down! You had a go Kudos to you for trying
The bacon came out better than I expected, nice one 👍
Me too cheers
That should be interesting Gareth. Good luck mate !
I wondered how long it would take after seeing 'Andy Cooks' on TikTok where he does this with streaky bacon. His videos are edited super-fast and give the illusion of quick prep - no such thing! Your 'experiment' is the reality! Glad it tasted good.
Yes not done it since think your supposed to use streaky
Enjoyed the video thanks Gareth 👍
Glad you enjoyed it
Hey Gareth, a challange for you...Do a video on a fine full English breakfast for us using your fave brand items👍👍
Nice one
Your hand action describing the curling of gammon is spot on.
Haha cheers
If I find the mince I have bought is full of fat, I bring it to the boil in a pan of water. Then cool it down and pick the thick layer of fat off the top of the water, before straining. I last did this with a bag of frozen mince, and made spag bol with it.
This works a lot better with streaky bacon. British back bacon is actually pretty lean, so there's not a huge amount of fat to render out.
Cheers 😋
Streaky bacon works best, a little less water, and a higher gas ... wonderful x
Always good video, thanks. Get bread in the fry pan for fried bread, after saying on a diet! 😊😊 After watching, I'd agree. I'll stick with the fry pan and some oil or lard. Obviously can't eat them all day every day, when you have a treat, w0w! are they tastey.
Cheers pal
You'll have to try the streaky bacon in kitchen roll, microwave method next.
No no no. I've also seen this water method recently. I watched it n thought no. I've now seen your attempt n I'm definitely in the camp of no. I grill or oven bake for 12 minutes until crispy. I will stick to them methods. Hope you're doing well and all is good Gareth.
Next time you fry bacon, try sprinkling a little bit of flour onto it before cooking. works a treat. keep up good work from one Gareth to another. enjoy.
Cheers Gareth nice one pal thank you.
I've always started off cheap "uncured" bacon in water, until all the nitrites and other additives have washed out. They leave a white fluffy residue in the water. I take out the bacon, leaning behind the crappy stuff, whole out the pan, the bacon then crisps up beautifully in a dry pan, with out the additives.
Edwards butcher in Wales is really good , think they have a shop in Conwy, their sausages are good, great that you gave Edwards's a mention