One of my favorite morning rituals is making a cup of tea as the smell of sizzling bacon fills the kitchen, but achieving the perfect crispiness can be tricky. Although bacon seems simple to cook, I have never been a fan of frying it in oil because it often results in a greasy and limp texture that can ruin a breakfast sandwich.
Recently, I came across a chef on social media who claimed that bacon could be made even more delicious without any extra ingredients, just by using water. While the idea of cooking bacon in water may sound unusual, the concept is that the meat will release its own fat, allowing it to crisp up and develop a more intense flavor.
Intrigued by this method, I decided to give it a try to see if it was just a passing internet trend — after testing it out, I can confirm that it significantly enhances the taste of bacon.
The process of cooking bacon this way was quite simple. I placed the bacon in a cold frying pan and added enough water to cover it. I then heated the pan over medium-high heat until the water started to boil, and then reduced the heat to medium.
After allowing the water to evaporate for about five to eight minutes, which takes a bit longer than traditional frying, I used the time to make a cup of tea.
Once the water had completely evaporated, the bacon started to sizzle and quickly became crispy. I cooked it until it reached the desired level of crispiness, turned off the stove, and assembled my breakfast sandwich. The first bite truly surprised me with how flavorful the bacon was.
Curious about why this method works so well, I discovered that bacon is more prone to burning and uneven cooking when fried in oil.
It turns out that adding oil can lead to the fatty part of the bacon burning before the meat cooks through, resulting in charred edges and an undercooked center, leading to a chewy rather than crispy texture.
Using water instead allows the bacon to cook more evenly, as the fat has time to render properly, resulting in a superior texture throughout the bacon.
Although the water cooking method takes a bit longer than frying, the golden, crisp, and smoky-flavored bacon it produces is well worth the extra time. The bacon no longer has that greasy residue from frying, and I doubt I will ever go back to cooking it in oil as it simply tastes richer and more delicious with just a splash of water.
