Think Twice Before Throwing This Delicious Meat On The Grill

When it comes to firing up the grill, the first place the mind goes is inevitably to the many wonderful meats that can be seared on that iron grate. There are plenty of vegetables that grill well, too, but that smoky outdoor cooking station is, first and foremost, the realm of meats. Seared steaks, plump sausages, and burgers with just the right amount of char are all favorites from the grill, but one meat that so often steals the show in other settings is perhaps best kept away from this particular cooking device. Bacon, once the most-beloved meat of the zeitgeist, just doesn't jibe particularly well with the grill.

In an interview with The Takeout, Greg Garrison, executive chef and partner at the Savannah restaurant Repeal 33, explained that the main reason not to toss those salty slices of cured pork on the grill is actually a matter of safety. "The biggest risk when grilling bacon is a serious flare-up," Garrison said. Bacon is an especially fatty cut of meat, as anyone who has ever fried a skillet of the stuff knows, and this level of fat doesn't mix well with the layout of the grill. With the heating element — be it charcoal or gas — directly underneath the food, all of that fat drips off the bacon and right onto the flame. "You can get big flare-ups — fast," Garrison said.

Some extra fire from the grill might seem harmless, or even exciting, but you don't want to disregard grill flare-ups. A little burst of flame can quickly become a grilling disaster that, at best, only ruins dinner, and at worst, results in injuries and/or serious property damage.

Beyond the concern around grease fires, there is also the fact that slices of bacon just don't necessarily cook nicely on a grate. If you aren't an expert with your tong work, it is easy for one of the thin slices to either stick to the grate or slip through the cracks, both costing you a delicious piece of meat and adding fuel to the fire. Some cooks do swear by grilling bacon for breakfast, but only with a thicker cut.

The other reason that bacon might end up on the grill is bacon-wrapped recipes like Sonoran-style hot dogs or jalapeño poppers. In these cases, the situation is slightly different. If you are only grilling a few of them, the quantity of fat might not be much of an issue — no worse than the higher fat ratio that makes the best grilled burgers. But in cases where you are going to grill a large quantity of bacon, there are a couple of tricks that can keep things safe.

If you are grilling over charcoal, you can use a two-zone system, where the hot coals are stacked on one side of the grill, with the bacon cooking on the other side — at least some of the time. That way, the grease drips don't land on the heat, and thus won't catch fire. The other option is to control the grease by using a griddle, skillet, or simply a piece of foil. So long as you keep that grease off the flame, you have nothing to worry about and can grill your breakfast without a care.

Static Media owns and operates Tasting Table and The Takeout.