Canadian bacon is pre-cooked so you need to reheat or cook for few seconds or minutes to enjoy. A lot people have been inquisitive on how to cook canadian bacon. If you do not know how to cook this meat, you may end up messing with the taste, flavor and texture. There are many methods you can use in cooking Canadian bacon. You can either slice and fry in a pan, place in the oven to broil, roast in slices or whole or even fry in an air fryer.
Canadian bacon is a popular meat in Canadian dishes. Some know it as back bacon, others call it Canadian-style bacon. This bacon is gotten from the back of a pig, the center of the pork so it contains less fat and is leaner. They have attractive appearance and comes in slices. There are so many ways to cook Canadian bacon, it depends on the taste and flavor you are craving for.
1. PAN-FRYING CANADIAN BACON
This method involves using a pan and cooking oil. The steps for this method are:
1. Placing a tablespoon of butter or cooking oil in a non-stick pan: Make sure that the butter or oil touches the entire surface of the pan. Allow the oil to get heated enough for frying. You can use oils like canola or olive oil if you do not want more calories in your bacon.
2. Lay the slices of Canadian bacon on the pan, be sure that they are laid flat: While placing the slices of Canadian bacon, be careful so as not to splash oil all over the place or even on yourself. You can use a pair of tongs to place the bacons to avoid getting burned.
3. Use a fork or spatula to press the bacon gently: This is done to be sure that they are resting on the surface of the pan. If you are using a 30cm pan, then 2 or 3 slices of bacon can fit into the pan very well. The size of the Canadian bacon matters though.
4. Fry the Canadian bacon for at least a minute or two: This time will depend on how thick the slices of your bacons are. However, it may take a minute or 2 to see the bacon having a crisp brown color. Thick slices of Canadian bacon will need 2 minutes to change their color. If you like your meat to have extra brown colour, you can allow it to stay for longer time but be on the lookout to avoid burning.
5. Turn the bacon: You can use a fork, tong or spatula to gently flip the bacon to another side. Allow it to cook for about 30 seconds to a minute. The second side will not need much time because it has been partially cooked. To prevent your Canadian bacon from curling at the edges, you can use a bacon presser to spread out the sides of you dip each bacon in cold water before placing into the pan.
6. Allow the bacon to cool for a minute or 2 before serving: After frying, you can transfer the bacons to a clean plate or a paper towel to drain out the oil and cool. After 2 minutes, you are free to serve. You can pair your Canadian bacon with eggs, tomato slices or gravy. Store the leftover in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator, it can last for 3 to 4 days if properly cooked.
2. HOW TO COOK CANADIAN BACON IN AN OVEN
The oven is another method to cook your Canadian bacon and they will turn out to be well cooked. Use the following steps to cook your Canadian bacon in an oven.
1. Preheat your oven: Heat your oven to 400 °F (204 °C) and set it to bake or convention. You can start to place your Canadian bacons on the oven baking dish while you wait for the oven to heat very well. Make sure they are arranged in a single layer with at least half inch of space between them. The space will help each slice to cook well and evenly. A baking dish can contains at least a dozen of Canadian bacon slices.
Do not grease your baking dish, the bacon has enough fats that can be used to cook the meats and prevent them from sticking to the dish. Before placing the baking dish into the oven, you can sprinkle brown sugar or maple syrup on the bacons to enhance the flavour and taste.
2. Allow the bacon to cook for 10 to 15 minutes: Gently place the baking dish into the center rack of the oven. To avoid burning the bacon, you can set a timer on the oven. If you love your Canadian bacon to be extra soft and cooked, you can add more 2 to 3 minutes tongue original baking time.
3. Leave the bacon to rest for 5 minutes: Bring out the cooked bacon form the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. When the slices are cool enough, you can transfer to a place or pair with any dish of your choice. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can choose to use your oven broiler to cook your Canadian bacon if you have one. You just have to set your oven to high temperature.
