Bakin' Bacon

Hanker'n2Grill

I'm sure there have been posts about bakin' bacon before but just wanted to add my two quarters. My mother-in-law brought us big ole' 5 pounder of thick slab bacon. I like bacon that has been cooked mostly through and kept in the fridge or freezer. It's easy to grab a few stips and microwave for breakfast without all the mess of fryin' up a small batch. I decided to cook up this whole 5 lbs. and ziplock it. My method of cooking like this is to lay the strips close together on a bread cooling rack or grid which is setting in a cookie tray that has short sides (ta ketch the bacon drippin's). I bake the bacon for 20 to 25 minutes on the uppermost oven rack at 400 degrees. My wife came by with her usual sideways worried look and furrowed brow and suggested I cook as usual and then take all the strips out and smoke them in Mr Big. Don't know why I hadn't thought of it before. After I cooked all the bacon (it took several rounds of cooking to get it all done) I stacked the bacon in layers crossways like Lincoln logs on an aluminum cookie sheet and smoked them indirect in 400 degree dome temperature for about 20 minutes. I used cherry as that was all I had and the result was great. I think next time I might try a stronger smoke such as hickory but this really was very good and not overpowering. [p]As another variation on the bakin' bacon theme, try a light coating or dusting of flour with a small amount of cinnamon sugar on the strips before baking. This is only for special occasions because this has got to be really fattening, but oh boy is it good! Don't invite any guests for this one unless you don't ever want them to leave!