Bacon lovers wanting to take their fry-ups and buttery butties to the next level have been advised by a café boss to start ‘sponging off’ their meat while cooking.
Brits spend millions on feeding their bacon habit every year, with denizens forking out a whopping £9.4m on nitrite-free bacon in January alone, according to data collected by consumer analysts Worldpanel by Numerator.
And whether you like it rich and crispy, charred, or even deep fried, there’s a tried and tested preparation ‘hack’ that can change your meat cooking game for good.
Introducing Rouz G. Jabibi, owner of More Munchies in Acton Vale, and his so-called ‘sponging off’ method.
Bacon ‘sponge off’ method explained
Speaking to SumUp, a payment solutions provider for cafes, Jabibi explained that you should be ‘sponging off’ every single rasher of bacon before dropping it into a pan.
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“Most catering bacon, and some supermarket bacon, is frozen in brine, which is why it holds its shape so neatly,” he revealed via Metro.
“But when you cook it, that salt and water rise to the surface as a white residue. A lot of places ignore it. We don’t.
“We bake the bacon first, then sponge off [the oil] every rasher individually, essentially cleaning the surface of the meat. Then we leave it to cool completely, which stops the edges curling and keeps each rasher long and flat.”
According to the West London businessman, someone is specifically employed to come into the restaurant every day at 5.30 to sponge off the bacon.
The idea is that by the time breakfast service begins, there will be around 10kg of the meat prepared and ready to go.
Other bacon cooking hacks
Apparently, wiping the oil off your bacon isn’t the only way to perfect your serve.
According to a report by The Mirror, people tend to wait until their pan is red-hot before placing their strips in, believing the high temperature will enhance the cooking process.
However, you should put the bacon in the pan long before the heat hits to render the fat more slowly, creating a crispier, less greasy product, the outlet reported.
You can also improve by ditching the oven or an air fryer and opting to shallow fry in a large pot instead, according to a content creator.
"I know I can't be the only one who cooks bacon this way! It's so much better than frying and a skillet. You don't get the splatter and it all cooks and it's done at the same time,” said Arkansas-based TikToker Jenifer (@jenifer__), last year.
Lisa Cimperman, a registered dietitian at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, recommends microwaving bacon on a paper towel to reduce its fat content.
Anyone interested in consuming less fat should choose turkey or another alternative over pork bacon.
However, Cimperman warned that these are still likely to be high in sodium, adding to Time Magazine: “Because of the perception that it’s healthier, people tend to eat more of it.”
Bacon health risks
Despite many of us believing a bacon sandwich could probably cure anything, leading health authorities have previously warned against regularly consuming the breakfast staple.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified processed meats, including ham, bacon, salami and frankfurters, as a Group 1 carcinogen - meaning they can cause cancer.
Regular consumption can also increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, as per experts at MedicineNet.
“Certainly bacon is not a health food, and I don’t advise consuming it on a daily basis,” Cimperman claimed.
“But if you eat a couple strips of bacon at brunch on the weekend, I don’t think it’s going to present a significant health risk—as long as your overall diet is sensible and healthy.”
Ella Scott