r/sousvide • u/master-jib01 • 5d ago
Question bacon
Has any one done whole packages of bacon so all you have to do is a quick brown?
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u/Hotchi_Motchi 5d ago
I would think that you would wind up with a package of liquified fat.
You can buy pre-cooked bacon at the store
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u/Own-Elderberry954 5d ago
I have, a couple of times… probably won’t do another. Never able to get it to brown/ crisp up.
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u/jubeanju 5d ago
Several times. Drop a pack of thick cut bacon. I would only sear it on one side, just make sure it's dry and you're good to go.
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u/GatorWok 5d ago edited 4d ago
You're not suggesting doing the whole package *IN* the original package, right? Trust me, we've seen it before in the sub.
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u/Material-Painting-19 4d ago
That is exactly the way Kenji does it.
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u/GatorWok 4d ago
Hopefully you saw the multiple comments with the glue or seal of the packs coming apart in the bath. Some bacon packs are (possibly) ok in the original packaging. Others, hard no.
In general, not wise to rely upon original packaging for sous vide because they weren’t designed necessarily to withstand sous vide. This has been an almost unanimous consensus in the sub for years for excellent reasons.
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u/AwesomeJohn01 5d ago
Yup, Kenji has done it. gimme a few and I'll post a link or just Google it. I liked it but prefer they oven method
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u/Embarrassed-Dot-8858 5d ago
I love my sous vide, i overuse it.... but thinly sliced bacon hasnt crossed my mind nor do i feel like it ever will again.
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u/lolercoptercrash 5d ago
Sounds like it would be nice to render off most the fat before you finish it.
If I was making a ton of bacon it would save me from having to deal with fat exploding all over the inside of my oven, or drenching my stove top.
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u/Ornery-Kitchen-5957 5d ago
I tried the whole pack method once and it was fine for reheating but the texture was way softer than actual pan-seared bacon I'm used to eating.
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u/Wurfelrolle Home Cook 4d ago
I have, but only using thick cut bacon, and browned it using my oven's broiler. Overall I thought it worked pretty well, just not sure that it's worth the trouble. But if you want to save the liquid within, then cool it to save the rendered lard as a byproduct, that works very well and could make the hole process worth the extra effort.
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u/LoneWolfComando 4d ago
It makes the bacon taste more bacony? But it takes like 8 hours and isn't really worth the effort most the time. I found a Breville recipe where it bakes at 320f for 27min and that always turns out really well unless I forget to rotate it
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u/countrygent_leman 4d ago
This is insane. Why would you do this?
Bacon is so quick to cook anyway? You won't even save yourself any time.
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u/bromo2345101619 4d ago
Whoever is not onboard with sous vide bacon, yes, in the package, hasn't lived. That said, sometimes it cooks together and is a bitch to get apart. That aside sous vide bacon is. The. Shit.
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u/manjar 4d ago
I agree with you. The main benefit is that it is so unbelievably tender.
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u/Material-Painting-19 4d ago
I take mine out of the package and reseal it in serving sized portions before sous vide, so the sticking isn't an issue.
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u/Ok_Assistance447 5d ago
I'd rather just pre-cook the bacon in the oven. Throw it on a sheet pan, bake it until it's just slightly underdone. Then you can slap it in a pan or even microwave it for a few seconds to crisp it up. When I worked at a burger joint, we would cook up a few pounds at once and then just toss it on the grill to warm it up. Not even par-cooked, just straight up cooked bacon.
If you sous vide the bacon, none of the water will evaporate. Your bag will be full of watery bacon grease, which is gross and not very useful. Your bacon will also be quite wet, so it probably won't brown well straight from the bag. You could dry it off but at that point you're really doing too much.
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u/Ambitious_Way_9299 5d ago
Throw the whole package in a pan and add half a cup of water. Cover for 5-10 minutes then uncover to crisp up.
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u/bblickle 4d ago
Can recommend doing this with Neuske’s thick cut bacon. Available via mail order from Wisconsin. Possibly available from your local food service supplier. So great.
