Re: Dinner in the year of our lord 20241031.

Cindy Hamilton wrote:

On 2024-11-07, jmcquown <j_mcquown@comcast.net> wrote:

On 11/7/2024 4:59 AM, Cindy Hamilton wrote:

On 2024-11-06, jmcquown <j_mcquown@comcast.net> wrote:

On 11/5/2024 6:04 PM, Graham wrote:

On 2024-11-05 3:13 p.m., jmcquown wrote:
>

>
I just mentioned that in another reply, Michael.  I have a cast iron
bacon press which would would work fine for smash burgers.  I don't
use it for bacon because I bake bacon but I do still have the old
bacon press.
>
Jill

I don't mind wrinkly bacon. Why flatten it?

>
The bacon press I have is old.  I bake bacon on a slotted broiler pan
with the pan underneath lined with foil.  (I do not re-use or store to
cook anything with leftover bacon grease).  When baked using my method,
it cooks evenly, stays flat and the fat gets nicely cooked along with
the lean.  Whenever I've cooked bacon in a skillet, it tends to curl and
the fatty streaks stay rubbery.  I don't like rubbery bacon fat.

 
I never have trouble getting the fat fully rendered and crisp when
cooking in a skillet.  It doesn't curl enough to matter.  The
trick is to cook it over fairly low heat and turn it frequently.
 

But when you bake it in the oven you don't have to turn it or stand over
the stove paying much attention to it.

>
I have nothing else to do while bacon is cooking.
>
The fact that you can't manage it doesn't invalidate the fact that
it's possible to cook bacon in a pan.

  true, but having found pre-done crumbles in a bag for
about half the price has converted us to no longer frying
bacon of any kind.  we tried various turkey bacons for a
few years but found them to be unedible because they often
had rather odd chemical and plastic tastes.  the downside
to bacon crumbles in the bag is that once in a while you
get some gristle or other too chewy part, but as far as i
have been able to tell it gets digested so i don't care -
stomach acid is a wonderful thing.  to some who like to
cook with bacon fat that's all ok with me, i have no
agenda to get them to switch, but for us it is great to
not have to deal with all the extra fat, there just isn't
enough left after crisping up the crumbles that it concerns
me at all.  just washing the cup/bowl and cover afterwards
like normal dishes takes care of it and also whatever might
splatter is often taken care of by covering the bacon
crumbles as i nuke them for 30 seconds.  Mom can easily
make a much worse mess in the microwave by cooking other
things for sure so i don't really have an issue with any
lingering smell in there that is gone within a few hours.
we don't cook with the fat at all and rarely have since i
was very young.  the only use that we had for it was
using it like margarine by smearing the outside of the
homemade bread (it's what grandma did and it gave the
bread she made a very distinctive texture (crust was very
chewy) and flavor (i liked it but not enough that i care
to do it myself at the moment).

  the best use of crumbles is for BLTs in a bowl.  i just
cut up tomatoes and put them on top of the bacon crumbles
that i've nuked to crisp and then add Miracle Whip and if
i want bread that goes in and is stirred around.  lately
i've had some large wraps to use up and the last one will
be gone today somehow.  the wraps are green and were given
to us along with some feta cheese and olive spread to put
on them.  i've used them both up and so now it is just a
wrap left to stuff down my gullet.  and that is, as they
say, a wrap (but not a rap)...


  songbird