JUMP To TOP           BACON WRAPPING:           

Cooking anything wrapped with a strip of bacon can be a daunting process. It is difficult to get the bacon properly cooked (relatively long time) while at the same time to not overcook the food that the bacon is wrapped around (normally a shorter time). Seafoods are especially difficult since their cooking times are extremely short (seafoods have such a huge moisture content, they are usually considered ass cooked as soon as that internal moisture becomes HOT). The below process pre-cooks the bacon so the final baking process creates a properly cooked bacon wrapping along with a properly cooked food.

JUMP To TOP           THE INHERENT BACON WRAPPING PROBLEM:

It takes a relatively LONG time for bacon to be properly cooked so that it becomes the flavor that we ALL love. The majority of things that we love to wrap with strips of bacon cook or heat rather quickly. Thus, cooking something wrapped in a raw bacon strip ALWAYS ends up overcooked, tough, chewy and likely BLACK due to bacon fat dripping flare-ups..

JUMP To TOP           THE SOLUTION:

When grilling or broiling Bacon wrapped ANYTHING, especially those tender seafood’s (scallops, shrimp, etc.). Bacon causes an inherent problem where as the bacon fat rendering out of the raw bacon causes flare-ups that at best blackens the meat or seafood. Also, bacon takes much longer to cook than the seafood resulting in a bacon flavored, rubber-like end product. There Is indeed a relatively simple solution......

NOTE: Bacon shrinks greatly as it cooks - You will likely be needing a whole strip for each item you will be wrapping (jalapeno poppers, Lil’ Smokies, shrimp, scallops, etc.).

1) Use the thinnest sliced bacon you can find.

2) Bring the bacon package up to room temperature.

3) Place 3 layers of paper towels on a large heat-proof ceramic plate.

4) Lay 6 bacon Strips (not touching) side-by-side on top of the towels.

5) Place 3 more layers of paper towels on top of the bacon.

6) Lay 6 more bacon strips (not touching) side-by-side on top of the towels.

7) Continue until no more than about 1/2 of a package of bacon is used.

8) Top the final layer of bacon with 2 layers of paper towels.

9) Press a second ceramic plate on top to keep the bacon from curling up as it cooks.

10) Microwave on high (1200 watts) for 6 minutes & check for mostly cooked. - IF NOT really close to being done, cook them for a minute or so longer.

11) Separate the rendered bacon from the paper towels while still hot and set them aside.

12) Repeat the process until all of the bacon needed for your dish has been rendered.

13) For best results, wrap the bacon around the Food while it’s still slightly warm and still pliable. if necessary, re-heat the slice for 10 seconds or so.

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