How to tell when bacon is cooked enough?
I've been experimenting cooking bacon on the George Foreman grill. I'm trying it out a little less cooked and was wondering, how do I know if it's cooked enough to be safe to eat? Recently I've tried coating the bacon in maple syrup and it really makes it difficult to see when the bacon starts to brown.
Best Answer
Bacon cooks to safe very quickly. Once it's opaque it is safe to eat.
Raw bacon is itself pretty low risk, provided it has been properly cured. Even if it wasn't cooked through, you are unlikely to come to harm.
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Quick Answer about "How to tell when bacon is cooked enough?"
Bacon is considered fully cooked when the meat changes color from pink to brown and the fat has had a chance to render out. It's fine to remove the slices from the heat when they're still a bit chewy, but bacon is usually served crisp.Can you eat slightly undercooked bacon?
Is it safe to eat? Consuming undercooked or raw meat of any kind increases your risk of foodborne illness, otherwise known as food poisoning. That's because these meats may harbor harmful viruses, bacteria, and parasites ( 1 ).How can you tell if bacon is raw?
A good rule of thumb, for crispy bacon atleast, is when the fat and bacon itself starts to get a sort of white foamyness going on. Take it out of the pan then and once it's cool, it'll be good and crispy.How long should bacon be cooked?
Lay out the bacon strips without overlapping in a cold pan. This helps the fat render slowly, for consistently cooked strips. 3: Cook over medium heat \u2014 again, good for even rendering. Turn the strips as needed until they reach the desired crispness, 8 to 12 minutes.How to tell when bacon is cooked enough?
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Answer 2
The Maillard reaction happens around 140°C/284°F, which is much higher than any bacteria, which can be found under reasonable circumstances, will survive. (There are some deep ocean bacteria that might survive, but no idea how they would get onto your bacon.)
The bacon I assume is a thin slice of bacon. These are usually around 1/32 inch thick. A 1-inch steak well-done (76°C/169°F) takes 8-10 minutes. Your thin slice of bacon will have a safe temperature after a minute for sure therefore and this will be way before it gets brown.
The benefit of the George Foreman grill is that it's a stable temperature every time, unlike a coal grill. Just measure the time for your bacon without maple syrup - you will need the same time with maple syrup. The bacon is too thin to store much heat and so there is not much thermal energy lost.
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