Infused booze, fancy bouquets, and scented candles. Is there anything you can't do with bacon?
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00:00Infused booze, fancy bouquets, and scented candles — is there anything you can't do
00:06with bacon?
00:07How does one go viral on TikTok?
00:09Bacon, of course.
00:11Or puppies.
00:12Puppies'll do it, too.
00:13But we're talking bacon.
00:15Chef Rhys Bethel's video on how to perfectly cook bacon in a pan by boiling it has been
00:20viewed millions of times, and has garnered thousands of comments debating the merits
00:25of boiling bacon.
00:26Some think it's genius, while others swear by their own tried-and-true methods ranging
00:31from baking to microwaving to grilling it.
00:34Don't trust social media to teach you how to cook bacon?
00:37While there's a lot of questionable information out there, this one's legit.
00:41The key is the way in which bacon cooks.
00:44Because the fat takes longer to render than the meat does to crisp up, bacon is easily
00:48burnt.
00:49The addition of water to the pan allows the meat to stay moist while the fat slowly and
00:54evenly cooks off, leaving a perfectly executed piece of bacon.
00:59As a bonus, by adding water, there is less splatter to make your stovetop a huge, greasy
01:04mess.
01:05There are a few keys to boiling bacon properly.
01:07First, start off in a cold pan.
01:10Only use a couple of tablespoons of water and cook over medium heat so it doesn't evaporate
01:15too rapidly.
01:16Make sure to flip your bacon regularly so it cooks evenly on both sides.
01:20Lastly, properly drain your bacon once it is cooked to remove any residual fat.
01:25What have you done to it?
01:28You said you didn't like all the grease from fried bacon, so I boiled it.
01:34Imagine a house filled with the smell of cooking bacon, with little to no effort on your part.
01:39Well, you don't have to imagine anymore.
01:41The Yankee Candle Company developed a line of candles in 2013 to launch in time for Father's
01:47Day called Man Candles, which featured a bacon-scented option called Mmm, Bacon.
01:53The scent isn't always available, so we wondered if there was a recipe for making homemade
01:58bacon candles.
01:59Sure enough, we found one.
02:01Thrillist has a recipe that is so simple it's almost comical.
02:05All it takes is a glass jar, a wick, some superglue, and copious quantities of bacon.
02:11Once the bacon fat is rendered down, it is poured into the jar, which has had the wick
02:15superglued into it.
02:17As the fat cools, it hardens into a candle.
02:20When lit, the aroma of cooked bacon will permeate every inch of your home.
02:25Bonus?
02:26Although this will take an almost surprising amount of bacon, we're about to talk about
02:29some creative ways you can use up that delicious, delicious crispy pork.
02:35According to celebrity chef Mark Bitterman, salt has been a staple of culinary creations
02:40worldwide for over 12,000 years.
02:43While most people are only familiar with the basics, namely table salt and kosher salt,
02:49flavored salts of all varieties have become more common.
02:52These salts are typically thought of as finishing salts, meaning they are added at the end of
02:57the cooking process prior to serving to enhance the flavor of your dish.
03:01One such flavored salt is bacon salt.
03:04Bacon salt is incredibly easy to make and is the perfect homemade gift to give your
03:08foodie loved ones.
03:10While it does make for a great finishing salt, it is also a great way to amp up the flavor
03:14of everything from eggs, roasted vegetables, and salads to chocolate chip cookies.
03:20The recipe is as simple as cooking the bacon until crispy, draining it, then cooling it.
03:25Once cooled, the bacon can be processed in a food processor until pulverized into tiny
03:30pieces.
03:31The final step?
03:32Add the kosher salt and pulse together to combine.
03:36If you want to jazz up the flavor a bit, you can brush the uncooked bacon with liquid
03:40smoke and sprinkle it with freshly cracked pepper or another spice.
03:44Store the finished product in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will
03:48keep for up to four weeks, or in the freezer, where it will last six months.
