Last Updated on December 14, 2022 by Sultana Parvin
Bacon is a hearty and scrumptious daily meal in many households that can be enjoyed in any part of the day. Plus, it’s a must-have at special occasions of family get together or simply when you want to enjoy it alone at home. But all the taste lies in its proper cooking. Many people choose to cook bacon in carbon steel or iron cast but carbon steel is more in vogue now due to many positive reasons.
At best, stainless steel is also in the race but again, carbon steel is dominating now because it has become more of a luxurious kind of cookware.
Are you looking for one?
Well, frankly, we are a little advanced as we also suggest you the best carbon steel pans along with the complete guide on how to cook them efficiently as many pro cooks do. The tips below are actually gathered from such cooks around the globe who love bacon equally as you.
As with that said, it is not always about how tasty bacon you cook but also about what cookware you use to make it even tastier. Follow us and you will never regret it in the kitchen!
Table of Contents
How to Cook Bacon in Carbon Steel?
Just swear by all the pointers described below to land onto perfectly cooked bacon.
How to Cook Bacon in Carbon Steel
Well, frankly, we are a little advanced as we also suggest you the best carbon steel pans along with the complete guide on how to cook them efficiently as many pro cooks do. The tips below are actually gathered from such cooks around the globe who love bacon equally as you.
Materials
- Carbon Steel Pan
Tools
- Carbon Steel
Instructions
- Don’t buy the pre-seasoned pan
- Don’t put sugar-cured bacon in the pan
- Put the bacon in a cold pan
- Don’t layer the bacon strips on top of one another
- Never ever put it in the dishwasher
- Scrape off the bits with a wooden spatula
- Invest in an excellent quality carbon steel pan
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1. Don’t buy pre-seasoned pan
The pre-seasoned pans are not always up with a good quality we all run after. The company does the seasoning as a formality and it is prone to reap off quite easily. Therefore, to cook a meal like bacon, you should consider a plain carbon steel pan if you are buying it new for an event. However, if you can’t easily find a carbon steel pan that is already not seasoned, you can wash it right after purchasing and then re-season it on your own. When you season it yourself, you can swear by its perfect quality and the required assurance that it is all set to work in the kitchen now.
2. Don’t put sugar-cured bacon in a pan
The sugar-cured bacon will definitely interrupt the seasoning layers of the pan, resulting in uneven cooking. You should try uncured bacon that is essentially called the pork belly. That part of the pork is uncured and involves no sodium nitrite either directly or through celery juice. However, sugar-cured bacon is also health-wise average to the uncured bacon which is tastier and nutrition-filled.
3. Put the bacon in a cold pan
All the experts suggest adding bacon strips in a cold pan directly because it helps in developing super ideal taste. When the grease starts releasing from the bacon and spreads in the pan due to the cold surface, it gives a crunchy texture to the outside while a suitably chewy texture to the inside of the bacon. This is the right state of cooked bacon we all love, isn’t it? On a lighter note, when you start the process by placing long bacon strips in the cold pan, let it be there until it sets loose the fat or grease to the maximum. This is the time when you can flip its side easily because when the bacon has halfway or not fully released the grease, it will tend to stick to the bottom which will make the flipping a live mess. On the contrary, if you don’t like this method, you can simply warm the pan a little and add a spoonful of oil to trigger the smooth cooking.
4. Don’t layer the bacon strips on top of one another
While cooking the bacon in the carbon steel pan over a stovetop, there is one rule that you should take into account. Well we know the space in a pan is already very less and you can’t stack up strips more than the space allows, it’s okay to make bacon in batches all at once.
Since the bacon renders a lot of fat of its own, if you place two bacon strips over each other, the released fat will create an unimaginable mess and the grease might pour out of the pan and reach the fire which is again alarming. So depending upon the available space in the pan, place only the number of strips that can easily get on the surface. The rest of the bacon can be cooked later after the first batch is done. Patience is the key to relishing tasty bacon in the end!
5. Never ever put it in the dishwasher
Some of us often entirely forget that it is forbidden to put a carbon steel pan in the dishwasher and almost all the cookware that is based on seasoning. You always have to be very careful with the washing of the pan after cooking in order to not spoil the seasoning. The dishwasher is such a device that washes away all the seasoning layers which is not a good idea. Not only will you have to re-season it before every use but the performance of the carbon steel will also deteriorate to a great extent. Even when washing with hands, don’t use liquid soaps and dish soaps that are made of chemicals. Plus, a soft sponge must be used in place of a harsh and rigorous wool scrubber.
6. Scrape off the bits with a wooden spatula
Meals that include the use of sausages and meat like bacon can leave behind bits and that must be removed gently in order to maintain the looks and efficiency of the surface. Well, in that case, you should use non-metal spatulas like wood to scrape off the residue. Always use a non-metal spatula for cooking and to scrape the bits as it is soft in texture and would not go harsh to the special carbon steel surface.
7. Invest in an excellent quality carbon steel pan
Read the first pointer again and then come back to read this one. Your meals and the life span of your carbon steel pan high-time depend on the kind of investment you make. If you are naturally concerned enough about how far the pan should go and the cooking results it ought to render, don’t skimp on the extra bucks you can pay to get your hands on the supremely manufactured pan. If you don’t know how and where to have a good kind of pan, we can provide you with a complete list to choose from. The best carbon steel pans are waiting for you; go through the best 10 available options here.
Wrapping Up
I believe this guide is enough to help you cook a delicious batch of stripped and uncured bacon that can be used in a variety of dishes!
As a last tip to help you in any case, you can add a few tablespoons of water when you place the bacon in the pan to get that smoky touch. The water will not disturb the casual cooking and will evaporate soon.
