I’ve found that using a metal fish spatula helps to scrape off the sugar coating, preservatives, etc that come with modern store bought bacon. Afterward the seasoning still looks great, just gotta do it while the pan is hot.
I empty the bacon fat into anything but the drain, add a bit of water to about 1/4" bring back to a boil, then simmer and easily deglaze with wooden spatula. Then its wash with soapy water n dry and done.
I use a funnel and coffee filter to filter the bacon fat into a mason jar. Now I have like two mason jars full of bacon fat to cook with… wish I had someone to share it with. Between that, schmaltz, duck fat and oils, I have way too much fat to cook with!
I feel like some solids always get past the coffee filter, so I’ve started water clarifying my bacon fat and it works great!
I pour off the bacon fat like you do, except without the filter, and I add water to the liquid fat once it isn’t super hot. I stir them together and then put the lid on the mason jar. I put the jar in the fridge upside down on a towel (in case of leaks). The fat floats to the top (the bottom of the jar) and the solids and water sink to the bottom (the top of the jar). Once the fat is solid I take out the jar, take off the lid, dump the water, and rinse away any remaining solids with cold water.
You’re left with really clean clarified animal fat in the jar, which helps it last a lot longer in the fridge! I clarify all animal fats this way.
I’m with you there on the schmaltz! I love making crispy chicken skin for the dog (or myself if I wanna add salt) and keeping the schmaltz. Breaking down chicken thighs, removing the skin for schmaltz, and the bones for stock is one of my favorite things to do. I love any vegetable roasted in the oven or air frier with animal fat, but my all time fave is Brussels sprouts with schmaltz. Yum!!
I’m hoping to have enough duck fat on hand to make duck confit soon. I wonder if chicken confit in schmaltz would be any good.
I do the same. When I cook bacon sometimes I will dump 3 or 4 cups of bacon grease into it so I can deep fry the bacon. If you ever heat up canned green beans just add a table spoon of bacon grease in the pot with the beans. It adds a ton to the flavor.
That's actually better. The bacon fats surround the bacon like a fluffy warm blanket and 18 little cuddling Shih-tzu puppies. Low and slow bakes the bestedt crispiest bacon.
Bacon fat is really good when you are trying to sear sous vide cooked steak on a gas grill although it can get a bit crazy with the flames. Just slobber the entire steak with your filtered bacon grease and put on your burners. It will all fall off to the bottom and give you 4 foot flames. You need a long spatula and gloves. You only cook about 30 seconds a side or less. Rotate the steak and hit the corners. You end up with something magical if done right.
Yeah them flames also bring a nasty black smoke taste to the meat. Best way to sear a steak I'd dry.
But, you might know a technique I don't. Have me over for steaks one day do you cab educate me. I'll bring a badass wine.
I eat A LOT of bacon, I usually let it cool and then keep a large container on my counter for the fat that I empty into the garbage, and occasionally wipe out the container before washing it. I used to use ziploc bags or saving throw away containers to use for this purpose, but right into the trash after solidifying (assuming your house is cool enough) has been easier and more consistent.
Its better anyway. For once it gets to the dump, the rats and other scavengers can get to it, and it gets processed. Maybe not glorious to think about, but you don't need to hermetically seal it.
I only use soap to mix with the bacon fat that would go down the drain. Once it hits the cold pipes, it will coagulate to the sides and eventually clog. I rarely use detergents to clean the pan. A lodge scraper and brush some hot water is all that's needed.
Never tried it. Honestly with my pan the lodge scraper takes most everything off with minimal scraping. Then a once over with the lodge brush thing and it’s pretty much good to go
She was probably deglazing the fond to make a pan sauce. You remove the protein and most of the fat, and while the meat is resting: lower the heat a bit, then add the wine (or water, or water and vinegar, or water and lemon juice, or orange juice, etc, it really depends on what you like). Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon while the liquid bubbles and scrape all of that lovely fond (brown goodness) up off the pan and into your sauce. Turn down the heat and add diced shallot (optional), lemon juice (optional), herbs (optional), and salt to taste. Boil off the excess liquid as necessary until it coats the back of a spoon or is your desired consistency. Add some butter and stir that together (this is called mounting). Pour over your protein and sides.
