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- Dec 22, 2003
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The objective of this research was to definitively answer the contentious question of the optimal method of cooking bacon between the disputed techniques of baking and frying*. To settle, once and for all, upon the method of cooking that gives the best balance of most pleasing texture, scent, asthetic value and, most importantly, flavour.
The bacon used in this test was sourced from a small farm which sells its high-quality wares in the Eurospar, Dollgellau, North Wales.
Method 1: Frying
Place two rashers of bacon in a 30cm Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick Deep Frying Pan
with no oil, that had been on a large gas hob on full with a 30 second pre-heat for 150 seconds per side, turning once.
Method 2: Baking
The average of four methods, supplied by @Calaen, @Lamp, @dysfunction and @Raven was taken and applied rigourously.
Place two rashers of bacon in an oven at 200 celcius, pre-heat of 2.5 minutes on a foil-covered baking tray (edges turned slightly up) for exactly 1200 seconds, checked and turned at 1050 seconds, in accordance with the average values submitted.
Results
TTB: Frying was clearly the winner in the TTB (time to bacon) stakes. Delicious pork preserve was on my genetically superior bacon-tasting equipment in just over 300 seconds whereas a full 400% increase in TTB was experienced with the baking method.
Asthetics:
1) Frying
As can be seen, there is a pleasant mottling on the bacon and the action of heating from below only saw the bacon rise and depress slightly unevenly - giving rise to more, and less-well-done areas. There is also slight pickup of blackened fat from the frying pan in some areas. This has a bitter taste.
2) Baking
As can be seen, the application of heat from all angles has given a more uniform appearance to the bacon - both in how well done it is and it's uniformity of flatness, as it did not curl away from the heat. There is no pickup from the tin-foil.
My genetically superior ocular equipment and artistic reasoning leads me to the opinion that the fried bacon, whilst of haphazard appearance and dubious cleanliness, has a certain bohemian joie de vivre and if variety is indeed the spice of life, it is also the essential ingredient of visually pleasing bacon, indeed it is the quintessential essence of bacon porn.
The baked bacon on the other hand gives off an air of canteen cleanliness and uniformity associated with a soulless corporate canteen.
Baking has also given rise to some shrinkage, which gives the bacon a less manly appearance. Like it was cooked by a depressed dinner lady, rather than the jolly resident of a greasy spoon. This can be seen best in a side-by-side comparison:
Taste, Texture, Aroma and overall cooking experience:
1) Baking
The bacon cooked using the baking method was pleasant to the pallete. Upon removing from the tin foil you could see it had been broiling in it's own juices and was indeed suculent. The fat around the edges was uniformly crispy and pleasingly crunchy. However, in general it was uniform in texture and slightly greasy. There was subtle oven-based bacon aroma during cooking but some boredom whilst waiting for it to be done.
The accompanying drink of champions had gone slightly cold by the time this bacon was placed on the testing apparatus, which somewhat spoiled the effect.
Lastly the environmental waste of throwing away mined aluminium metal was disheartening.
2) Frying
The fried bacon was extremely pleasant on the pallette. Moist and dry areas combined wonderfully and although not all of the fat was crispy the combination of under and over-crisped, slightly burned and mildly contaminated bitterness combined explosively in my genetically superior mouth. It's very imperfections were it's perfection.
The aromas and sounds of cooking were intoxicating and lead to pre-bacon salivation and a sense of anticipation and excitement. There was also fire. Admittedly from gas. But as all humans know - fire is good.
Creation of the accompanying drink of champions segued perfectly with the 300 second cooking time of the bacon (90 seconds to boil, 180 seconds steeping, quick addition of milk and disposal of tea bag) - meaning that it was piping hot and ready just before the bacon came out of the pan.
The one downside was that I had to wipe the frying pan after eating. But as I had all the time in the world whilst waiting for the oven to complete baking the other rashers I contemplated doing the rest of the washing up. But had a game of Rocket League instead.
Taste, texture, aroma and experience is clearly all in the favour of frying bacon, as you would if you were camping, with a real fire, like a don.
Additional computations
On the face of it frying is clearly the winner. But just to bolster the concerns of any naysayers I performed a large number of bacon hash calculations using this:
Toasty Bacon Science!
Conclusion:
Whilst baking bacon does indeed yield very pleasant results it is clearly inferior on any objective measure to frying. Taste, texture, aroma, experience, asthetic value and time to bacon is all enhanced using the tried and tested method of fire+pan+bacon.
