What person doesn’t like bacon? This recipe for pre-cooked bacon is perfect for those of us who love how it makes food taste better but don’t like how it makes the house smell when you fry it.
In a Southern kitchen, bacon makes almost everything taste better. It adds crunch and a salty, savory punch to quiches, salads, soups, and more. A lot of us are used to buying bacon that’s already cooked at Costco or the store, but there’s a smart way to make our own at home for much less money!
Making pre-cooked bacon is SO simple, and it’s a smart way to spice up and add crunch to almost anything. Once you have it on hand you will be adding these “flavor bombs” to everything in your kitchen!.
4. Cook until done! The cook time will depend on how thick your bacon is cut. Watch it closely and take it out of the oven when the bacon is just the way you like it!
5. Let cool, and then place on parchment paper and store in a Ziplock bag in the fridge. This can keep for about a week!.
Pre-cooked bacon has become a popular kitchen staple for busy home cooks and food industry professionals alike This savory, salty cured pork delicacy adds a punch of flavor and texture to everything from salads and sandwiches to quiches, soups, and more But have you ever wondered exactly how pre-cooked bacon is made before it arrives packaged and ready to eat in grocery stores?
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through the step-by-step process of how pre-cooked bacon is made from start to finish We’ll cover everything from selecting the right pork belly to curing, cooking, slicing, and packaging this versatile pantry hero Read on for an inside look at the fascinating production of one of America’s favorite foods!
Selecting the Pork Belly
The first step in making pre-cooked bacon is to acquire properly butchered and prepared pork bellies. Pork bellies are the cut of meat from the underside of a pig, consisting of both fatty and lean portions Not just any pork belly will do for making bacon! The pork bellies are carefully selected by producers for ideal fat-to-lean ratios, weight, and conformity The bellies should weigh between 8-12 pounds each and have a fat cap thickness of about 1/2 inch. Too little fat results in dry bacon, while too much fat leads to shrinkage and a poor texture.
Curing the Pork Belly
Once properly selected, the pork bellies are put through a curing process. Curing imparts flavor, extends shelf life, and gives bacon its trademark pink coloring. The pork bellies are submerged in a liquid brine solution containing water, salt, sugar, sodium nitrite, and flavorings like smoked paprika or maple. Wet curing takes between 3-14 days depending on factors like the concentration of the brine, temperature, and weight of the bellies. The salt penetrates the meat, dissolving the proteins and allowing the cure to spread evenly. This is what gives bacon its signature salty flavor and tender texture.
Slicing and Cooking the Bacon
Once the pork bellies are done being cured, they are sliced and cooked. The cured bellies are pressed to get rid of any extra water, and then they are put through a large-scale slicer. The thin, even strips of bacon made by the sharp blades make each bite of bacon the same. The raw bacon slices are then put into microwave ovens, large batch ovens, or impingement ovens to cook. Batch oven cooking takes 8-12 hours at low temperatures between 130-170°F. Impingement ovens use jets that circulate hot air and take only 1-3 hours. Microwave ovens can cook bacon strips in just 8-10 minutes!.
Packaging the Finished Product
When the bacon is done and at the right temperature inside, it is quickly chilled on conveyor belts until it is below 40°F. Once the bacon slices are cool, they are put through metal detectors to see if they have any foreign objects on them. Checks are made for food safety and quality, and any products that aren’t up to par are taken away. Lastly, the bacon slices that are ready to eat are weighed and put into bags, boxes, or trays for sale. Preservatives are added to maintain freshness and extend shelf life. The finished packages of pre-cooked bacon are put into boxes, put on pallets, and sent out for people to enjoy!
With its crisp texture, smoky flavor, and savory umami taste, it’s no wonder pre-cooked bacon has become such a popular staple ingredient and cooking shortcut. Next time you grab a package of this versatile pork product, you’ll have an appreciation for the careful process used to prepare it! From the selection of the pork bellies to curing, slicing, cooking, and packaging, creating perfectly pre-cooked bacon is a culinary art form.
What Is Pre-cooked Bacon And Why Is It A Savvy Hack?
Pre-cooked bacon is just bacon that is made ahead of time! By making your bacon ahead of time, you save your future self time, money, and effort! I personally love the flavor of bacon, but do not love the smell it leaves behind in my house. Now that I always have pre-cooked bacon in my refrigerator, I do not have to worry about the leftover smell when I am entertaining! Also, you can watch me create this fabulous tip in Youtube.
How Can I Use Pre-cooked Bacon?
You can use pre-cooked bacon in a million different ways! It gives almost any dish a meaty, rich flavor! I use pre-cooked bacon in a lot of different recipes. This tip helps me make my Spinach and Bacon Buttermilk Quiche and my Broccoli, Raisin, and Bacon Salad even better!
BACON | How It’s Made
FAQ
Is precooked bacon fully cooked?
How do restaurants pre cook bacon?
How is packaged bacon made?
Is supermarket bacon precooked?
How do you cook pre cooked bacon?
Pre-cooked bacon is SO easy to make and is a savvy way to add flavor and crunch to just about anything. Once you have it on hand you will be adding these “flavor bombs” to everything in your kitchen! 1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 2. Place your grid tray on your sheet pan. 3. Place your bacon slices on the grid tray. 4. Cook to taste!
How do you cook raw bacon?
Arrange the raw bacon in a single layer on the foil. Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven and cook, checking frequently, until the bacon is to your preferred level of brownness and crispness. Pour off any accumulated grease, if needed. Use tongs to place the cooked bacon on a large platter lined with paper towels.
What is precooked Bacon?
Quick Tips and Facts: 1. Precooked bacon was first introduced as a way to provide soldiers with a quick and easy source of protein during World War II. 2. The process of precooking bacon involves partially cooking the bacon in a controlled environment, then rapidly chilling and packaging it to extend its shelf life. 3.
How do you cook bacon in a sheet pan?
Start by lining your sheet pan with aluminum foil, this is optional but it’ll definitely make clean up easier. Lay a single layer of bacon strips on the sheet pan. Cook the bacon in a 400 degree preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes depending on how crispy you want the bacon to be. Flip bacon halfway through cooking.