The Best Way to Cook Bacon, According to the Best Bacon Producer in the World

Allan Benton has cured, aged, and smoked the ham, bacon, and sausage that's prized by prominent chefs far and wide for more than 50 years. The founder of Benton's Country Ham in Tennessee says bacon should be cooked in the oven on a sheet pan at 350°F for 14 to 16 minutes. But according to Sharon Benton, his wife of 50 years and the one who cooks most of the bacon in their house, there’s a better way.

“You put one pound of bacon in a cold large cast iron skillet in two layers in a crosshatch pattern, much like a lattice on top of an apple pie except without the over-under. Cook it over medium-low, and as the fat renders, use a fork to fold the bottom pieces over the top pieces so the top pieces become the bottom pieces. You can’t walk away from the stove, and you can’t speed up the process. It’s got to be low and slow, with you folding the bottom pieces over the top until the bacon is just barely done,” Sharon shared with us at the Food & Wine Classic in Charleston, South Carolina. “Bacon continues to cook after you turn off the heat, so don’t wait until it’s crispy before you take it out of the pan.”

Low and slow is the name of the game when it comes to Benton’s bacon. Since 1973, Allan Benton has used time, patience, and top-quality ingredients to produce hams and bacon that have graced the kitchens of Blackberry Farms in Tennessee, Momofuku in NYC, and McCrady’s in Charleston, just to name a few. 

“If you play another guy’s game, you’ll always lose. Quality will sustain you,” Benton added. The result is clear. Benton’s method is simple but effective. “We use salt, brown sugar, and pepper, never nitrates or nitrites. Other types of bacon are injected with solutions so they’re ready for market in 24 hours. Our bacon cures for three weeks before being smoked for three days.” 

If you’re wondering if you can taste the difference, the answer is an emphatic yes. During a session at the Food & Wine Class in Charleston, we tasted four types of Benton’s bacon: applewood smoked, cherrywood smoked, hickory smoked, and unsmoked pepper. Each bite had so much flavor yet slight nuances between the types that it felt like I was tasting through a wine flight. There is good bacon and great bacon, and then there is Benton’s bacon. The smokiness and distinct flavor notes extended past the smoky chew, and the finish lingered on your tongue, much like how you can still taste the flavors of expensive wine far beyond a sip. 

“The fat is so earthy and savory,” says Food & Wine Assistant Editor Lucy Simon. "It’s like I was eating a dry-aged steak.”  

When it comes to cooking bacon, Allan and his wife might not use the same method, but they certainly say the same thing when asked how you know when bacon is done cooking. “Bacon should be served so you can bend it without it breaking,” Allan added. Standing next to him, Sharon agreed.