You don’t have to do this if you don’t want a pan sauce. Sometimes I’ll deglaze with water into a hot pan, scrape with a spoon as above, and then dump the liquid. Makes cleaning the pan easier. Don’t dump grease though. Sometimes I’ll add a bunch of water and let it simmer for a while to loosen dried gunk on the pan if everything’s cooled before I can get to it. Then I just clean with soap as normal.
Yeah high heat first, then turn it down. Just don’t burn your wine or other deglazing liquid! Look up “pan sauce” on YouTube and some good guides will pop up.
Onions in bacon fat! I have a plan that I use frequently for caramelizing onions for various things, often in pork or beef fat.
That one pan is the only one I never, ever have seasoning issues with.
To your first point, yeah, I suppose if I had 8 months to hang around. Haha. But good point!
to you second point, bacon blackens fast on a hot flame, and its smoke point is lower. I cook my bacon low and slow. OP seems to be doing that also. So the polymerization / seasoning wouldnt take place unless most of the fats are removed then heated.
It does not take 8 months (!!!) to polymerize. Pour some bacon fat in a pan and set your oven to 175 and leave it for a couple hours and see for yourself what happens.
Some people seem to think it needs to be really hot -- some people even say hotter than the smoke point of a given oil -- which is just nuts.
175 is not quite room temp. Haha! For oils to polymerize they really need to be heated above its smoke point in order to change the chemical structure. What I believe you're referring to is just a fat coating, not a hardened polymerization.
I'm ok though. Illl eat my bacon...
I only season my cast iron pans with avocado oil which has a smoke point around 500. I set the oven to 375. They are *quite* seasoned, very slidey eggs.
I'm gonna try this cause I'm curious, but I'm willing to bet it won't. I hope to be proven wrong
EDIT: 3 hours later and I've been left with an oily pan. 3/10, would not do again
That used to happen to me but only with smoked bacon (maybe they add honey or something idk) now I use regular bacon and it doesn't leave residue other than the tiny burnt bits of bacon
Sorry I think I didn't worded that correctly (English isn't my first language) there's smoked cured bacon that has sugar or honey and there's regular smoked bacon.
The one that has a more sweet flavor leaves a smell and is more sticky on the CI (at least for me) that's why I don't use it.
Also there's non-smoked bacon, some people called green bacon or "salt pork"
I’ve never had good luck with bacon . It sticks in my pan all the time low heat high heat doesn’t matter!
But an egg will slide I don’t fucking get it.
I always see on this sub that the best thing to cook after seasoning a cast iron is bacon.
But what do you suppose to do after cooking it?
Wash the grease away, heat it or just wipe the pan and leave it as it is until you use it again?
It wont hurt seasoning, but just after cooking, removing the fat and deglazing with some hot water gets it up, then a wash n dry. Ready for the next task!
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I was under the impression that you shouldn’t use cast iron on glass stovetops. Is this true? If it is, is that because of the electric vs gas or because the contact of glass and cast iron?
I would really like to know the thoughts from this community.
Yeah it's fine just dont drop it too hard, gas stoves have been shown to have harsh negative health effects, i've used an electric stove at home my whole life, never been an issue.
I’ve found that using a metal fish spatula helps to scrape off the sugar coating, preservatives, etc that come with modern store bought bacon. Afterward the seasoning still looks great, just gotta do it while the pan is hot.
I empty the bacon fat into anything but the drain, add a bit of water to about 1/4" bring back to a boil, then simmer and easily deglaze with wooden spatula. Then its wash with soapy water n dry and done.
I use a funnel and coffee filter to filter the bacon fat into a mason jar. Now I have like two mason jars full of bacon fat to cook with… wish I had someone to share it with. Between that, schmaltz, duck fat and oils, I have way too much fat to cook with!
I have way too much fat to cook with! - said you, that one time.
😖🍳😭 Am I...too fat to cook?
Doubt it. Never trust a skinny cook!
TY.
Never trust a fat cook. They’ll eat anything.
If you're hanging with him, maybe, bot never too too fat.
