Bacon has to be one of the most popular foods on the planet and can be seen in a wide range of meal types. However, have you ever wondered what the best way to cook bacon is?
We all want to get the most out of our bacon, so why not grill it? Can you grill bacon? You search and search, but are unable to find the answers that you need, leaving you without your bacon fix.
Well, no more! Follow our guide to find out more and to find out if grilling your pork is the best way to prepare your bacon?
What Is Bacon And Where Does It Come From?
It would be interesting to know how many people who eat bacon regularly actually know where the meat comes from, with regards to a pig’s body.
Bacon comes from the pork belly, which is one of the most succulent and meat-rich parts of a pig’s body.
Pork belly comes from the actual belly of pork, unlike pork butt which comes from the shoulder area of the animal. How strange!
Bacon is a salty cured pork type, prepared from a few different types of meat cuts. These cuts can include the pork belly and the back cuts, which have less fat than other areas of the animal.
Bacon can be seen in a range of different meals from burgers, to pizza and on its own with fries.
On top of this, bacon is also seen frequently in breakfasts across the world, appearing in English breakfasts, bacon sandwiches, and even accompanying pancakes and waffles.
Can You Grill Bacon?
The simple answer is yes, you can grill bacon and you can safely eat the pork without the worry of being ill.
It’s always good to make sure that the meat is cooked all the way through, to avoid any chances of a trip to the doctors.
Grilling bacon can be an effective way of cooking pork and gives your bacon a crisp and succulent finish.
However, lots of fat and grease will drip from the food when grilling, so it’s important to have it over a tray of some sort.
When grilling bacon, these fat drippings can cause a lot of damage to the burners or the bottom of the grill. Because of this, it’s best to do it over a layer of cooking foil in a tray.
This way the bacon is grilled like normal but the surrounding features will catch the fat and excess waste falling from the meat as it cooks.
This prevents you from having to get a new grill and will make no difference to the taste of the bacon itself.
How Long Do You Grill Bacon For?
Usually, it’s best to heat the grill to its highest heat and give it a few minutes to reach the desired heat that you need.
Using a baking sheet or something similar, place some baking foil underneath so that the fat drippings are stopped from reaching the burners. Add the bacon to the grill and place it on one side.
After about two to three minutes, flip the bacon over to the other side and let it sit for another two or three minutes.
This ensures that the meat is getting enough attention in all areas. If the bacon isn’t starting to crisp after this, then flip it over and give it another minute or two on each side.
The thicker the bacon, the less crispy it will be. So if you’re looking for a crispy type to have with your meal then it’s best to choose streaky types of pork products.
Because of their thinner appearance and features, streaky bacon will be crisp and brown, becoming perfect for meals like pancakes and burgers. Yum!
How To Tell When Bacon Is Cooked
As previously mentioned, bacon will look different when cooked depending on what type of bacon you’ve opted to cook.
Streaky bacon will take less time to cook and will look crisp and golden to the eye. You’ll usually be able to tell when bacon is cooked because of the smell.
When it smells crispy and smoky, that’s when your bacon is thoroughly cooked.
Back bacon is thicker than streaky bacon and this is easy to spot straight away. Because it’s thicker, back bacon will most likely take longer to cook through and won’t be as crispy as streaky bacon.
However, a lot of people will opt for this variation of bacon for its meatier qualities and depth. This bacon is seen a lot in hamburgers and sandwiches all over the globe.
One of the main physical differences between back bacon and streaky bacon is that streaky bacon has lines of fat running through it, which may deter some people who prefer less fatty foods.
Back bacon tends to have the fat running along the edge of the meat, around the outside.
This makes the fat easier to remove and can be cut off with a standard knife, which may be better for those who don’t like fat on their food.
Other Ways To Cook Bacon
As long as bacon is cooked thoroughly, it doesn’t matter which method of cooking you choose.
Lots of people will choose different techniques down to how the meat tastes. For example, a very popular way that people choose to prepare their bacon is by smoking it.
Smoking your bacon will add an extra layer of flavor that you wouldn’t get by grilling.
However, it’s important to ensure that the bacon is fully-cooked or you risk contracting illnesses like toxoplasmosis and tapeworms.
Oven baking can also be a great way to cook the pork meat and will make sure that the bacon is cooked evenly all the way through.
This is useful for those who are particularly stressed about becoming ill. It’s all in the learning process and you’ll find that cooking bacon is safe as long as you know what you’re doing.
Final Thoughts
Bacon can be one of the nicest foods to eat, especially when grilled to perfection.
With crispy features and smoky undertones, you can expect to have a great meal, accompanied by anything from fries to fresh potatoes.
Because of bacon’s versatility, you can find bacon goes with most things like burgers and waffles, all the way to milkshakes and sundaes.
Making sure that the bacon is fully-cooked is only the main concern, except for trying not to burn the food. Other than that, you’ve got yourself a relatively easy piece of food to prepare.
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