Forget frying or using the oven – Chef Roice Bethel, a culinary expert with a dedicated following on Instagram, has a surprising secret for consistently crispy bacon: boil it! His video, titled “Evenly crispy bacon every time!”, has gone viral, sparking debate and curiosity about this unusual method.
Bethel explains the science behind his technique, highlighting the different cooking times of bacon’s muscle and fat. “There are two parts to every strip of bacon; there’s the muscle which is the dark part and the fat which is the light part,” he states. “The muscle cooks extremely quickly, the fat takes longer time to render out.”
His solution? Start by placing the bacon strips in a cold pan and adding just enough water to cover them. “The water prevents the temperature from getting too high which gives the fat time to render out,” Roice explains. “So the meat and the fat finish cooking at the same exact time.”
Once the water completely evaporates, the bacon will crisp up beautifully. “The meat won’t get overcooked or burnt. The fat is perfectly rendered so it’s nice and crispy [too].”
The video has garnered praise from many viewers, with some proclaiming its effectiveness. “This is a fact. Works every time and flavour is the same,” one commenter enthused. Others echoed similar sentiments, sharing their personal experiences with the method.
However, not everyone is convinced. Some find the texture altered by the boiling process, describing it as “like shoe leather”. Others argue that boiling removes flavor.
Ultimately, this method is a matter of personal preference. For those seeking alternative ways to achieve crispy bacon, air fryers and microwaves offer efficient solutions.
If you’re willing to experiment and embrace the unexpected, boiling bacon might just be the game-changer you’ve been searching for. But if you’re a traditionalist who prefers a certain texture and flavor, sticking to your tried-and-true methods might be best.
