Keeping bacon from curling up while cooking requires a few simple techniques. Bacon tends to curl because the fat content shrinks as it cooks faster than the meat, causing it to curl. Here are some methods to prevent bacon from curling:
Use a cold pan: Start with a cold pan instead of preheating it. Lay the bacon strips flat in the cold pan before turning on the heat. This allows the bacon to gradually heat up and prevents excessive curling.
Weight the bacon down: Once you've placed the bacon in the cold pan, you can weigh it down with a bacon press, another heavy pan, or even a heat-safe plate. This will help keep the bacon flat as it cooks and prevents it from curling.
Cut small slits: Use a sharp knife to make small, shallow slits along the fatty edge of the bacon strips. These slits will help release some of the tension that causes the bacon to curl.
Precook briefly: In a few cases, you can quickly blanch or parboil the bacon for about 1-2 minutes in boiling water before frying. This can help reduce the curling effect during frying.
Oven baking: Instead of frying, you can also bake bacon in the oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Placing a wire rack on the baking sheet and then laying the bacon strips on the rack can help prevent curling as the fat drips down.
Choose thicker bacon: Sometimes, the thickness of the bacon can affect how much it curls during cooking. Thicker cuts of bacon may have less of a curling issue compared to thin strips.
Keep in mind that while these methods can help minimize curling, some amount of curling is natural due to the fat and meat composition of bacon. Nevertheless, these techniques should help you achieve flatter bacon during cooking.