How to Cook Bacon in Cast Iron

Great bacon is about rendering the fat slowly and evenly, and cast iron is built for it. Start the strips in a cold pan over medium heat — not a hot one — so the fat melts out gradually, the meat crisps in its own fat, and the strips stay flat instead of seizing and curling. The heavy pan holds a steady temperature so every slice cooks the same. Then save that rendered fat; it is liquid gold.

Bacon thrown into a screaming-hot pan burns at the edges before the fat has a chance to render, and it curls into unusable little scrolls. The fix is patience and even heat — exactly what a cast iron skillet gives you. Below is the stovetop method, the hands-off oven method for a crowd, and what to do with the fat and the pan afterward.

Why cast iron for bacon

A cast iron pan heats and, more importantly, holds heat evenly, so there are no scorching hot spots to blacken one strip while another stays limp. Bacon crisps best when the fat renders out gradually and the strip essentially fries in its own rendered fat; rush it with high heat and the outside burns before the inside renders. Even, moderate heat — the thing cast iron does best — is the whole game. There is a bonus, too: rendering bacon lays down a little seasoning, contributing to the pan's slick polymerized-oil surface, which is part of why a bacon pan gets better with use.

Ingredients and gear

• Bacon — as many strips as fit in a single layer without heavy overlap
• A 10.25- or 12-inch cast iron skillet (or a rimmed sheet pan for the oven method)
• A plate lined with paper towels, for draining
• A heatproof jar or tin, for saving the fat

Method: the cold-pan stovetop way

1. Lay bacon in a cold pan.Arrange the strips in a single layer in an unheated cast iron skillet, not touching too much. Starting cold is the key — it lets the fat begin to render before the meat sears, which keeps the strips flat.
2. Turn the heat to medium. Set the burner to medium and let the pan and bacon come up together. As it heats, fat pools and the strips begin to sizzle gently. Resist the urge to crank the heat.
3. Cook low and flip. Cook for several minutes, turning the strips now and then with tongs so both sides render evenly. If the pan gets too greasy, spoon a little fat off into your jar as you go (keep some in the pan).
4. Pull it at your preferred crisp. Bacon keeps crisping as it cools, so pull it a shade before it looks fully done. Move the strips to the paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Method: the hands-off oven way

1. Cold oven, lined pan.Lay the strips on a rimmed sheet pan (or in a big cast iron skillet) and put it in a cold oven, then set it to 400°F (205°C). Starting cold renders the fat gradually here too.
2. Bake until crisp. Bake for roughly 15 to 20 minutes, checking from about 12 minutes on, until the bacon is as crisp as you like. No flipping, no splatter on the stovetop, and every strip cooks evenly.
3. Drain and save the fat. Transfer the bacon to paper towels and carefully pour the rendered fat through a strainer into your jar.

Tips and cleanup

Do not crowd the pan — overlapping strips steam instead of crisp; cook in batches if you must. Thick-cut bacon needs a little longer and lower heat to render fully. Let the fat cool slightly before straining it, and store the jar in the fridge. For cleanup, let the pan cool until it is warm (never shock a hot pan with cold water), pour off the fat, then wipe it out — bacon leaves a pan practically clean and freshly conditioned. A quick warm-water scrub and a dry-and- oil finish is all it needs; the full routine is in how to clean cast iron.