Cooking bacon on a kettle


 
Don Fry

Don Fry

TVWBB Super Fan
I am looking for good ideas on how to make bacon on a kettle while I am grilling my burgers. I love my burgers over charcoal, but always end up making bacon separately either on the side burner on the Summit or inside on the stove or oven. Looking for what others have tried that both works and doesn’t work before I start experimenting on my own.
 
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I figure you could set thick sliced bacon off to the side of the coals so you don't get a grease fire..........
 
When we are camping, I'll throw a piece of foil on the grate and bend the edges up a a bit to keep the bacon grease in the foil.
 
I have a few CI griddles which I use, but indirect like ScottE mentioned works in the pinch.

Tim
 
I prefer bacon grilled indirect on my OTG over all other ways. It "renders" instead of burns and you can easily pull it when it is perfect. It takes about 20 minutes to perfection.

Dale53
 
V_Rocco said:
Keep the fire extinguisher handy! ;););)
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Actually, when I cook bacon Indirect there is no danger of fire. I set up my regular indirect set up (keep the coals on one side with a couple of fire bricks) leave both vents open and lay the bacon directly on the grill (pre-clean and pre-oil the grill). It's a good idea to put a throw away aluminum tray under the bacon to catch the grease.

Dale53
 
I went the route of grilling thick cut bacon indirect using pretty high heat straight on the grate with a foil pan to catch grease. Worked great. Took longer than I thought it would, but that was OK. Appreciate everyone's input.
 
I believe the process of cooking bacon slowly is the path to great flavor. In my house, bacon ranks HIGH, and taking a bit longer to get it exactly right is worth the effort.

But, that is just me...

Dale53
 
Here's a tip: if you have a griddle, you can cook bacon on your grill and then make amazing pancakes in the drippings. I posted that in the Photo Gallery, at least it was on the old forum.
 
Jon Des. said:
Here's a tip: if you have a griddle, you can cook bacon on your grill and then make amazing pancakes in the drippings. I posted that in the Photo Gallery, at least it was on the old forum.
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We always do scrambled eggs in the drippings, I'll have to try the pancakes next weekend when we camp.
 
I have a 12"x18" baking pan with 3/4" high sides and two 1/4" mesh steel grates with with legs bent into the steel. They fit in the baking pan and stand up about 1/4". Just purchased a 26 3/4" OTG and can set the pan in the middle with charcoal holders on either side. Use thick sliced bacon and cut 1 lb packages in half. Foil the baking pan and place grate in. Baste bacon with pure Maple Syrup (not too sweet) and sprinkle with coarse ground black pepper. Depending on your desired crispness takes about 30-45 minutes at 380-410 degrees. Bacon comes out straight with no curls and all pieces done to the same degree. After cooking I wash the grates but leave the baking pan with grease in the OTG till it hardens, roll the foil up and toss in the trash. Absolutely the best tasting bacon I've ever eaten.

Scott W.
 
When I saw the "bacon on a kettle" title my first thought was unseparated slices, either a pound or half pound together, as I saw on BBQ pit boys (and have tried a few times since). Just realized you're probably talking about individual slices here ?

Scotty, are you talking about a half pound together (ie a stack of half-slices) or individual slices as well ?

It seems to me that any post ending in "best tasting bacon I have ever eaten" is worth understanding fully :D
 
John Bridgman said:
When I saw the "bacon on a kettle" title my first thought was unseparated slices, either a pound or half pound together, as I saw on BBQ pit boys (and have tried a few times since). Just realized you're probably talking about individual slices here ?

Scotty, are you talking about a half pound together (ie a stack of half-slices) or individual slices as well ?

It seems to me that any post ending in "best tasting bacon I have ever eaten" is worth understanding fully :D
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John,

I'm talking about individual slices. I cut a 1 lb package in half and separate the slices. One half will fill each grate. Shorter slices fit a BLT better. Syrup I'm using comes from Canada. :)
 
While I smoke my bacon on the Weber, I cook it in the kitchen oven on cookie pan. I love the bacon grease and use it for all sorts of things. If I needed to do it on a grill, I'd be looking for a cast iron pan or flat griddle. Maybe on of those Craycort cast iron inserts. I hope to get one in a month or two for my new Smokey Joe.
 
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