The Dangerous Reason You Should Think Twice Before Grilling Bacon

Food writers are always touting the best ways to prepare bacon, from the mess-free oven experience to the surprisingly effective microwave. In fact, some would even urge you to cook your bacon in a deep pot. What you don't hear too much about, however, is grilling bacon, which is interesting because outdoor cooking enthusiasts promote this method as being ideal for anything from cocktails to cat food. According to Greg Garrison executive chef and partner at Savannah restaurant Repeal 33, the reason why grilling bacon isn't endorsed by everyone is because it can be quite dangerous.

"The biggest risk when grilling bacon is a serious flare-up," Garrison told The Takeout. "Bacon's loaded with fat and when that fat starts to drip onto an open flame or hot coals, you can get big flare-ups — fast." This may not necessarily result in a five-alarm fire, but it's best to stay on the safe side because grills cause, on average, more than 9,000 fires per year in the United States as well as injuring over 20,000 people. Flare-ups, according to Garrison, "mean scorched bacon at best and a full-on grease fire at worst. You've got to keep a close eye on the grill and manage your heat properly."

If you're bound and determined to grill your bacon, we can't stop you. Some cooks swear the extra smoke and char make pig-kind's gift to humanity taste even better. In order not to ruin your food or burn down your deck, though, certain precautions need to be taken. Garrison recommends using either a cast-iron frying pan or a grill pan with holes. The former will be safer, since none of the fat will hit the fire, but the latter, he assured us, "Keeps the bacon elevated but still lets it get that smoky flavor."

Thick-cut bacon is your best bet for grilling, since, as Garrison explained, "It holds up better and doesn't burn as quickly." He also said, "I like to work over medium heat, not blazing hot flames." The grill lid should be cracked open and you should supervise the cooking process carefully instead of stepping away from the grill. "If things start flaring, be ready to move the pan or even shut the grill down for a minute." Shutting down is something you can only do with a gas grill, of course. If you're cooking over charcoal, you'll need tongs and heat-proof gloves on standby to handle the hot meat and pan. Once you've successfully grilled your bacon, you can use it to top a grilled burger or add some fantastic flavor to our BLT salad. (Yes, you can grill the lettuce, too.)