Cast iron frustration

[pianoman9701]

I know I will be cast out as a heretic for suggesting it, but best way* to cook bacon is a 400 degree oven, on foil over a half sheet cookie pan.  20 minutes to yummy bacon, then fold up the foil and toss the mess in the garbage.

I may be cast out, but I'll be eating bacon twice as fast, while your still washing dishes. 


* OK the best way is to have a hot blonde do it.

I do like the oven method to cook bacon, but use baking sheets/paper instead of foil. We now know that using foil to cook food releases heavy metals into the food - it's really bad for you and especially the little ones. Also, using it to store foods that contain acids (tomato sauce, citrus, fruit salad), will also release the metals into your food. Baking paper works great and it's also easier to handle. You can buy rolls or sheets of it. The sheets are normally the right size for a half baking sheet.

[Southpole]

I know I will be cast out as a heretic for suggesting it, but best way* to cook bacon is a 400 degree oven, on foil over a half sheet cookie pan.  20 minutes to yummy bacon, then fold up the foil and toss the mess in the garbage.

I may be cast out, but I'll be eating bacon twice as fast, while your still washing dishes. 


* OK the best way is to have a hot blonde do it.

I do like the oven method to cook bacon, but use baking sheets/paper instead of foil. We now know that using foil to cook food releases heavy metals into the food - it's really bad for you and especially the little ones. Also, using it to store foods that contain acids (tomato sauce, citrus, fruit salad), will also release the metals into your food. Baking paper works great and it's also easier to handle. You can buy rolls or sheets of it. The sheets are normally the right size for a half baking sheet.

I use a cookie cooling rack or something like on a baking sheet to keep the bacon from sitting in grease.

[Fl0und3rz]

"Sitting in grease?"

Now who's the heretic?

Use baking sheets, and you're still cleaning the sheet pan.  I'll take my risk with aluminum foil.

[pianoman9701]

It's not a good trade off. 

[7mmfan]

I'll admit, I was a baking paper skeptic for a long time. I started doing my potatoes on it recently though and I was impressed. I don't think it folds well enough around the edges of cookie sheets to actually trap the grease though, it usually ends up in the bottom of the sheet and you have to clean it out. I like the idea of the cooling rack to suspend it. If you have convection, it probably cooks both sides fairly well.

[Southpole]

"Sitting in grease?"

Now who's the heretic?

Use baking sheets, and you're still cleaning the sheet pan.  I'll take my risk with aluminum foil.

I had a feeling I was gonna get it with the "not sitting in grease" 

[Southpole]

I'll admit, I was a baking paper skeptic for a long time. I started doing my potatoes on it recently though and I was impressed. I don't think it folds well enough around the edges of cookie sheets to actually trap the grease though, it usually ends up in the bottom of the sheet and you have to clean it out. I like the idea of the cooling rack to suspend it. If you have convection, it probably cooks both sides fairly well.

Are you talking about parchment paper?

[Fl0und3rz]

It's not a good trade off. 

I'm open to convincing. 

I have not seen convincing evidence of the dangers of cooking with aluminum, and I have seen countless examples of things that were known to kill me to the point it was common knowledge, only to have that retracted or walked back, and still other examples where pseudoscience or later revealed to be falsified or poorly conducted "science" (glycogen/Roundup*) was pushed for political or commercial reasons. 

Start another thread on the dangers of aluminum and I'll follow along.


* http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691512005637

[pianoman9701]

I'll admit, I was a baking paper skeptic for a long time. I started doing my potatoes on it recently though and I was impressed. I don't think it folds well enough around the edges of cookie sheets to actually trap the grease though, it usually ends up in the bottom of the sheet and you have to clean it out. I like the idea of the cooling rack to suspend it. If you have convection, it probably cooks both sides fairly well.

Are you talking about parchment paper?

Baking paper is the same as parchment paper. And, an even better one is Saga baking paper.

[pianoman9701]

It's not a good trade off. 

I'm open to convincing. 

I have not seen convincing evidence of the dangers of cooking with aluminum, and I have seen countless examples of things that were known to kill me to the point it was common knowledge, only to have that retracted or walked back, and still other examples where pseudoscience or later revealed to be falsified or poorly conducted "science" (glycogen/Roundup*) was pushed for political or commercial reasons. 

Start another thread on the dangers of aluminum and I'll follow along.


* http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691512005637

I'm talking specifically about foil, not aluminum pans. I may start a thread on it or may PM you a link.

[Alchase]

I have a full set of Lodge cast iron. I use to swear they cook better then anything.
There is something about cooking in camp with cast iron, that sill has a place in my heart.
But I have found I usually go for the quicker meals cooked over a grill over the meals cooked in cast iron.
I no longer believe cast iron cook better then your average non-stick pots and pans.
I still use the roaster most of the time when I want to braise something.
I find using my grill, sears meat better, with a higher temp, with less cleanup or hassle then a cast iron.
My cast iron set (with the exception of the large skillet and roaster) have been in storage since we moved to OKC two years ago.

Some good truth about cat iron here:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/the-truth-about-cast-iron.html
 most of the time

[7mmfan]

I'll admit, I was a baking paper skeptic for a long time. I started doing my potatoes on it recently though and I was impressed. I don't think it folds well enough around the edges of cookie sheets to actually trap the grease though, it usually ends up in the bottom of the sheet and you have to clean it out. I like the idea of the cooling rack to suspend it. If you have convection, it probably cooks both sides fairly well.

Are you talking about parchment paper?

yes

[gaddy]

I am liking the oven idea. A bit of brown sugar and black pepper on my bacon sounds good.

[Fl0und3rz]

Is it bad form to cook in cast iron that is coated in enamel?  Asking for Southpole.

[Southpole]

I am liking the oven idea. A bit of brown sugar and black pepper on my bacon sounds good.

Haggen Grocery used to send little recipe pamphlets to customers years ago, that bacon cooking tip was in their brunch edition. Thick bacon or thin it's all good.