03:53The idea of using bacon grease to cook with may sound like something categorically unhealthy
03:58and perhaps undesirable.
04:01However, bacon grease has long been utilized for cooking around the world.
04:05Known as liquid gold, bacon grease is obtained from the fat that has been rendered out of
04:10bacon during the cooking process.
04:12Contrary to popular belief, bacon grease does not contain trans fats the way margarine does,
04:18and it is higher in monounsaturated fats, the good kinds of fat, than butter.
04:23Health considerations aside, the biggest reason to use bacon grease in cooking is its rich,
04:28smoky flavor.
04:29Bacon grease can be used in all manners of cooking, from sauteing to pan searing.
04:34And incorporating it into your culinary delicacies will protect your plumbing, which can easily
04:39clog when bacon grease is poured down the drain.
04:42To properly store bacon grease, MasterClass suggests that it is best to strain it through
04:47a fine mesh sieve while it is still hot, and be sure to use a container that can be tightly
04:52sealed.
04:53Once the grease has completely cooled, cover and place the container in the refrigerator.
04:57It will keep for up to three months in the refrigerator, or almost forever in the freezer.
05:03Love bacon, love meat, this might not change your entire life, but it will make meals something
05:08to be savored.
05:09I came here for the same reason people go to the zoo."
05:17Cooking isn't all you can do with bacon grease.
05:20It's for cocktails, too.
05:21Meat-infused alcoholic beverages are nothing new.
05:24There's evidence dating as far back as the 17th century of savory cocktails, and Ernest
05:30Hemingway himself enjoyed something called a bullshot at Harry's Bar in Venice during
05:34the 1940s.
05:36The marriage made in heaven has to do with the way the meat accentuates the smokiness
05:40of hard liquors like whiskey.
05:42In the early 2000s, bacon began experiencing something of a renaissance, and commercially-produced
05:48bacon-infused vodka made its way into grocery stores everywhere.
05:52While the meaty spirit is best enjoyed in a martini or a Bloody Mary, its utility is
05:57only limited by the creativity of the mixologist in charge.
06:01And making your very own bacon-infused vodka is incredibly simple to do.
06:06Betty Crocker offers a basic recipe requiring only two ingredients, bacon and vodka.
06:12The primary ratio of bacon grease to vodka is one tablespoon per 375-milliliter bottle
06:18of vodka.
06:19Once the bacon grease is added to the vodka and transferred to jars, it is frozen to allow
06:25the bacon fat to congeal.
06:26After this occurs, it can be strained off, and voila, your bacon vodka is ready.
06:32Some bacon-inspired gifts are a little more labor-intensive than others.
06:37Bacon roses are one of these items.
06:39For the bacon lover in your life, consider investing the time to make them a bouquet
06:43of bacon roses.
06:45They will love it, and the bonus is that you can enjoy the fruits — or, rather, meats
06:49— of your labor together.
06:51To make these beautifully delicious bacon roses, simply roll up each bacon slice tightly
06:56and insert two toothpicks into an X to hold it in place.
07:00This will also help the bacon stay upright when cooking.
07:03Place a pan in the oven to catch the grease and cook the bacon buds on a wire rack with
07:07the toothpick side down.
07:09When the bacon is nice and crispy, it's time to turn them into long-stemmed roses with
07:14the help of skewers, fake flowers, and a decorative vase.
07:18The addition of savory ingredients to dessert isn't particularly revolutionary, but the
07:23origin of bacon working its way into dessert is attributed to chef Heston Blumenthal and
07:28his Fat Duck restaurant.
07:30It was there in 2004 that he introduced a bacon and egg ice cream that instigated a
07:35culinary revolution.
07:37If you plan to add bacon to one of your very own sweet recipes, there are a few tips to
07:42keep in mind.
07:43First, make sure you're using the real deal, not some pseudo-bacon knockoff like plant-based
07:48or turkey bacon.
07:49Second, make sure the bacon is completely cooked through and crunchy.
07:53This includes properly draining the bacon after cooking.
