Blanching bacon? Yes, you should, and this article covers why and how to blanch bacon. It may sound counterintuitive, but there are many benefits to enjoy with this method.
Bacon is a culinary delight that graces breakfast platters, burgers, plates of pasta, and countless other dishes. Most people cook bacon by frying it or baking it, but blanching it means boiling it in water for a short time before cooking it until it is golden and crispy. When you blanch vegetables, the color stays bright and you often get a cold shock afterward. But when you blanch meat, the salty or smoky flavors are toned down. The purpose of blanching bacon is explained in this article, along with step-by-step instructions on how to do it right.
If you’ve cooked with bacon before, you’ve likely encountered the thin, fatty rind on the edges of bacon slices. While most people simply discard it, blanched bacon rind is an underutilized ingredient that can add flavor, texture, and nutrition to all kinds of dishes.
Read on to learn all about blanched bacon rind – what it is how to prepare it and creative ways to use it in recipes!
Overview of Bacon Rind
The rind refers to the skin or outer layer on certain foods like cheese and meat. On bacon, it’s the thin white strip of fat and collagen around the edges of a sliced pork belly. Basically, it’s the same part that becomes crispy bacon rinds when the bacon is fried.
This section doesn’t have much meat; it’s mostly fat, connective tissue, and skin. So rather than eating it as-is, blanching helps make the rind more palatable. Blanching involves briefly boiling the rind to partially cook it and remove impurities.
Once blanched, the rind becomes tender with a mild, porky flavor. It lends richness without an overwhelming fatty or salty taste. The possibilities for using blanched rind are almost endless!
How to Blanch Bacon Rind
Blanching bacon rind helps mellow the flavor and makes it easier to cut or grind for adding to dishes. Here’s a simple process:
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Remove rind from bacon slices or chopped pork belly – try to get thick, wide pieces.
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Simmer the rind pieces in lightly salted water for 2-3 minutes until softened.
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Drain and submerge in ice water for 1 minute to stop the cooking.
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Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
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Use immediately, store in the fridge for a few days, or freeze for later.
The blanched rinds can be used in strips or ground into bacon rind crumbles. Blanching before freezing also prevents freezer burn.
Culinary Uses for Blanched Bacon Rind
Once blanched, bacon rind transforms into a handy flavor enhancer for all types of savory dishes:
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Soups and stocks – Add richness and body.
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Beans and greens – Contrasts nicely with bitter greens.
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Potatoes – Garnish mashed or baked potatoes.
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Meat dishes – Excellent in braised beef, pork, lamb.
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Sauces and gravies – Adds texture and saltiness.
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Fried rice/noodles – Sprinkle on for a tasty garnish.
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Snacks – Fried rind chips or bacon rind cracklings.
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Salad toppings – Crumble over leafy greens.
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Sandwich fillings – Mix into chicken/tuna/egg salad.
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Breakfast dishes – Sprinkle over omelets, hash, etc.
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Appetizers – Fold into cheese balls or meatballs.
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Baked goods – Add crunch to cornbread, biscuits, etc.
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Burger toppings – Contrasts nicely with juicy beef.
The applications are endless! Bacon rind complements both sweet and savory flavors.
Nutrition Facts of Bacon Rind
While fatty, bacon rind provides some nutritional value:
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High in healthy monounsaturated fats – The main type of fat in bacon.
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Source of soluble collagen – This protein is extracted into dishes the rind simmers in.
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Contains vitamins B1, B3, B6 – Bacon has more B vitamins than other pork cuts.
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Provides trace minerals – Small amounts of iron, zinc, selenium.
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Low carb – Less than 1 gram net carbs per ounce.
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Decent protein – Around 5 grams protein per ounce.
While not the most nutritious ingredient, it does provide healthy fats, collagen, and more protein than you might expect! It adds nutrition as well as lots of flavor.
Storing and Freezing Blanch Bacon Rinds
Freshly blanched bacon rind keeps in the fridge for 2-4 days. For longer storage, freeze blanched rinds in an airtight container or freezer bag for 2-3 months. They thaw very quickly when needed.
