When most people think of the word "bacon" they imagine crunchy and tasty strips of fat, hot meat stir-fried. In fact, this type of cooking is the most common but it is not the only one. For example, you can think of cooking it on the grill for a convivial outdoor event such as a barbecue. Not only will you get bacon as good as pan-cooked bacon, but you almost don't need to clean up!
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Charcoal Barbecue
Step 1. Turn on the barbecue
As with any other charcoal grill, before you start cooking you need to light the charcoal just to heat the barbecue to the right temperature. First, correctly stack the pieces of charcoal on one side of the grill, leaving the other free. This way you create a direct heat zone and an indirect heat zone. When you're ready, set the charcoal on fire.
- If you're not using self-igniting charcoal, you need to get some liquid devil.
- Leave the lid of the barbecue open and wait for the charcoal to burn perfectly. Embers are ready when they develop an ash gray outer layer and glow orange. It will take 20 minutes or more.
Step 2. Grease the grid
When you're ready to cook the bacon, quickly grease the grill with a small amount of seed oil. For this operation, you can use a kitchen brush or absorbent paper dipped in oil (in this case, grab it with tongs). Since bacon is naturally a very fatty food, you won't have to put too much oil to prevent it from sticking to the cooking surface.
If you don't have oil, use a slice of bacon and rub it on the grill or skip the step completely. In this case, remember that a few pieces can stick to the barbecue
Step 3. Arrange the bacon slices on the “cold” side of the grill
Use a pair of kitchen tongs to protect your hands and lay the meat on the side of the barbecue where there is no charcoal. As the bacon cooks, the fat will begin to melt and drip onto the shelf below. If you cook it directly over the coals, you could cause sudden and massive flames. To avoid this danger of fire and that the bacon burns, cook it in indirect heat.
Try to arrange almost all the strips perpendicular to the bars of the grid. This will make it less likely that the meat will fall into the ash-stained shelf below
Step 4. Flip the bacon
As it cooks, the meat begins to wrinkle, darken and harden. To make sure both sides cook to perfection, flip the slices as soon as you notice these effects on the underside. Try to turn the meat about every 5 minutes, closing the barbecue lid each time.
- Cooking times vary widely according to the temperature that the barbecue reaches, the thickness of the slices and your taste in terms of crunchiness; for all these reasons it controls the bacon very well. It shouldn't take more than about 20 minutes. If you love a "soft" bacon, 7-10 minutes is enough.
- For the other cuts of meat, there is a very heated debate about the number of times they should be turned. In fact, it seems that touching the meat excessively during cooking ruins it. This problem does not arise for the bacon which, on the contrary, derives many benefits from a continuous rotation.
Step 5. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate
Once the meat is cooked, it should have a color between red and dark brown (depending on how crunchy you made it) and a delicious aroma. Remove it from the grid slice by slice and place it on the plate, alternating each layer with kitchen paper. Wait for the excess oil to be absorbed and serve!
Bacon is an exception to other meats which should not be over-turned and need a rest period after cooking. This sliced meat, on the other hand, must be enjoyed as soon as it is grilled, as soon as the temperature becomes bearable for the palate
Method 2 of 3: Gas Barbecue
Step 1. Set the burners to minimum
When you cook bacon on the gas barbecue, you do not have to place it directly on the grill, otherwise the dripping fat will fall on the burners causing dangerous flames, clogging and dirtying the burners themselves. To remedy this problem you have to use a method similar to that of indirect heat, but slightly modified: it is necessary to light all the burners.
Turn on most of the burners and close the lid of the barbecue. Wait for the grill to heat up for several minutes before you start cooking
Step 2. Place the bacon on an ovenproof dish
While you wait for the barbecue to heat up, arrange the slices of meat on the raised grill inside a baking dish. This is a somewhat particular pan consisting of a grill housed inside a base that "collects cooking liquids". In doing so, the bacon cooks evenly and safely without the fat falling on the flames.
In addition, this pan makes cleaning easier. Just throw in the liquefied fat and wash the grill
Step 3. Cook the bacon with the barbecue lid closed
Place the dish with the meat on the grill and then close the lid. By doing this you keep the heat inside and the bacon will cook on both sides as if it were in an oven. To speed up cooking times, keep the lid closed except during periodic checks.
Do not forget to turn the bacon even if it is not a fundamental step. In fact, thanks to the lid, the heat comes from all sides and not just from the base of the barbecue. However, turning the bacon allows for even cooking. Turn it at least once; it would be better to proceed with more rotations, but this would lengthen the cooking times since each opening of the lid corresponds to a dispersion of heat. Check the bacon carefully, if you have the impression that it is cooking too quickly, reduce the heat
Step 4. Serve it as your usual
Once it has reached the degree of crunchiness you want, remove it from the heat with a pair of tongs and place it on a plate covered with absorbent paper. At this point you are practically done, turn off the barbecue and when it reaches a manageable temperature, remove the pan.
Method 3 of 3: Grilling the Bacon to the Best
Step 1. To ensure quick cleaning and for safety reasons, use aluminum foil
It doesn't matter if you use a charcoal or gas barbecue, tinfoil is your best friend. It is not difficult to improvise a pan with a large aluminum foil; just fold it in half to give it strength and then fold the edges upwards for about 2.5 cm, so that they can retain the fat that drips from the meat. Place the bacon directly on this "pan" and cook it normally. Once ready, move the meat to a paper towel-lined plate. Once it has cooled, dispose of the aluminum foil carefully.
Using an aluminum "pan" makes it less essential to distribute the charcoal on one side of the grill only. Since the melted fat will not fall on the coals (unless there are tears in the material) you can cook the bacon over direct heat. Remember that this will reduce cooking times
Step 2. Purchase some bacon cut into thick slices
When you decide to cook it on the grill, you have to choose thick slices because they are easier to handle, while thin ones tend to break, fall into the empty spaces of the grill or burn. Quality is very important, because grilling requires the use of tongs. Raw, thin and slippery bacon is difficult to grasp with these tools.
Step 3. Season the bacon
Bacon is the only meat that tastes good without added flavorings (except those used to season it). However, this does not mean that you can propose variations! You can give it a delicious aroma and make it even more versatile for particular preparations, if you flavor it with some spice before cooking it. Here are some examples of spices that go well with bacon, just sprinkle them just before cooking:
- Rosemary.
- Red chilli in flakes.
- Minced garlic.
- Cajun.
- Black pepper.
- Flavorings for roasts.
- Brown sugar.
Step 4. Consider other BBQ recipes that use bacon
Grilling this sliced meat on its own is convenient and certainly a good way to cook it, but why stop there? Below you will find other typical preparations for grilling that include, among other ingredients, bacon but also dishes where you can add it to enhance the flavor. Feel free to put it in any dishes you know how to cook well:
- Asparagus wrapped in bacon.
- Chicken rolls.
- Bacon cheeseburger.
- Beans.
- Kilos.
- Roasts (pork, beef, game, turkey, etc.).
Advice
- If your grill is equipped with a drain for excess fat, use it, which will further lower the chances of sudden flare-ups.
- If you're using a gas barbecue, set the burners to medium to medium-low heat.
