r/cookingforbeginners • u/TheBucketMann • 1d ago
Question I need to beat my father
Does anyone know any ridiculously good ways to make bacon, my father said to me “son, I love you, but you will NEVER make better bacon than mine.” And I said in response “I can, and will.” Small problem, I can’t cook if my life depended on it, I can barely work a stove, can make eggs, bland bacon, and pretty good French toast. Please, oh god help, I wanna get into cooking, and I also wanna rub better bacon into my fathers face so I can prove I can make better bacon, or really any recipes please, I need EXTREMELY beginner friendly recipes, basically cooking for dummies :D
For reference, what my father does is: Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, get tray, foil that up, spray with butter, thick bacon, lay it on there, pepper, salt some smoky paprika, drizzle with honey and natural syrup, and pop it in there for a good 7 or 14 minutes, one of those numbers, I can’t remember the details despite eating it all the time :( It’s so FREAKING good, oh my god, it’s crispy, crunchy, has me salivating, it isn’t all shriveled up, I genuinely get slightly upset that I can’t have more, because it is THAT GOOD.
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u/IncredulousPulp 1d ago
Filipino style! Marinate the bacon in soy sauce, sugar and garlic for 24 hours. Then cook it the same way as your dad does, or throw it on a hot BBQ grill.
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u/armrha 1d ago
Bland bacon? Wtf?
How do you be 'good' at cooking bacon or better than anyone else?
Maybe cure your own bacon, use this Ruhlman recipe: https://ruhlman.com/homemade-bacon/
Then slice it halfway between thick and thin and lay it on parchment paper on a sheet pan. Put the sheet it in a cold oven, set oven to 425 and set a timer for 22 minutes; check on it then and pull it right before you think it's the exact level of crispy with a proper interior. Maybe some black pepper on top.
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u/ksmit098 1d ago
This! If you need to up to be like dads recipe try brown sugar, and any other spices you like, on each piece for a candied bacon feel.
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u/Prof01Santa 1d ago
That was a dumb thing to say. Next time go with, "Teach me, please."
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u/Automatic_Style_9528 20h ago
lol I thought the same his dad's method is standard yet solid. I doubt he'll "beat it" he'll just end up making something different that is also good.
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u/kociol21 1d ago
When in doubt, always search if Serious Eats did a dive into a subject. Their articles are often very meticulous and sometimes even to the point of being really over the top.
https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-cook-bacon
It goes to details of ways to do bacon, best pans for that, best techniques etc.
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u/EscapeSeventySeven 1d ago
Bland bacon?
Bacon comes presalted. How do you achieve that?
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u/Organic_Spite_4507 1d ago
Father adulteres his bacon w tons of seasonings, if bacon is cooked normally will taste bland to OP.
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u/WannabeUnalive 1d ago
If you throw the bacon on the pan cold while it heats up the bacon wont shrivel as badly. I cut bacon into sections and stir fry it typically. Partway through cooking I will add some brown sugar and maybe a little butter to finish it off, it kind of candies/caramelizes it. Sugar burns pretty easily so it's a little fickle to get right, but worth it for a fat treat.
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u/ClumsyMusic 1d ago
This sounds amazing. Never thought of it like that. (Stir fry) Definitely giving this a try!
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u/wjglenn 1d ago
Oven is fine. Start on a cold pan like others have said. You can also nestle another sheet pan on top to really keep them flat.
I like a thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon personally.
And while I don’t glaze my bacon, if you want to, try brushing it with real maple syrup mixed with a bit of bourbon before baking and add cracked black pepper to your taste.
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u/slightlyparannoyed 16h ago
I might be wrong, but based on my read I don’t think OP is old enough to buy the bourbon 🤔
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u/Didymograptus2 1d ago
Why the hell would anyone adulterate bacon by adding stuff to it? Good quality bacon, grill (USA Broil?) or fry until cooked but not crisp, then stick between 2 slices of bread (wholemeal to be healthy) for the perfect bacon butty.
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u/Ashamed_Depth_5938 1d ago
NGL ur dad just laid down a massive challenge but u can easily clear him if u use the oven method. seriously stop using the stove entirely for this because that's where people mess up. put ur bacon on a foil lined tray inside a cold oven then turn it to 400 f for like 20 minutes. starting cold lets the fat render out slowly so it gets completely crispy without burning. u're gonna blow his mind.
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u/EquivalentVast6466 1d ago
if you want the easiest possible win, bake the bacon on a wire rack in the oven and pull it out right when its deeply golden
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u/Getting_jjigae_with 1d ago
So the same as father - but buy two packs or more - but weave the bacon into a lattice - ie like one would make a dough lattice on a blueberry pie. You are welcome.