Freezing pre-blanched rind is the best way to bulk prep a stash of this useful ingredient. Blanch several pounds of rinds at once, then freeze in recipe-sized portions to add to meals.
Discover the Potential of Bacon Rind!
Don’t let bacon rinds go to waste – blanch them first, then incorporate into countless dishes. Their mild yet bacon-y flavor and crispy, chewy texture enhances soups, sandwiches, salads, and more. Keep a stash of blanched bacon rind in the freezer to always have it on hand. Once you discover how useful and delicious it is, bacon rind will be an MVP ingredient in your kitchen.
What Is Blanching Bacon?
As a cooking technique, blanching bacon means cooking it partially in boiling water before cooking it. This method does three things: it makes the bacon easier to wrap, lowers the overall cooking time, and takes away some of the bacon’s saltiness and smokeiness.
Julie Child made this method famous with her book “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and its Coq Au Vin recipe. That’s what the recipe says: “simmer the bacon for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water.” So she could get as close as possible to the French version of Coq Au Vin, where the lardons are made from French salt pork that hasn’t been smoked and is less salty. Also, salt pork wasn’t as widely available as bacon in the U. S. during the 1960s.
An early episode of the HBO show “Julia”, based on Julia Child, also briefly shows her discussing blanching bacon prior to wrapping a casserole roast chicken. An excellent show if you haven’t checked it out.
In some cases, blanching bacon is the best way to make a dish or meal better without putting in a lot of extra work. The benefits of blanching bacon include:
Less salty: Putting bacon in boiling water for a short time takes away some of the salt, especially from the top where it stays after curing. Blanching bacon is the best way to make it less salty, whether you’re using it in a dish that already has a lot of flavor or because you bought a brand that is saltier than you like because it was on sale. Blanching bacon is also an option for those trying to reduce their sodium intake.
Less smoke—The smokey flavor of bacon is often a selling point, but there are times when you want to tone it down. If you only have bacon and want to make carbonara, which is usually made with guanciale or pancetta (pork products that aren’t smoked), blanching is a quick way to make the meat taste smokier.
It makes the texture better. Have you ever pan-fried or baked bacon that didn’t have any nice meaty chew? Blanching bacon fixes this problem because it adds moisture.
Swap out pancetta or French bacon—Blanching bacon is a quick way to swap out pancetta or French bacon in a recipe. Since pancetta isn’t smoked, it will make the bacon less smokey. On the other hand, salt pork, especially French bacon, isn’t salted and isn’t smoked.
Use a par boil to wrap meats and seafood. Par-cooked bacon is more flexible, which makes it easier to wrap. This is a great way to make sure the bacon doesn’t get too crispy when the protein inside it needs less time to cook than the bacon.
It lowers splatter. Have you ever fried bacon in a pan and come away with crispy bacon and a blister on your chest, neck, arms, or forehead from the fat? Blanching bacon lowers that by rendering some of the fat, which then lowers the amount of fat that is released during the final cooking process.
Slight shrinkage – This is especially helpful if you like to cook bacon on the stovetop. Blanching it shrinks the slices slightly so you can fit a few more strips in the pan.
How To Blanch Bacon
- Thaw: Like any cooking process, start with fully thawed bacon. Don’t move bacon or any other meat from one very hot or cold temperature to another. If the bacon is frozen, put it in the fridge four to five hours before you want to cook it.
- Boil: Put water in a pot or saucepan and heat it over medium-high heat. To speed up the process, cover with a lid.
- Be careful when adding the bacon to the boiling water, and let it blanch for one to three minutes. How long it takes depends on how much flavor you want to water down and how early you want to start cooking. Remove any foamy fat that floats to the top.
- Take out the bacon. You can use tongs or pour the contents of the pan or pot into a colander or strainer to do this. After that, put them on a plate lined with paper towels to dry them out because the water will stop them from turning brown. Make sure to use a paper towel to pat the bacon on top as well.
- There are several ways to cook but cut down on the time it takes to cook. You can dice or chop the bacon and cook it in a skillet, a pan, or on the grill. You can also put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake it until it’s crispy. In the recipe card below you’ll find instructions for each.
Cooking Rind-on Bacon
FAQ
What is a bacon rind?
How do you cook the rind on bacon?