Extra Crispy Bacon

This recipe seems easy but there are three tricks to making really good bacon. One is buying bacon that doesn't have too much fat, where the pink stripes of meat are thicker than the white stripes of fat. You can choose the flavor you like hickory smoked, sugar-cured, etc.

The second trick is to fry the bacon really slow so it doesn’t burn and or splash grease around the stove. It’s not just that the stove will have to be cleaned but the grease can start a fire. You should always have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

The last tip is to drain the bacon on paper towels before putting it on your plate.

You'll need:

• Bacon
• An adult standing by to help

Equipment:

• A frying pan
• A pair of long tongs
• Oven mitts
• A plate
• Paper towels

1. Put the bacon in the pan and turn the heat on to low or medium low.
2. Let the bacon cook on one side. When you see the edges get bumpy like ruffles take your tongs and turn the bacon over. Be careful, the greasy will be very hot - much, much hotter than boiling water.
3. Let it cook on the other side for another 5-7 minutes then flip the bacon over again.
4. Take two sheets of paper towels and lay them on the plate. This is where you will drain the fat off the bacon.
5. Keep cooking and turning the bacon, you are trying to melt the fat. Be patient. The longer it cooks the crispier it will be.
6. You will see that the bacon has shrunk and is browned on both sides. When it is as crispy as you like it, use your tongs to take the bacon out of the pan and lay it on the paper towels. You can lay another piece of paper towel over the top to soak up grease as well.
7. When all you bacon has finished cooking, turn off the stove and let the bacon grease cool.
8. Ask your dad or the adult who is helping you to pour the cool bacon grease into an old can or milk cartoon. You can put it into the refrigerator for about an hour and it will turn solid again. Never pour hot bacon grease into the garbage can.