This rule-breaking trick guarantees bacon is perfectly crispy every time – Chicago Tribune

Like most people, I love perfectly crispy bacon. Did I cook it? inside the oven or in a panI always thought the only way to achieve this was to lay the strips completely flat and mess with them as little as possible. Then I learned how Snoop Dogg cooks his bacon.

I was reading Jess Damuck’s cookbook”Salad FreakAnd he said Snoop Dogg taught him how to make the crispiest bacon ever. Damuck worked for Martha Stewart for nearly 10 years, so she spent a lot of time around the duo in the kitchen. One day, she said, she watched in shock as he threw a giant piece of bacon into the pan and haphazardly stirred it with tongs for about 15 minutes – just to get perfectly crispy curly bacon!

It went against every instinct, but I had to try. Of course, this method gives me perfect bacon every time and I’ll never go back.

Why does it work?

Stirring allows the bacon fat to render more evenly and slowly for perfectly crispy bacon. Since you don’t need to place the strips in a single layer, you can cook more bacon at once instead of working in batches. This method works best with bacon that isn’t cut too thick because it curls more easily. The curly texture of bacon makes it even crispier than straight.

How to make bacon, Snoop style

• Heat the pan. Heat a large cast iron or other skillet over medium heat. You don’t need to add oil as there is plenty of fat in bacon.
• Separate the bacon. The bacon comes packaged in a small brick. I like to separate the strips before cooking to make mixing easier.
• Add the bacon. Pour 1 pound (or less) of your favorite bacon into the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until very crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Drain off the bacon fat. Transfer the crispy curly bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, then use as you wish!

(Rachel Perlmutter is a recipe developer, food stylist, and culinary maker. TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Send any comments or questions to: editorial@thekitchn.com.)