07:56And finally, try using applewood or hickory-smoked bacon for an extra boost of flavor, particularly
08:02in dishes that are on the super-sweet side.
08:05So break out of the rut, bacon isn't just for breakfast anymore.
08:09"'Morning after morning, I cook them a good breakfast.
08:13Do they care?
08:14Meh, they don't care."
08:15"'We care.'"
08:17The number of variations of bacon products available commercially is staggering.
08:22Knowing which cut to use for a recipe is something invaluable in terms of maximizing the flavor
08:27of any culinary creation, but deciphering the distinctions between all the unique options
08:33is a daunting task.
08:35Even The Gas notes that at its most basic, differences can be boiled down to cut, fat
08:39content, and how the pork is cured.
08:42European bacon typically comes in round slices and is meatier.
08:46It also is sourced from the back of the pig, known as the loin, and is not smoked.
08:51This differs from American bacon, which tends to be fattier, comes in slices, and is sourced
08:56from the pork belly.
08:58For the purposes of determining what kind of bacon to use in a recipe, it's not only
09:02surprisingly complicated, but worth researching.
09:05Some considerations include the cut, source, signature characteristics, and best use for
09:1121 distinct types of bacon.
09:13For example, jowl bacon, which comes from the pig's cheek, is great on sandwiches, while
09:18lardon, which derives from the pork belly, is most typically associated with French delicacies.
09:25Bacon goes well beyond American favorites, all the way into some international options,
09:30each of which possesses unique attributes rendering them suitable for use with spices
09:34and ingredients indigenous to those countries.
09:38If you Google methods of keeping a turkey moist during roasting, dozens of suggestions
09:43will pop up ranging from brining the bird to stuffing it with fruit to rubbing with
09:47herbed butter.
09:48While all of these may have merit for different reasons, wrapping your turkey in bacon is
09:53one of our favorite ways of keeping the breast moist while the turkey cooks through completely.
09:58Not only will the fat from the bacon baste the turkey, keeping it juicy, but the smoky
10:02and salty goodness of the bacon will also import a delectable flavor into the bird.
10:07The final presentation looks incredible as well, with a lattice blanket of bacon dressing
10:12the turkey up to the nines.
10:14Here's a few hints to keep in mind.
10:16First, don't cover the bird tightly or the bacon won't get crispy.
10:20And who likes floppy bacon?
10:22Also, add some water to the roasting pan to produce a steam bath that will work like a
10:26turkey sauna, making its flesh moist and dewy.
10:29The final product doesn't just yield the perfect turkey, it comes with the bonus of a bunch
10:34of bacon to nosh on.
10:36Whether bacon was on sale at the grocery store and you decided to stock up, or you simply
10:41haven't gotten around to cooking what you already have, freezing bacon is a great way
10:45of extending the shelf life.
10:47Remember, uncooked bacon should only be stored in the refrigerator for a week.
10:52After that, it can become rancid and even a health hazard.
10:56So are you really sick?
10:58You're not just trying to get out of going to see my mother?"
11:02Now, Peg, that hurts.
11:06There are several ways to freeze bacon.
11:08Uncooked bacon can simply be wrapped in foil and placed in a Ziploc bag.
11:12It will keep for up to three months, although for maximum quality, one month is recommended.
11:17Cooked bacon should be placed on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and then placed
11:22in the freezer.
11:23Once the individual slices of cooked bacon are frozen, they can be placed in a Ziploc
11:27bag and thrown back into the freezer where they will last for one month.
11:31Don't want to thaw and use a whole pack?
11:33There's an easy fix.
11:35Similarly to cooked bacon, uncooked bacon can be placed on a baking sheet lined with
11:39parchment paper and then transferred to the freezer.
11:43Once the individual slices are frozen, you can put them in a Ziploc baggie and freeze
11:47them.
11:48Again, make sure you use the bacon within a month for optimum flavor and texture, and
11:52no longer than three months after freezing for safety.