Bakin' Bacon

I'm pretty passionate about bacon. It's basically meat candy. And are any two words more sexy than "bacon fat?"

I am especially partial to crispy bacon, and it's taken me some time, but I've finally learned how to make the perfect bacon for me.

Baking bacon takes around the same amount of time as frying bacon and there is nothing wrong about frying bacon. You can get great results that way, especially if you like spattering sexy bacon fat all over your stovetop, arms, and face.

I however, have enough problems, and I also find getting the results I want in the oven to be easier and more consistent once I got to intimately know my oven, her hot and cold spots, and all of that.

Ok, so here's what I do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F

2. Grab a couple of baking sheets, line them with foil, and then lay the bacon out across them, trying not to overlap.

3. Once the oven is ready I pop them in for 20 minutes. This is where knowing your oven helps. When the timer beeps, I check it, often the bacon on the lower rack will be much further along. I might shuffle the pans from one rack to another, or turn them around for more even cooking.

4. Check the bacon every 2-5 minutes. There are literal seconds between perfectly crispy and not-even-the-dog-will-want-it burnt. However, you also want to make sure the bacon is cooked, so don't pull it out too soon!

5. From here, things get a little controversial, because I also like melt in your mouth bacon. After I pull a sheet of bacon out of the oven, I let it sit and sizzle in its own fat for like a minute, then I take my tongs, flip each piece, so that both sides get a sexy bacon fat bath.

6. Line a plate, platter or some such with paper towels. Take your tongs and lovingly lift each piece of meat candy onto the plate, and once they are all settled, blanket another layer of paper towels atop them, to wick off some of the grease. You will want to do that.

7. If you want to save the bacon fat from the pans, the easiest thing to do is pour and strain it before eating your bacon, while that fat is nice and liquid. You don't have to save it, of course, you could just ball up the foil, and toss all that sexiness in the trash. It's up to you.

But it's all up to you. I came up with this for myself after so much trial and error, and each time I make it is another trial, because that's part of the thing with home cooking and baking. Don't aim to make the "best" whatever it is, learn to make your "favorite" whatever it is.