It goes without saying that the number one most loved ingredient of the people in America is none other than bacon. The fragrance of the fatty bacon, the sound of crackling, and the flavor- everything is just mouthwatering! Bacon is a mainstay on many menus, from fast food to gourmet food. As a matter of fact, the average American eats about 18 pounds of bacon every year!
Why Do People Love Bacon So Much?
There are two very simple reasons to the question why people love bacon so much. The aroma of bacon in the morning, or at any time of day, is unrivaled. So, what is it about the smell of bacon that makes you feel so good?
Chemistry is the reason for this. When bacon is cooked, the Maillard Reaction occurs, causing food to brown and imparting flavor. Bacon’s reaction allows sugars to react with amino acids, resulting in special aroma compounds that make your mouth water, especially when mixed with the fat in bacon.
The flavor of bacon is the only thing that even compares to its aroma. What is the reason for this? It’s chemistry all over again. When the fat in bacon is broken down during the cooking process, it produces soft, buttery, and salty flavor compounds. As a result, bacon has a distinct and delectable flavor.
It’s a sensory overload when the spice is added to foods we already like, such as French fries or hamburgers, even ice cream, and donuts if you are adventurous enough.
How Should You Thaw Bacon?
While there are many ways to prepare bacon, the first step is almost always thawing it. Thawing, also known as defrosting, is the method of bringing a commodity from frozen to a temperature where no residual ice remains.
Most meats including bacon can be quite difficult to thaw. This is why we have taken the time to find some foolproof methods for you to try.
Method 1: Making Use of the Microwave
Step 1: Using a paper towel, line a dish that is safe to put in the microwave. If you’re using a big dish, use two paper towels to fully cover the bottom. The bacon fat would be absorbed by the paper towels. Place the bacon on the paper towels after removing it from its original packaging.
To speed up the thawing process, spread the bacon out as far as possible. Allow it to defrost for 2 minutes before spreading it out on the plate if it is clumped together. It will be easier to distinguish as a result of this.
Step 2: Using a paper towel, cover the bacon. The high fat content of bacon will cause it to spit the oil into the microwave, resulting in a mess. To absorb the fat, place a paper towel over the bacon. Using a traditional kitchen paper towel would suffice. These are available at the supermarket.
Step 3: Use the microwave’s defrost feature to defrost the beef. If the weight of the bacon is required by your microwave, check the weight of the bacon on the package and enter the correct weight.
This knowledge will be used by the microwave to calculate a defrost time. If your microwave defrosts automatically, simply click the “meat defrost” button before pressing the start button. The microwave will automatically defrost the bacon for the specified amount of time.
If you don’t have the initial bacon box, measure the bacon using kitchen scales.
It would probably take less than 15 minutes to microwave the bacon.
Step 4: As soon as the bacon has defrosted, cook it. Remove the paper towels from the bacon and carefully transfer the dish to the bench when the microwave ends. To stop bacteria from spreading in the meat and making you ill, you should cook the bacon right away.
Method 2: Using Cold Water to Defrost
Step 1: If the package has been opened, put the bacon inside a watertight plastic bag. If the bacon’s original packaging has been opened or destroyed, place it in a watertight bag to prevent water or bacteria from contaminating the bacon. Ziplock bags are convenient to use since they are simple to close and seal.
If the packaging is intact, keep the bacon in its original packaging.
Step 2: Place the bag of bacon in a bowl of cold water. Fill a big bowl with cold tap water or a sink with it. Place the bacon in a watertight bag and submerge it.
Step 3: Keep changing the water every 30 minutes until the bacon has thawed completely. If you live in a hot environment, the water will warm up with time. Replace the water every half hour to keep the bacon defrosting quickly. When the bacon is floppy, rather than rigid, it is thawed.
It will take about an hour to thaw 1 pound of bacon.
Step 4: To prevent bacteria from growing, cook the bacon after it has defrosted. Bacon that hasn’t fully thawed is healthy to cook. Cook the bacon according to your preference. The bacon can be cooked in the oven, a pan, or the microwave.
What are the Best Ways to Cook Bacon?
There are so many amazing ways to cook bacon. Here are the top three!
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. To make cleanup a breeze, cover a jelly roll sheet in aluminum foil. 6 slices of bacon should be evenly spaced.
Keep the bacon flat by placing it on an upside-down cooling rack Roast for 6 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue roasting for another 6 minutes. As a result, the bacon will be flat and cooked evenly.
Cook your bacon on the cooler portion of the grill for around 5-7 minutes if you’re making bacon burgers.
Conclusion
As the saying goes, there can never be too much bacon. For all you bacon lovers out there, we sincerely hope this article helps you achieve perfectly thawed bacon every time.
