I, like most people, love perfectly crispy bacon. Whether I cooked it in the oven or in a skillet, I always thought the only way to achieve this was by laying out the strips perfectly flat and fussing with them as little as possible. Then I learned how Snoop Dogg cooks his bacon.
I was reading Jess Damuck’s cookbook “Salad Freak,” and she said Snoop Dogg taught her how to make the crispiest bacon, ever. Damuck worked for Martha Stewart for about 10 years, so she has spent a lot of time around the two in the kitchen. She said one day she watched in shock as he simply dumped a giant clump of bacon into the pan and casually stirred it around with tongs for about 15 minutes — only to get perfectly crispy curly bacon!
It went against my every impulse, but I had to try it. Sure enough, this method gives me perfect bacon every single time and I am never going back.
Why it works
Stirring allows the bacon fat to render more evenly and slowly for perfectly crispy bacon. Because you don’t need to lay out the strips in a single layer, you can cook more bacon at a time instead of working in batches. This method works best with bacon that isn’t super thick-cut because it curls up more easily. The curly texture of the bacon makes it even more crispy than if it was flat.
How to make bacon, Snoop style
- Heat the skillet. Warm a large cast iron or other skillet over medium heat. You don’t need to add any oil because the bacon has plenty.
- Separate the bacon. Bacon comes packaged in a little brick. To make the stirring easier, I like to separate the strips before cooking.
- Add the bacon. Dump 1 pound (or less) of your favorite bacon into the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until very crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Drain the bacon grease. Transfer the crispy-curly bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, then use as you please!
(Rachel Perlmutter is a recipe developer, food stylist, and culinary producer for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)