Some foods inspire genuine devotion, and bacon sits near the top of the list. National Bacon Lovers Day on August 20 is a day for people who reach for it at breakfast, pile it on burgers, and consider a BLT one of the finest sandwiches ever assembled. It is also a good excuse to finally learn to cook it perfectly.
Bake it, do not fry it
The biggest upgrade most people can make is moving bacon from the stovetop to the oven. Lay the strips on a wire rack set over a foil-lined sheet pan and bake at around 400 degrees, and you get flat, evenly crisp bacon with none of the splatter, curling, or constant babysitting that stovetop frying demands. The rack lets the fat drip away, and the sheet pan catches it for easy cleanup. Best of all, your hands and stovetop are free to cook the rest of the meal while it goes.
Save that liquid gold
One of the quiet joys of cooking bacon is what it leaves behind. Instead of dumping the rendered fat, let it cool slightly, strain it through a fine sieve into a heatproof jar, and keep it in the refrigerator. Bacon fat is a flavor powerhouse: use it to fry eggs, roast potatoes until they crackle, sear vegetables, or start a pot of greens or beans. It keeps for weeks and turns everyday cooking a little richer. Frugal cooks have treated it as a pantry staple for generations.
Level up with candied bacon
When you want to show bacon off, candy it. Toss the strips in brown sugar with a good grind of black pepper, lay them on a rack, and bake until the sugar melts and caramelizes into a glossy, crackly coat. The result is the irresistible sweet-salty-smoky combination sometimes called pig candy. It is remarkable on its own, crumbled over a salad or bowl of soup, or served next to pancakes. Just keep a close eye near the end, because sugar goes from caramelized to burnt in a hurry.
The perfect BLT
No bacon celebration is complete without its greatest sandwich. Late August is peak season for the BLT, because the whole thing rises or falls on a ripe, in-season tomato. Toast sturdy bread, salt thick tomato slices lightly to season them, add crisp lettuce and a generous swipe of mayonnaise, and arrange the bacon so every bite includes some. Cut it on the diagonal and eat it over a plate, because a proper BLT is gloriously messy, and that is exactly how it should be.
How to celebrate
- 1Bake it in the oven
For evenly crisp, flat bacon with no splatter, lay strips on a rack over a foil-lined sheet pan and bake around 400 degrees. It cooks hands-free while you make the rest of breakfast. Start it in a cold oven for even more even results.
- 2Save the bacon fat
Do not pour that liquid gold down the drain. Strain the cooled fat into a jar and keep it in the fridge to fry eggs, roast potatoes, or start a pan of greens. It adds savory depth to almost anything.
- 3Try thick-cut
If you usually buy standard strips, pick up a thick-cut package and notice the meatier chew. It stands up better in sandwiches and holds its shape when candied. Cook it a little longer and lower to render the extra fat.
- 4Make candied bacon
Coat strips in brown sugar and a little black pepper, then bake until caramelized for a sweet-savory treat. It is fantastic on its own, crumbled over a salad, or alongside pancakes. Watch it closely near the end so the sugar does not burn.
- 5Build the perfect BLT
Toast good bread, use ripe summer tomatoes with a little salt, crisp lettuce, and a generous swipe of mayo. Layer the bacon so every bite has some. August tomatoes make this the sandwich's peak season.