Ditch The Fork And Flip Your Bacon Splatter-Free With Another Tool

Bacon isn't just a quintessential breakfast meat; it's a whole experience, a phenomenon, a star with a rabid and ravenous following (me included). I'm of the personal opinion that bacon is a great any-time snack, ingredient, and all-around blessing, but honestly, I don't end up cooking it all that often because ... well. Cooking bacon is a huge pain. It's messy, time-consuming, and you have to dodge the occasional flick of white-hot bacon grease as it crackles and splatters out of the pan like an evil little projectile. That's why I adore cooking bacon in the oven instead of on the stove, but tragically, that's not always in the cards. Some people don't have ovens, and sometimes you're frying up bacon as part of a bigger dish and the other parts are cooking in the oven as you work. Lucky for you, though, there are still ways to reduce the grease splatter even when using the ol' stovetop.

First things first: say goodbye to that fork. These utensils do a good job of letting you flip your bacon without spooning up extra grease, but they're far too short and put your hand into the grease splatter danger zone. They may also scrape the bottom of your precious pan and damage it. Instead, reach for a pair of tongs. They're nice and long, so you won't have to worry about any bacon burns. You can also flip and maneuver your bacon pieces around in the pan, ensuring an even cook. Cooking chopsticks work just as well, but make sure they're specifically for cooking or you'll run into the same too-short issue.

If you wanna flip better, start with a good stovetop bacon cooking technique. First, place your bacon in a cold pan. This lets you crisp it up and cook it all the way through without burning it. Use a cast iron skillet if you have one, but if not, your heaviest pan will do. Know where the hot spots are on your burner so you can use your tongs to maneuver pieces while cooking to brown them evenly. Keep a container nearby so you can pour the rendered grease out of your pan, reducing the nasty pops and splatters (and don't throw the bacon grease out; it is, after all, liquid gold!). Don't scrape your tongs against the bottom of the pan. Finally, if you're having trouble lifting up your bacon, add a touch of water and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to get under it. If you're using silicone-tipped tongs, those work, too.

Tongs will make stovetop bacon frying easier than it ever was with a fork, even if it won't necessarily be replacing oven-cooked bacon for me, personally. Of course, if you're feeling really uninspired, you can even cook your bacon in the microwave for equally crispy results.