It was not that long ago, as many of you will recall, that I caught the oven on fire while attempting to cook bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet. Of course, the reason that I resorted to cooking bacon in the oven in the first place was an attempt to avoid the splatter and mess that inevitably happens when frying it in a skillet on the range top. You would think that if you covered the skillet while cooking that that would keep splattering to a minimum. It does not. You can buy a mesh-type skillet cover (some even come with a charcoal insert to absorb the odor of cooked bacon) to use on top of the skillet. Still, you end up with a mess. The oven method works, but you must be careful of the temperature setting and you must check it often and the house will still smell of cooked bacon. I have a solution to this problem in the form of a covered bacon rack that works in the microwave. Let's take a look.
I started this experiment with a pound of thick cut bacon. Any brand will do. I find it easier to work with bacon if it is at room temperature. So leave the sealed pack out on the countertop until you are ready to start cooking.
Here is our new microwaveable, covered bacon rack from Nordic Ware. This company has been producing kitchenware for over 70 years, in the United States. Both good reasons to make this purchase.
Before using the tray for the first time, be certain to wash in warm, soapy water. The tray bottom is not dishwasher safe. The top is, but why not just wash both by hand in the kitchen sink. Place it in a dish drainer and allow to thoroughly dry.
Once the tray is completely dry, place bacon strips on tray in a single layer. It will hold four strips easily.
Place the clear splatter-guard top on the tray and place it in your microwave oven. Start by cooking the bacon one minute per strip. So you are going to start cooking for four minutes. Then, depending on the wattage of your microwave, you are going to turn the bacon over and continue cooking in one minute intervals until cooked to your liking.
I do not like bacon to be overcooked. Which means, at Crest Avenue, you will be served bacon that is thoroughly cooked through, but a little less that crispy. These strips are perfectly cooked for my liking. They are perfect for the breakfast table or used on sandwiches. Even sliced and used in salads. Anyone for a good old-fashioned BLT?
I let them cool completely and then placed them inside a food container and into the refrigerator for use during the week.
The only clean up was the bacon rack bottom and top. The excess grease was poured off. I used a cleaning wipe, like a Clorox Wipe, to wipe down the surface of the tray to try and remove any burned on fat. Then I just immersed both the tray top and bottom in hot soapy water and washed them thoroughly with a standard kitchen sponge and placed them in the dish drainer to dry. I suppose you do not need to buy this specific brand of bacon cooker, but be certain to buy one with a top. There are some microwaveable bacon racks upon which you place the bacon in tightly woven upright supports with no cover. You may be assured that if you use one of these, you will never get the inside of your microwave clean again. At least not to our standard. The Nordic Ware microwaveable bacon rack is the perfect way to cook bacon.
I started this experiment with a pound of thick cut bacon. Any brand will do. I find it easier to work with bacon if it is at room temperature. So leave the sealed pack out on the countertop until you are ready to start cooking.
Here is our new microwaveable, covered bacon rack from Nordic Ware. This company has been producing kitchenware for over 70 years, in the United States. Both good reasons to make this purchase.
Before using the tray for the first time, be certain to wash in warm, soapy water. The tray bottom is not dishwasher safe. The top is, but why not just wash both by hand in the kitchen sink. Place it in a dish drainer and allow to thoroughly dry.
Once the tray is completely dry, place bacon strips on tray in a single layer. It will hold four strips easily.
Place the clear splatter-guard top on the tray and place it in your microwave oven. Start by cooking the bacon one minute per strip. So you are going to start cooking for four minutes. Then, depending on the wattage of your microwave, you are going to turn the bacon over and continue cooking in one minute intervals until cooked to your liking.
I do not like bacon to be overcooked. Which means, at Crest Avenue, you will be served bacon that is thoroughly cooked through, but a little less that crispy. These strips are perfectly cooked for my liking. They are perfect for the breakfast table or used on sandwiches. Even sliced and used in salads. Anyone for a good old-fashioned BLT?
I let them cool completely and then placed them inside a food container and into the refrigerator for use during the week.
The only clean up was the bacon rack bottom and top. The excess grease was poured off. I used a cleaning wipe, like a Clorox Wipe, to wipe down the surface of the tray to try and remove any burned on fat. Then I just immersed both the tray top and bottom in hot soapy water and washed them thoroughly with a standard kitchen sponge and placed them in the dish drainer to dry. I suppose you do not need to buy this specific brand of bacon cooker, but be certain to buy one with a top. There are some microwaveable bacon racks upon which you place the bacon in tightly woven upright supports with no cover. You may be assured that if you use one of these, you will never get the inside of your microwave clean again. At least not to our standard. The Nordic Ware microwaveable bacon rack is the perfect way to cook bacon.