Whilst this is not in any way meant to denigrate the baker's experiences or belittle their wonderful bacon-based romance, frying is intellectually, fiscally, environmentally, morally, and, most importantly, scientifically superior.
Frying WINS.
*grillings for the gays and heart-patients
The bacon used in this test was sourced from a small farm which sells its high-quality wares in the Eurospar, Dollgellau, North Wales.
Method 1: Frying
Place two rashers of bacon in a 30cm Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick Deep Frying Pan
with no oil, that had been on a large gas hob on full with a 30 second pre-heat for 150 seconds per side, turning once.
Method 2: Baking
The average of four methods, supplied by @Calaen, @Lamp, @dysfunction and @Raven was taken and applied rigourously.
Place two rashers of bacon in an oven at 200 celcius, pre-heat of 2.5 minutes on a foil-covered baking tray (edges turned slightly up) for exactly 1200 seconds, checked and turned at 1050 seconds, in accordance with the average values submitted.
Results
TTB: Frying was clearly the winner in the TTB (time to bacon) stakes. Delicious pork preserve was on my genetically superior bacon-tasting equipment in just over 300 seconds whereas a full 400% increase in TTB was experienced with the baking method.
Asthetics:
1) Frying
2) Baking
My genetically superior ocular equipment and artistic reasoning leads me to the opinion that the fried bacon, whilst of haphazard appearance and dubious cleanliness, has a certain bohemian joie de vivre and if variety is indeed the spice of life, it is also the essential ingredient of visually pleasing bacon, indeed it is the quintessential essence of bacon porn.
The baked bacon on the other hand gives off an air of canteen cleanliness and uniformity associated with a soulless corporate canteen.
Baking has also given rise to some shrinkage, which gives the bacon a less manly appearance. Like it was cooked by a depressed dinner lady, rather than the jolly resident of a greasy spoon. This can be seen best in a side-by-side comparison:
Taste, Texture, Aroma and overall cooking experience:
1) Baking
The bacon cooked using the baking method was pleasant to the pallete. Upon removing from the tin foil you could see it had been broiling in it's own juices and was indeed suculent. The fat around the edges was uniformly crispy and pleasingly crunchy. However, in general it was uniform in texture and slightly greasy. There was subtle oven-based bacon aroma during cooking but some boredom whilst waiting for it to be done.
The accompanying drink of champions had gone slightly cold by the time this bacon was placed on the testing apparatus, which somewhat spoiled the effect.
Clipper Organic. When you absolutely, positively have to have a fucking good cup of tea, accept no subsitutes. (Although Yorkshire Tea can be used in a pinch - the "emergency tea" of choice. Of course, it should be served in a large Cornishware mug. Preferably one that hasn't been washed in a couple of days to allow residual tannin to build up.
2) Frying
The fried bacon was extremely pleasant on the pallette. Moist and dry areas combined wonderfully and although not all of the fat was crispy the combination of under and over-crisped, slightly burned and mildly contaminated bitterness combined explosively in my genetically superior mouth. It's very imperfections were it's perfection.
The aromas and sounds of cooking were intoxicating and lead to pre-bacon salivation and a sense of anticipation and excitement. There was also fire. Admittedly from gas. But as all humans know - fire is good.
Creation of the accompanying drink of champions segued perfectly with the 300 second cooking time of the bacon (90 seconds to boil, 180 seconds steeping, quick addition of milk and disposal of tea bag) - meaning that it was piping hot and ready just before the bacon came out of the pan.
The one downside was that I had to wipe the frying pan after eating. But as I had all the time in the world whilst waiting for the oven to complete baking the other rashers I contemplated doing the rest of the washing up. But had a game of Rocket League instead.
Taste, texture, aroma and experience is clearly all in the favour of frying bacon, as you would if you were camping, with a real fire, like a don.
Additional computations
On the face of it frying is clearly the winner. But just to bolster the concerns of any naysayers I performed a large number of bacon hash calculations using this:
Toasty Bacon Science!Conclusion:
Whilst baking bacon does indeed yield very pleasant results it is clearly inferior on any objective measure to frying. Taste, texture, aroma, experience, asthetic value and time to bacon is all enhanced using the tried and tested method of fire+pan+bacon.
Whilst this is not in any way meant to denigrate the baker's experiences or belittle their wonderful bacon-based romance, frying is intellectually, fiscally, environmentally, morally, and, most importantly, scientifically superior.
Frying WINS.
*grillings for the gays and heart-patients