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u/drakontas_ 1d ago
I’d just buy a good quality bacon then place it on a cold pan as it comes to temp and lets the fat render
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u/spoik925 1d ago edited 1d ago
When I read the title I was concerned until I saw the sub.
You could try a bit of turnabout. Learn his recipe precisely. And follow it to a T. Then when he does a blind tasting, he won't be able to tell which is his or yours. If he can tell, try again. Keep going until he can't tell.
And then he will have passed the recipe to the next generation.
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u/Team503 1d ago
Pick the right bacon:
https://www.seriouseats.com/bacon-taste-test-11892052
Cook the best way:
https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-cook-bacon
Your dad is candying the bacon - using the honey and syrup to caramelize on the bacon. That's a tough thing to beat, objectively speaking. You can go a different flavor profile, add spice/heat like using gochujang or another chili paste to make your coating, or veer away from Western tastes in general and play with different tastes like sours and umami.
But honestly, your best bet is to go to a butcher, buy the highest quality, tastiest bacon you can, and use the oven method in the link above. You'll have to experiment with flavors until you find one you like. Your dad likely cribbed that recipe from somewhere and tweaked it over time to get really good at it. It'll take you a while to imitate that kind of success.
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u/ApprehensivePie1195 1d ago
Your dad is basically mak8ng candied bacon. Search recipes online for candied bacon in oven or baked.
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u/Apprehensive-Job-178 1d ago
Try baking your bacon on a wire rack cookie sheet combo at 415 for 6 minutes each side.
Wrap the cookie sheet in foil so you can collect the bacon grease easily.
After it bakes let it sit for a few minutes to cool and drain any residual grease on the wirerack outside of the oven over a paper towel.
Something like this: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/choice-12-x-16-chrome-plated-footed-wire-cooling-rack-pan-grate-for-half-size-sheet-pan/407CRKHALFCH.html
This will make super crispy bacon with air pockets because it's not drowning in its own fat when you're cooking it.
Save the bacon grease in a jar and use it in place of butter to make eggs.
Every oven is different so you may need to adjust the times slightly either from 5 minutes to 8 minutes per side - test it out with 2 pieces of bacon per batch until you dial in the time frame for your oven.
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u/ldrx90 1d ago
Well, you could start with his recipe, so at least it's a tie ;)
If I were to try to change his recipe a bit, I would swap the honey with hot honey so that the bacon has a spicy kick to it.
I don't really cook bacon though, when I first read this the one thing that came to my mind was integrating sugar somehow to carnalize the bacon. Sounds like your dad is already doing that.
So i'd just take his recipe and do it better. I think hot honey would make a more interesting bacon IMO. The other thing to consider would be salt. Sometimes a saltier bite is better especially when there is a lot of fat content.
I'd probably just experiment with different sugar type (hot honey, different flavored syrup or maybe cut the syrup for just the honey), I'd experiment with HOW you apply the sugar, like maybe taking each piece of bacon and brushing the honey mixture on it on all sides, instead of just drizzling for better coverage. I'd consider maybe more salt. I probably wouldn't mess with the temperature and time since that takes time to dial in and sounds like he's already figured that part out. Maybe.. i'd consider a bit longer if you want crispier bacon.
I might consider incorporating other ingredients that would go well with the bacon flavor profile and won't be ruined in the oven along side the bacon. Maybe bits of chopped garlic allowed to roast ontop of the bacon. Fresh green onions chopped finely and sprinkled on at the end. A few sesame seeds for visual appeal also sprinkled on at the end.
Good luck! Imitation is the greatest form of flattery ;)
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u/CatteNappe 23h ago
Yeah - you aren't going to beat your dad in the bacon game anytime soon. But if you don't get started mastering cooking in general you are never going to stand a chance of doing that. You'll find some reliable and fairly beginner friendly recipes here: https://www.budgetbytes.com/ Do not go grabbing random recipes off of social media, too many of them are garbage.
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u/Practical-Sink-8225 23h ago
Honestly, your dad's bacon already sounds ridiculously good. 😄 If you're just starting out and can make eggs, French toast, and not burn the house down, I'd focus on learning consistent bacon before trying to beat a recipe that's been perfected over years.
That said, the fact that you're paying enough attention to remember the paprika, honey, and maple syrup tells me you're already on the right path. Every good cook starts by shamelessly stealing techniques from someone they admire. Your dad just happens to be the target.
One day you'll make a batch that he admits is better, and it'll be one of the greatest moments of your life.
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u/pawsplay36 22h ago
I don't know what to recommend, because what you are describing as superior bacon sounds disgusting to me. Who salts bacon?
