Simply. Perfect. Bacon

I know of nothing on this earth that gives more pleasure in the realm of food than bacon. Not that overcooked, crumbly stuff. I'm talking thick, perfectly cooked, straight & flat bacon. Bacon like I once had at a quaint bed & breakfast inn over in Grass Valley. I almost couldn't eat it, it was so perfect. Almost. In the end, after oh, maybe 30 seconds of being in awe over the sheer perfectness of each slice, I gobbled it down.

Since that time, I have always searched, in vain, for a way to recreate that salted pork bliss. Today, I have found it. Bacon Nirvana.

You'll need bacon of course - preferably the thick cut stuff, peppered or regular. I had regular - a HUGE 5+ pound package of it. And I intend to cook all of it in this manner now that I've found the light.

The other key players here are:
Parchment Paper
Aluminum Foil
Two heavy duty rimmed baking trays - these need to be the same size, fairly heavy and they need to be able to nest inside each other. These are the same trays I use to make my Texas Sheet Cake and I've found I use them for SO many things!

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is heating, line one of the baking trays with a good layer of foil, being sure to wrap it up around the edges - this does nothing to help with the cooking, but it just makes clean up easier. Next, lay down a couple of layers of parchment. This keeps the bacon from swimming in grease. Lay several slices of bacon in the tray, side by side but not touching.

Cover with a couple more pieces of parchment and another piece of foil - which will protect the top baking tray from getting all greasy. Then, nestle the other baking tray on top, pressing down slightly. Place it in the preheated oven and bake for 40-55 minutes - depending on how crisp you want your bacon.  If you used the thinly sliced bacon, start checking it after the first 15-20 minutes to make sure you don't incinerate it.

Make sure you drain off the grease between batches - otherwise your top pan will end up coated in the stuff. You may also have to swap out layers of parchment now & then, depending on how much bacon you're cooking.  The second tray helps in several ways - no spattering grease is the main reason, but it also ensures that the slices of bacon remain flat and straight and totally eliminates the curling factor.

When it comes out of the oven, it's perfect. Absolutely perfect. Remove from the pan and place on several layers of paper towels to absorb any lingering grease. If you cook large quantities of this (like I do) you can let it completely cool and store in a zip loc bag or airtight container in the freezer. 30 seconds or less in the microwave and they're ready to go!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more bacon to cook..... cause I just ate that whole pan.