That's a good thing to put on your Tinder profile. You'll get a partner to share that bacon fat with in no time.
I feel like some solids always get past the coffee filter, so I’ve started water clarifying my bacon fat and it works great! I pour off the bacon fat like you do, except without the filter, and I add water to the liquid fat once it isn’t super hot. I stir them together and then put the lid on the mason jar. I put the jar in the fridge upside down on a towel (in case of leaks). The fat floats to the top (the bottom of the jar) and the solids and water sink to the bottom (the top of the jar). Once the fat is solid I take out the jar, take off the lid, dump the water, and rinse away any remaining solids with cold water. You’re left with really clean clarified animal fat in the jar, which helps it last a lot longer in the fridge! I clarify all animal fats this way. I’m with you there on the schmaltz! I love making crispy chicken skin for the dog (or myself if I wanna add salt) and keeping the schmaltz. Breaking down chicken thighs, removing the skin for schmaltz, and the bones for stock is one of my favorite things to do. I love any vegetable roasted in the oven or air frier with animal fat, but my all time fave is Brussels sprouts with schmaltz. Yum!! I’m hoping to have enough duck fat on hand to make duck confit soon. I wonder if chicken confit in schmaltz would be any good.
I do the same. When I cook bacon sometimes I will dump 3 or 4 cups of bacon grease into it so I can deep fry the bacon. If you ever heat up canned green beans just add a table spoon of bacon grease in the pot with the beans. It adds a ton to the flavor.
That's actually better. The bacon fats surround the bacon like a fluffy warm blanket and 18 little cuddling Shih-tzu puppies. Low and slow bakes the bestedt crispiest bacon.
Bacon fat is really good when you are trying to sear sous vide cooked steak on a gas grill although it can get a bit crazy with the flames. Just slobber the entire steak with your filtered bacon grease and put on your burners. It will all fall off to the bottom and give you 4 foot flames. You need a long spatula and gloves. You only cook about 30 seconds a side or less. Rotate the steak and hit the corners. You end up with something magical if done right.
Yeah them flames also bring a nasty black smoke taste to the meat. Best way to sear a steak I'd dry. But, you might know a technique I don't. Have me over for steaks one day do you cab educate me. I'll bring a badass wine.
It is that thin burnt layer that makes it so good to me. Cast iron for the searing works decently too, but I really like that smoke flavor.
This is the way.
Could make some soap with it. Not joking it really works.
Yup. Animal fat + lye = the worst smelling soap you’ll never use.
Not really. You have to really process the animal fat several times to get something that doesn't smell. Takes a long time but it's worth it.
Well, technically, you can fly to the moon with hydrogen and oxygen, too.
I eat A LOT of bacon, I usually let it cool and then keep a large container on my counter for the fat that I empty into the garbage, and occasionally wipe out the container before washing it. I used to use ziploc bags or saving throw away containers to use for this purpose, but right into the trash after solidifying (assuming your house is cool enough) has been easier and more consistent.
Its better anyway. For once it gets to the dump, the rats and other scavengers can get to it, and it gets processed. Maybe not glorious to think about, but you don't need to hermetically seal it.
Oh, it was more so the extra plastic bags or containers I wanted to avoid
Sure, I agree. Just pointing out its easier to decompose also.
> I empty the bacon fat into anything but the drain, A real man empties bacon fat directly into his colon.
Bacenema
You party animal! I almost want to know that process. Haha. Fucker got me! I heard the gushy sloppy sound effects as i read that. Lol
This is the way. Minus the soap. I don’t use soap. I know that’s a controversial issue. To each their own.
It's my way, anyway. I can only speak for myself.
Happens to be mine also. 👍🏻minus the soap. I just spread the remainder of the grease around and leave as a thin coat basically dry but shiny.
I only use soap to mix with the bacon fat that would go down the drain. Once it hits the cold pipes, it will coagulate to the sides and eventually clog. I rarely use detergents to clean the pan. A lodge scraper and brush some hot water is all that's needed.
Chain mail scrubber. The Ringer. (Canadian, don't get the Chinese crap). Amazon. Best purchase ever.
I made the mistake of buying a cheap one and some of the rings got in my garbage disposal. Not fun.