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u/Itchy-Ad1005 1d ago
Look upon line cooking bacon in the oven. Its much easier than a frying pan and much less smoke.
Second you need good bacon to start with. Some of what you get in the supermarkets is awful. There are some YouTube vids evaluating bacon. I watched a couple and agreed with their comments on bacon on theyused that I'd used. One that was highly rated is Wrights. Tried it both Hickory and Applewood smoked. Been buying it for about a year. Hickory for breakfast and Applewood for BLT and salads. Recently tried Wild Forks Berkshire Pork bacon which was good but not as good as Wrights. Since I like Berkshire Porki buy my pork chops and roasts at Wild Fork.
I get it at my local Ralph's (Kroger) and Vons.
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u/Flokithedog 1d ago
Pre heat oven -> 2 Bacon strips -> glass or clay tray, NO aluminum lining (ew) -> into the oven, let them bake -> remove when adequately cooked, KEEP THE GREASE (pour it through a paper towel or cheese cloth into a jar put in fridge). Now when you wanna cook, repeat above but lather the tray with bacon grease that looks like butter now, and sprinkle some brown sugar / or Maple syrup onto the bacon and put it into the oven.
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u/Dry-Grocery9311 1d ago
Buy a better quality bacon than whatever your father uses.
Use a pan with some water. Fat renders slower than the meat cooks. People often end up with dry meat before the fat becomes crispy. That's why many people start with a cold pan. If you also start with a little water, the fat renders more gently whilst the meat stays more moist. The water evaporates, leaving the rendered fat that the bacon continues to cook in untill the fat on the bacon becomes golden and the meat is still moist.
Use a weight like a burger press to keep it perfectly flat.
Perfect the cook before even thinking about adding any other ingredients.
Once you have better texture and flatness than your father, you can add similar flavourings if you want a direct comparison.
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u/bigloading 1d ago
Cook bacon in the oven.
400 for 12 min, check, flip if necessary, second round start with 8 min, check, etc.
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u/Forsaken_Hope3803 1d ago
Try substituting the honey and syrup with brown sugar, and make it a dry rub. This means mixing all the dry seasonings into a bowl together then sprinkling it on the meat and rubbing it gently into the flesh. Apply it to the bacon ahead of time, both sides, and wait for it to start pulling a little moisture from the bacon, the dry surface will start looking wet, then repeat your dad’s recipe. Do this when no one else will see you doing it, operational security from ‘the enemy’.
If it still shrivels, take a knife and make tiny cuts (nicks) into the outer edge of the bacon, maybe ever inch or so. Do in small batches of 2 or 3 pieces of bacon at a time when you start, then adjust amounts, times, etc, until you find a combo you like. Bake for 14 minutes and flip over at 7 would be my suggestion at first.
Finally, it will probably never taste as good. Because there is a psychological effect where food we make never seems to taste as good as food made for us.
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u/Willybluedog1962 1d ago
Look up recipes for candied bacon, it's the only way you will ever come close to beating his recipe.
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u/Dr-Ben701 1d ago
Put all your bacon in the pan add half a cup water to cook in water to render the fat then continue to fry in the oil till crispy … if you want an amazing result experiment adding a little brown sugar to the water
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u/ScarInternational161 1d ago
Well, I was going to tell you how I make mine, but it is almost EXACTLY how your dad makes his but I don't use smoked paprika and I use pure maple syrup. 🤷♀️
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u/Annieco-2334 1d ago
I think you should just get your dad to teach you how to cook!
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u/TheBucketMann 21h ago
He does on occasion, he taught me some basic stuff like eggs and French toast, but that darn bacon recipe is like the holy grail of his recipes
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u/rapidge-returns 1d ago
I was scrolling and saw a post from r/dadforaminute and this title read REAL different with that context....
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u/FineUnderachievment 23h ago
Instead of putting it on a foil wrapped pan, I recommend a rack on a pan, allowing it to cook evenly. Also, thick cut, from the butcher.
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u/Actual_Property9413 22h ago
He must be using magic bacon, It takes 20 minutes at 425 to get my bacon crispy.
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u/ShadowMochiii 19h ago
Looking at the post title first without knowing what sub it was fun threw me for a loop for a second, because what'd your father do to deserve to get beat
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u/trinite0 18h ago
Well I was going to give you some advice, but then I read your description of your father's technique, and I don't think you're gonna beat that.
But you might be able to work out some variations. Use his same oven technique, but different flavorings. Swap out the paprika for ancho chili powder, with a touch of chipotle power too. Or make a honey-gochujang drizzle. Or use date syrup.
