It may be a staple of a Full English and a tasty addition to a classic burger, but most of us are missing a trick when it comes to preparing the perfect crispy bacon.
US blogger McKenna Pulda, who runs the ‘Simplicity and a Starter‘ website, revealed that there’s a vital step that the majority of home cooks hastily skip over.
According to ‘the former choir teacher turned sourdough enthusiast, recipe developer, and mom of two,’ too many of us cook bacon straight from the fridge.
And, by taking it from there and placing it directly in the pan, we’re not only risking burning it but also making it lumpy.
McKenna, who has more than 260,000 followers on Instagram, explained: ‘Bacon fat holds onto the cold longer than the meat does.
‘That being said, if you cook the bacon before it is brought to room temperature, then that is a sure invitation for unevenly cooked bacon.
‘No one wants a bite of rubbery fat and a burnt bit.’
Instead, those who are keen to get the best results should wait approximately 15 minutes between taking their bacon from the fridge and putting it in the pan.
According to US blogger Mckenna Pulda, it’s a mistake to cook bacon straight from the fridge
‘To avoid this tragedy, bring your bacon to room temperature before frying it up (about 15 minutes),’ McKenna adds.
Since the white fatty parts of a piece of bacon cook much faster than the pink meat, it is likely that it will end up burnt at the sides and undercooked in the middle if heated from fridge temperature, which is roughly three degrees Celsius.
If you allow the meat to sit at room temperature for about a quarter of an hour before you begin cooking it, the fat will melt and separate properly when you eventually put it in the pan.
And, as a result, it will not curl when it’s fried, making for much better bacon rashers.
McKenna adds that the best way to cook bacon is in a cast iron skillet: ‘Cooking the traditional way with cast iron skillets means cooking the most perfect bacon.
‘A cast iron pan retains heat evenly. This means, instead of scorching your food, the cast iron will render the bacon fat and deliver beautiful sears and crispy, salty slices.’
While air fryers have become very popular in recent years, a dietitian recently urged people to think twice before using one to prepare bacon.
When compared to deep frying or throwing meat on the pan with oil, air fryers are considered to be a healthier option.
Instead, to ensure it comes out crispy, bacon should be brought to room temperature before it is cooked – which usually takes about 15 minutes
But Brenda Peralta, who is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator based in Costa Rica, said she’d advise against using the gadget to crisp your bacon.
‘It is a fatty food, and when it is cooked in an air fryer, the fat can drip down and cause smoke or splatter,’ she told Yahoo.
It’s common for the bacon fat to splash across the appliance’s heating element, causing a cloud of smoke with a powerful odour.
This can also prevent the bacon from cooking evenly – running the risk of food poisoning.
Meanwhile, excess smoke can cause unwanted smells in your home.
Cooking bacon in an air fryer can be problematic due to its fattiness and size.
Brenda said that bacon strips are also tricky to remove from the device because they can easily fall apart.
‘A bacon strip is a small and delicate food, and it can be difficult to flip or remove from the air fryer basket without breaking it,’ she explained.
Additionally, the fryer basket often isn’t big enough to accommodate a large quantity of bacon – making it an inconvenient technique for those who are cooking for a group.
Nevertheless, air fryers are without a doubt the must-have kitchen gadget at the moment, with celebrities from Sir Mo Farah to Drew Barrymore confessing their love for them.
The appliance uses hot air rather than hot oil to cook foods, offering a quick and healthy alternative to deep-fat fryers.
While many of us use our devices to cook frozen treats such as chips or chicken nuggets, there are a range of surprising foods that work an absolute treat in the air fryer.
‘Air fryers can be useful for quickly cooking and crisping up frozen foods,’ Which? said, but added that you can ‘get away with cooking almost anything’ in the device.
Annual sales figures from Lakeland show sales of air fryers were up 1,175% in 2023 compared with the previous year – when they were already soaring in popularity – as households continue their efforts to save energy on standard ovens.
The retailer said: ‘In previous years, their popularity could be attributed to consumers seeking healthier cooking options and fast cooking times.
‘However, with the cost-of-living crisis continuing, air fryers have a renewed appeal as an efficient alternative to oven cooking.’