Place the slices of Canadian bacon on the baking dish and sprinkle with brown sugar or maple syrup (this is optional). Place the baking dish on the top rack instead of on the center. Allow one side of the bacon to broil for 3 – 4 minutes before you flip to the other side. If you do not flip them, the meat will not be cooked properly on both sides. Transfer the cooked bacon to a plate and allow to get cool before serving.
3. HOW TO COOK CANADIAN BACON WITH A MICROWAVE
Place the slices of Canadian bacon on the microwave-safe dish. Give the meats 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) between each slice so as to cook evenly and faster. Use a dish with enough space so as to achieve this; if the meats are not spaced enough, they will take longer time and heat to get cooked. Use foils or paper towels to cover the bacon evenly, you can as much towels as possible, just be sure that the bacons are covered. This is to avoid the oil from the bacon from splattering all over your microwave and also to absorb the extra fats.
Turn on the microwave on 50 percent power and allow the meats to cook for 30 to 60 seconds. If you are just cooking 1 or 3 slices, you should cook for 30 to 35 seconds but if up to 6 slices, let them cook for 45 to 60 seconds. Add about 10 to 15 seconds more for slices that are more than 6. When your Canadian bacon is thoroughly cooked, you can bring out from the microwave and allow to cool for a minute before serving.
4. HOW TO COOK CANADIAN BACON IN AIR FRYER
You can cook your Canadian bacon in an air fryer. The first step is to add little amount of water to your grease catcher, this is done to reduce smoking and make it easier for you to clean your air fryer after use. Place about 6 tony slices of bacon in the basket, you are not to overlap the meat so as to give them enough space to cook evenly. Set the air fryer to 390 degrees and cook the bacon for about 8 to 10 minutes.
Start with 8 minutes, you can add 2 more minutes if you want your Canadian bacon to be more crispier. Remember to flip to the other side in-between 4 to 5 minutes so as to cook on both sides. Transfer the cooked meat to paper towels and allow to soak the extra grease before serving. You can store properly cooked Canadian bacon for up to a week with an air fryer.
5. HOW TO COOK CANADIAN BACON FOR EGGS BENEDICT
To make egg benedict with Canadian bacon, you will need the following ingredients:
- 4 slices of Canadian bacon
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vinegar
- Butter
- 2 spoons of chopped parsley
- 2 English muffins
For the hollandaise sauce, you will need:
- 10 spoon of unsalted butter
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- Dash cayenne
- Half teaspoon of salt
These are the steps for cooking egg benedict with Canadian bacon:
1. Heat a large pan on medium heat and place the slices of Canadian bacon on the pan: Fry slowly and turn from side to side occasionally to be sure that both sides are properly cooked. This will take about 10 minutes to be done. Use a fork or tong to remove cooked meats from pan and place on a paper towel to absorb grease. Fill about two-third of a large saucepan with water and allow to boil Add vinegar and boil again, then lower heat and allow water to simmer.
2. Next is to make the hollandaise sauce: Melt 10 teaspoons of unsalted butter. Put 3 egg yolks, a tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender. Blend for 30 seconds on medium to high speed till egg becomes lighter in color. Add the melted butter slowly and continue to blend in low speed. Taste for salt and acidity and adjust with the salt and vinegar. Pour into a container and keep on a warm place.
3. Poach the eggs by cracking them one after the other into a barely simmering water: You can put in another egg when one has start to solidify. When all the 4 eggs are in the water, turn off heat, cover the pan and allow it to be for 4 minutes. Remove the eggs gently with a slotted spoon.
4. Toast your English muffins: After toasting the muffin, butter one side of a muffin, place a slice of Canadian bacon on top. Put a poached egg over the bacon and pour hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle some chopped parsley and serve.
CONCLUSION
Cooking Canadian bacon is not difficult, you only need to know how many minutes it will take for each cooking method to properly cook your meat evenly. You can pair your Canadian bacon with any dish and enjoy. Canadian bacon is very tasty and if spiced, the flavour and taste will be greatly enhanced.