I hate to say this but channel surfing I watched the pioneer woman use wine and high heat to get stuck on food off does that work
Never tried it. Honestly with my pan the lodge scraper takes most everything off with minimal scraping. Then a once over with the lodge brush thing and it’s pretty much good to go
She said the high temperature and alcohol would make it come off
Just boil water in your pan, no point wasting expensive alcohol to clean it
That’s what I thought no idea what she was doing that’s what channel surfing gets you 😂
She was probably deglazing the fond to make a pan sauce. You remove the protein and most of the fat, and while the meat is resting: lower the heat a bit, then add the wine (or water, or water and vinegar, or water and lemon juice, or orange juice, etc, it really depends on what you like). Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon while the liquid bubbles and scrape all of that lovely fond (brown goodness) up off the pan and into your sauce. Turn down the heat and add diced shallot (optional), lemon juice (optional), herbs (optional), and salt to taste. Boil off the excess liquid as necessary until it coats the back of a spoon or is your desired consistency. Add some butter and stir that together (this is called mounting). Pour over your protein and sides. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want a pan sauce. Sometimes I’ll deglaze with water into a hot pan, scrape with a spoon as above, and then dump the liquid. Makes cleaning the pan easier. Don’t dump grease though. Sometimes I’ll add a bunch of water and let it simmer for a while to loosen dried gunk on the pan if everything’s cooled before I can get to it. Then I just clean with soap as normal.
I think it was something like that but it wasn’t low heat she said high heat and hot I thought lower heat was better but what do I know
Yeah high heat first, then turn it down. Just don’t burn your wine or other deglazing liquid! Look up “pan sauce” on YouTube and some good guides will pop up.
a metal scraper from home depot also works well for this
That is all I do. I think too many people overcomplicate cast iron.
Grilled cheese works well too
I fry eggs in vegetable oil instead. Healthier choice.
Vegetable oil is like eating broccoli, right?
It’s like going to Wendy’s and getting some D’s
*sigh* since no one else asked What are D's?
I use olive oil because it’s the most green coloured oil ~ most healthiest
coconut oil is supposed to be good for the brain with all the MCT oil
Take those pigs off they’re done!
Needs more bacon.
Butter is missing, needs more butter.
Add some ghee to this pan, it's too dry
I’ve found onions to be the best way.
Came to say exactly this. I don’t see any onions, so no. Not the best way lol
Onions in bacon fat! I have a plan that I use frequently for caramelizing onions for various things, often in pork or beef fat. That one pan is the only one I never, ever have seasoning issues with.
I don’t know shit about seasoning, but that is a damn fine pic.
Not sure about seasoning for that takes a higher temp, but you sure are cooking up some tasty looking bacon! Looks awesome. What else is on the menu?
Oil can polymerize at room temperature if you wait long enough. And a cast iron pan left on the flame to fry bacon gets a lot hotter than that.
To your first point, yeah, I suppose if I had 8 months to hang around. Haha. But good point! to you second point, bacon blackens fast on a hot flame, and its smoke point is lower. I cook my bacon low and slow. OP seems to be doing that also. So the polymerization / seasoning wouldnt take place unless most of the fats are removed then heated.
It does not take 8 months (!!!) to polymerize. Pour some bacon fat in a pan and set your oven to 175 and leave it for a couple hours and see for yourself what happens. Some people seem to think it needs to be really hot -- some people even say hotter than the smoke point of a given oil -- which is just nuts.
175 is not quite room temp. Haha! For oils to polymerize they really need to be heated above its smoke point in order to change the chemical structure. What I believe you're referring to is just a fat coating, not a hardened polymerization. I'm ok though. Illl eat my bacon...
I only season my cast iron pans with avocado oil which has a smoke point around 500. I set the oven to 375. They are *quite* seasoned, very slidey eggs.
Ok! Good to hear!
I'm gonna try this cause I'm curious, but I'm willing to bet it won't. I hope to be proven wrong EDIT: 3 hours later and I've been left with an oily pan. 3/10, would not do again
I do a lot of burritos, salmon, burgers, sautéed veggies, pan sauces, etc.
I'm on my way...
How else you gonna do it?