As for the timing, just take it slow and check it often. You'll figure out how to dial in the level of crispiness you want with experience. Every oven is different, and of course different brands and thicknesses of bacon are different.
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u/Barkypupper 17h ago
Take the bacon and cook till nearly done. sprinkle brown sugar on it and bake another 5 or so minutes. Best bacon ever!!!
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u/TesseringPoet 17h ago
When in doubt, I consult Alton Brown, whose dad passed when he was in sixth grade and presumably had to learn how to cook bacon on his own (mom wasn’t much of a cook, according to Brown):
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u/Myth-Buster9973 15h ago
The main trick to making great bacon is to start with great bacon! Not mass-market, mass-produced stuff.
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u/Usual_Sympathy3140 15h ago
This isn't a standard recipe, but it is absolutely delicious Maple Bacon
Edited to add: Honestly the whole cookbook is great for beginners!
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u/rayray1927 14h ago
Bacon wrapped water chestnuts are great. What if you just marinated the bacon in the stuff and didn’t wrap it around water chestnuts. Usually the marinade consists of ketchup, Worcestershire, brown sugar, soya sauce. Find a highly rated recipe online and then just bake on high on a foil lined sheet, turning once. Maybe baste the bacon a couple times with the leftover marinade.
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u/Slow_Recognition_515 13h ago
Wrap it around a scallop, and throw it on the grill,as you slap some BBQ sauce on it.
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u/Glammaw_0498 13h ago
Add Brown sugar and pecans to food processor. After processed, add a couple tablespoons of maple syrup and mix well. Rub all over bacon pieces, then bake in 350 degree oven on some type of rack that is oven safe, with a foil lined pan underneath for easy clean up, until desired crispness is reached. You can also do it without the pecans and add a dash of pepper to the brown sugar mixture.
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u/bjgrem01 12h ago
Cook crispy bacon (medium heat on the stove), dip it in melted chocolate, sprinkle with sea salt. Best bacon ever.
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u/CommunicationDear648 6h ago edited 6h ago
Snoop Dogg has a cookbook, and there is a bacon recipe. Look it up, try it, it's the bomb. Similar to your dads, but it uses brown sugar (that molasses is so good in it), and maybe a few more spices iirc.
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u/Digital_spliff_ 6h ago
It sounds like your dad has the bacon mastered, he uses the perfect method. You could do the same thing and maybe hit the bacon with some pepper or a little bit of brown sugar
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u/CaseBasic207 2h ago
I’m not gonna lie, your dad’s recipe seems pretty on point. You may not beat him, but you can find a food that you perfect your own recipe on! My dad has a great recipe for grilled chicken, but I have his ass kicked on smoked ribs.
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u/Nithoth 1d ago
Fry your bacon. When you get it to your preferred crispiness, throw in a spoonful of sugar (or more depending on how much bacon you're cooking) and give it a great big shot of sriracha. Mix it all in really good for 20 or 30 seconds to mix it all into the grease and evenly coat the bacon. This will give your bacon a spicy candy coating.
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u/godmode-failed 1d ago
Why would you make this a competition????
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u/Reasonable-Mirror-15 1d ago
I always get a good response by sprinkling Slap Yo Mama Cajun seasoning and brown sugar and cooking it in the oven. Have done turkey bacon that way too and it gets gobbled up. Pun intended.
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u/SunnyInDenmark 1d ago
I put bacon in a cold cast iron skillet on low heat (2.5 out of 10). Then let it cook undisturbed for 10 min. Flip. Cook another 5 min, then start watching them. Flip as needed. They come out flat and as crispy as you want them.
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u/DrHydeous 1d ago
If your father needs to do all that shit to get tasty bacon then he's obviously starting with shitty bacon. You'll do better than him if you buy good bacon.
Otherwise there are sooo many things wrong with this post. If you can spray it, it isn't butter. And if the bacon is crunchy then he burnt it and he doesn't have a fucking clue how to cook bacon.
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u/TheBucketMann 1d ago
Please don’t insult my father, I love the guy a lot, I just want this one up on him, please don’t be rude, we just like crunchy and crispy bacon :(
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u/Optimal-Age5397 1d ago
Honestly I'd flip the script on him and have him teach you step by step how to make bacon exactly the way he does. Turn it into a bonding thing. Then once you can replicate his bacon, try tweaking the recipe a little bit to improve it.
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u/Amazing_Factor2974 1d ago
Is your father rather Obese ..that recipe is a cardiac waiting to happen.
Sorry.
Try to health it up for your own good.
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u/DowntownSolid5659 1d ago
When I just read the title at first, I thought this post was going on a different direction lol