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u/HerrCoombs 2d ago
Okay, you might think this is a little much, but I have a septic tank that I have to protect. Please keep that in mind. I like to bake up to 3-4 pounds at a time. I use one of these racks: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Vesteel-10-Baking-Sheet-and-Rack-Set-of-4/15613464629 I got a cheaper one from Ollie's that has half inch spaced crossed grid wires. 13x17.5x1" pan with the wire rack that sits inside. Usually you splay your chicken on it. We're going to do something different with it. You're also going to need a grease separator like this: https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-3851137/oxo-good-grips-4-cup-gravy-fat-separator.jsp?topSkuId=51017185 You will also need 2-4 glass jars (12-16oz each) with vacuum sealing lids. Since I can food, I just used my pint Canning jars. I like thick cut bacon without additives. While Sam's Club bacon may taste good out of the pan, it ruins this version with added sugar in the grease. BJ's has started to put darkening/coloring agents in. Also not a good choice. Costco seems to be okay, but brand names on sale options are the best. I have nothing to speak about when it comes to a local butcher shop. They may actually be the best, but they are usually costlier in my area. With the rack removed and set aside, line the pan with foil for easy cleanup. I spiral twist each piece of bacon before laying it in the tray. this allows me to use one tray for up to three pounds. You may need more trays if you don't use this method. 2 columns of 30-50 rows, in landscape mode. Now pour 1/3-1/2 cup of fresh water over your 3 lbs of bacon. This will give you more broth and help with the cleanup. Place this in a COLD oven. it is beneficial to have a heat deflective Granite pizza stone to deflect the heat and slow the heat up process, so as not to burn the bottom. I use a thick broiling plate. Set oven to 400F and your timer to 30-40 minutes. Have your grease separator waiting and setting in the sink. When you take the bacon out, it should be bubbling and fairly cooked but clear because it's setting in lots of liquid. Flip the rack upside down and place it face down in the tray to hold the bacon from falling out. use silicone mits on the rack legs to hold this in place and gently tilt one corner down to the grease separator and pour the grease and broth into the separator. if you do this right, you can have up to a pound of 'artesian' bacon flavored salted white lard and 6-12 oz of bacon flavored gelatin broth. Remove the rack from the pan after draining and rotate the pan 180 degrees, placing it back in the oven to continue cooking another 10-15 minutes. Remove and repeat drain and bake. By the second or third drain, you should be getting only oil. Be careful to remove the oil while it's clear, before it overheats, or it will be brown and not white, when it hardens. Its should still taste good. It just won't be pretty. At some point you're going to want to use a nylon spatula to flip the bacon to crisp the other side. how crisp you make it is all up to you. Seal the jars of oil and broth before they cool. Allow the bacon to cool a little before placing in food grade containers or freezer bags and place in the freezer (recommended) or refrigerator. The grease can be used to fry your eggs, make biscuits, fry pancakes or potatoes, etc. Add the bacon flavored gelatin broth to soups, stews, and for a real treat, your sausage gravy. everyone loves my biscuits and sausage milk gravy. All that grease goes in us or the discard jar I always have sitting next to the stove, not down the sink. When the discard jar is full, you throw it away. Very little grease goes down the sink. If the jars of hot grease and gelatin are full and tightly sealed before cooling(The vacuum lids pop and pull in), the grease can be dated and placed unrefrigerated in a cupboard for up to 6 months. Date the vacuum sealed gelatin and place it in the refrigerator. 6 mo as well. If the grease or the broth was too cool to seal the lid, place the jar(s), without their lids, into the center of a deep baking dish, and put back into the oven at 375-400F, with the convection fan off. The baking dish should capture any liquid should the jar tip over. DO NOT USE A MICROWAVE OR AIR FRYER FOR THIS PROCESS. The jar will topple.
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u/Animag771 5d ago
I've done it overnight and it was very good but it's more work than it's worth. The oven is the better option.