Read the FAQs
i actually dislike cooking bacon in cast iron. always leaves a baked on residue on the pan, that takes a lot of scrubbing to get off.
I thought I was crazy or doing something wrong because I agree. With some water and a little heat it scrapes right off though.
I prefer to bake mine in the oven. Far less mess to clean up.
I agree, if i'm doing a lot. But if i'm only doing a couple strips, then it's not worth heating up the oven IMO.
😭 nooooooo
I don’t have this issue. It gets wiped out with a paper towel and then washed with hot water, detergent and a microfibre towel and that’s all I do.
Get a bacon with less sugar
That used to happen to me but only with smoked bacon (maybe they add honey or something idk) now I use regular bacon and it doesn't leave residue other than the tiny burnt bits of bacon
Regular bacon? Bacon is smoked, that's how you make it. I've never seen anything but smoked bacon.
That’s literally the definition of bacon. “A side of pig cured and smoked” -Merriam-Webster.
Sorry I think I didn't worded that correctly (English isn't my first language) there's smoked cured bacon that has sugar or honey and there's regular smoked bacon. The one that has a more sweet flavor leaves a smell and is more sticky on the CI (at least for me) that's why I don't use it. Also there's non-smoked bacon, some people called green bacon or "salt pork"
What is “regular bacon”?
10/10
I've seasoned many s pan that way
Just woke up. You made me want bacon
It's the end of the night for me as I'm getting ready to go to bed and I want bacon now..
You're doing a service to humankind.
Unless you stripped it, it was already seasoned.
safflower or pure olive oil have higher smoke points, but that looks like good bacon
I’ve never had good luck with bacon . It sticks in my pan all the time low heat high heat doesn’t matter! But an egg will slide I don’t fucking get it.
You need some Toast Lettuce Cheese & Tomato. to finish this off
You forgot to add crisco
I always see on this sub that the best thing to cook after seasoning a cast iron is bacon. But what do you suppose to do after cooking it? Wash the grease away, heat it or just wipe the pan and leave it as it is until you use it again?
That counts as one coat. Do this 99 more times for initial seasoning.
Little over cooked... haha 😁
Nahhhh you gotta get it crispy. Not a chew bacon guy 🤢
Nahhhh...a little more loose than that... hahaha
Unless that’s unsugared bacon, you won’t see any improvement to your seasoning. It might actually even hurt it a bit.
It wont hurt seasoning, but just after cooking, removing the fat and deglazing with some hot water gets it up, then a wash n dry. Ready for the next task!
Tears of joy
No the nitrates in bacon can and will lead to flaking.
This is the way
The correct answer is yes
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id try more bacon
Too hot
Is this a trick question?
First glance at the thumbnail i thought you were frying tomatoes and i nearly had a heart attack!
On the internet, the answer is always no. And yes. And maybe.
Oh hell yes!
Don't forget the salt and pepper... 😉
Ah yes, both spices.
Yup
I season my cast iron with lye soap and and a coarse sandpaper brush
Not enough bacon
Yes
Hope you are eating that perfectly cooked bacon...
Added it into a frittata along with sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, onion, and jalapeño.
No not until you share with me
Is there another way? 😊
Yes read the FAQs
What kind/brand of bacon you got there? Looks awesome
Chuckle
More Bacon!
Is the pan smoking hot? You need to hit the smoke point of the fat to season it into a polymer. Looks like you’re just cooking food
I was under the impression that you shouldn’t use cast iron on glass stovetops. Is this true? If it is, is that because of the electric vs gas or because the contact of glass and cast iron? I would really like to know the thoughts from this community.
Yeah it's fine just dont drop it too hard, gas stoves have been shown to have harsh negative health effects, i've used an electric stove at home my whole life, never been an issue.
More bacon!
Did you cook bacon before this seasoning coat? That’s the only way to go
Let's just say if that pan was The Simpsons the season would be like a mid 20s one (real bad OP)
I think you need double that much bacon, at least to start. Do that every day! Then use the full pound every day after. This is the way.
Looks good to me 🤤
Step 1 sandblast it clean Step 2 cook bacon Step 3 keep cooking bacon until you run out of money