For safety reasons, it is not recommended to wash any kind of meat or poultry before washing. Rinsing raw meat risks spreading germs around the kitchen and contaminating surfaces. While there are some circumstances where a careful rinse can be of benefit, bacon and other cured meats are in a class all their own. New cooks often ask whether you are supposed to wash bacon before you cook it. The answer is no. There is no point in rinsing bacon with water.
Why Do People Ask About Rinsing Bacon?
The reason this question exists is not that people think they need to clean bacon before they cook it. It is because various content creators and book writers have spread this dubious advice. For example, one book of household hints reads: “Always rinse bacon under cold water before frying it — it will reduce the amount the bacon shrinks when you cook it.” 1Lubin, Bruce, and Lubin, Jeanne. Who Knew? 10,001 Household Solutions: Money-Saving Tips, DIY Cleaners, Kitchen Secrets, and Other Easy Answers to Everyday Problems. United States, St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 2018.
So, this advice is related to the popular advice of cooking bacon in water. The idea that rinsing bacon or cooking it in water will reduce the amount it shrinks is just about the silliest cooking myth I’ve heard.
The reason bacon shrinks is that the fat is being rendered off of it. If it doesn’t shrink, it is simply undercooked and fatty. If you want your bacon crispy or chewy-crispy, then some shrinkage is necessary. If you want it fatty and soft, then, by all means, use all the water you want. You’ll be boiling and steaming your bacon instead of frying it. Regardless, rinsing bacon doesn’t prevent shrinkage. Starting bacon in water and finishing it on dry heat serves no useful purpose at all.
If you think the bacon you bought is too salty and you want to rinse it under water to make it less salty, well, it won’t make a big difference. Rinsing bacon under water is ineffective in reducing saltiness since salt is impregnated into the meat and fat. However, rinsing will likely remove any other seasonings or flavorings that were added to the bacon. In other words, your bacon would still taste salty, just not as good.
Just like with any meat or poultry, rinsing bacon risks spreading germs around your kitchen, onto your countertop, dishes, or anything else nearby. While bacon is cured and preserved, it may still harbor bacteria, some of which may be pathogenic. Properly cooking bacon will render it safe to eat. And by the time bacon has shrunk up and is crispy (but still a little chewy, I hope), it is properly cooked and will have reached a temperature more than sufficient to kill any pathogenic organisms.
Don’t worry if your bacon is crispy but still looks a little pink. Bacon can stay pink or reddish even after it is fully cooked because of the curing agents used. You might be worried about the curing agents, but you don’t need to worry about bacteria.
