Ahh, bacon. It's a culinary staple that delights the palate, tingles the senses and even has its own holiday. Humans have been eating bacon for more than 4,000 years, but it didn't become a breakfast food until it was branded as one in a PR stunt by the Beech-Nut Packing Company in the 1920s. But some of the first mentions of this salty pork go back to the Roman Empire when peasants cooked with bacon fat.
Sourced from the pig's belly, back or sides, bacon goes through a curing process where the raw meat is soaked in a combination of salt, nitrates — and occasionally sugar — before it's smoked. These two processes give bacon its signature robust, umami taste and deep red color.
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Panfrying is the go-to method for cooking bacon — all you need is a stove and a skillet. But it makes for greasier bacon in the end. There's another popular method of preparing bacon that helps cut down on grease and splatter: baking the bacon in the oven.
This method also lets you prepare big batches, and the result is a crispier piece of bacon. The best part? It's insanely easy. Here's how it's done.
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