Properly rendered bacon will have enough fat for flavor but not too much to inhibit the dehydrating process.
Dehydrated cooked bacon has a crumbly texture and chewy consistency, like a cross between beef jerky and commercially produced bacon bits. The taste, however, bears no comparison to the aforementioned foods, especially when you use lean, high-quality bacon. A large portion of processed bacon, however, has excessive amounts of nitrates and fat, neither of which lends itself well to dehydrating. Although all bacon has a large amount of intramuscular fat, or marbling, high-quality bacon has a muscle-to-fat ratio ideal for dehydrating.
Instructions
Dehydrator
1. Cut the bacon into strips measuring 1 inch to 1¼ inch long and ¼ inch wide. You can freeze the bacon for 20 minutes prior to beginning to make it easier to cut. Remove and reserve any pieces of pure fat for another use.
2. Render the bacon in a saute pan over low heat for approximately 10 minutes until cooked through. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Place a piece of parchment paper on the drying trays followed by a mesh drying sheet. Arrange the bacon on the drying tray without overcrowding it and place the bacon in the dehydrator.
3. Dry the bacon for seven hours or until it crumbles easily. Halfway through the dehydrating process, remove the bacon and degrease it with paper towels. Degrease the bacon again when finished.
Oven
4. Cut the bacon into strips measuring 1 inch to 1¼ inch long and ¼ inch wide. Heat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Cook the bacon over low heat until cooked through and drain on paper towels. Place a perforated baking sheet over a sheet pan. Arrange the bacon on the baking sheet in an even layer and place it on the middle oven rack. Alternatively, you can arrange the bacon in an even layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper before placing it in the oven.
6. Dry the bacon for five hours in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Degrease the bacon every two hours with paper towels if you're using a perforated baking sheet, or every hour if you're using a sheet pan. Degrease the bacon again when finished.
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