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You've Been Cooking Bacon Wrong This Whole Time, Says America

You've Been Cooking Bacon Wrong This Whole Time, Says America

Forget grilling or frying.

Anonymous

Anonymous

You. Yes, you right there. I'm about to blow your world wide open and rock the very foundations of everything you ever thought you knew, because I'm going to put it to you that you have been cooking bacon wrong this whole time.

Or at least that's what some folk in America think. You know, those guys over the pond whose rashers of bacon look more like steamrollered drumstick lollies than any sort of meat product.

But hey-ho. If by some miracle there might make our beloved breakfast meat even more delicious than it already is, then frankly, we're all ears.

Word has been spreading like wildfire on American food sites that, despite what we all thought, frying and grilling are not the most effective methods of cooking bacon.

Credit: Flickr/Kjetil Ree (Creative Commons)

So, what is? Surely no one's suggesting that we put it in the toaster - or worse, the microwave?

Nope, according to the general consensus of some of the States' online foodies, the best way to cook bacon is to boil it.

Sounds absolutely crazy, doesn't it? But it's got to be worth a try.

Apparently, this controversial bacon cooking method results in juicier, crispier rashers, because it cooks the meat much more slowly. This means less chewy fat and increased levels of salty deliciousness.

via GIPHY

So how do you do it? Well, according to food website Food Hacks Daily, you'll need to follow the following method.

1. Pop the bacon in a cold skillet, cover with water and place on a high temperature setting.

2. As soon as the water begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium.

3. Once the water has all boiled off, turn the heat to a medium-low setting.

4. Allow the bacon to crisp up in the pan

5. Eat the bacon, obviously.

via GIPHY

Food experts over at news.com.au decided to put the method to the test alongside the traditional method to find out which was best. Unfortunately, they weren't too impressed.

The news outlet's Tristan Lutze wrote: "Remembering the teachings of high school science, we cooked a 'control' batch using the tried-and-true dry frying pan method. The results, of course, were outstanding. Delicious bacon.

"For our second test, the same bacon was laid into the same frying pan - this time cold - and just covered in cold water. As the water came to the boil and the fat began to dissolve, it created an unappetising white foam in the water.

"But once the water had evaporated, the fat had almost completely rendered away and the foam had vanished."

bacon rashers
bacon rashers

Credit: PA

He continued: "All that was left to do now was to brown the now much stickier, plumper bacon.

"The 'new' method produced much drier, darker bacon. It was crispier, as promised, but in a way that made it less enjoyable to eat. It had developed the consistency reminiscent of beef jerky.

"Even worse, this method seemed to have leached a lot of the bacon's salt content out into the water before gluing it back to the outside of the bacon as it evaporated, making the bacon much saltier to taste.

"Of course, the only bad bacon is no bacon, so we still happily ate both batches. But as to the internet's claims that this method was better than a simple hot frying pan? That's a porky."

We're guessing it's all down to personal preference, but we'd be lying if we said we weren't curious enough to give it a go.

Words: Paddy Maddison

Featured Image Credit: Flickr/Health Gauge (Creative Commons)