Start Cold

• A cold, cast-iron skillet or griddle is the first and most important requirement for crispy, perfect bacon. If the skillet is not already well-seasoned, lightly grease the surface with a paper towel dipped in the oil or fat of your choice. Place the bacon on the griddle or skillet without letting it overlap, and trim the pieces if necessary to make them fit without crowding. Turn the heat to medium; high heat is the enemy of flat, evenly cooked bacon.

Use a Bacon Press

• Bacon is composed of both muscle tissue and fat. Because the two components cook at different rates, the inconsistent shrinkage causes bacon to curl up into an accordion shape. Less surface area touching the cooking surface exacerbates the problem until you end up with an ugly, inconsistently cooked finished product. Keep bacon flat using a grill press -- a flat, heavy object made of cast iron with a handle on top. The grill press holds bacon flat and cooks it from both sides at once.

Drain the Fat

• Mess and grease spatter is one of the most oft-cited complaints about bacon preparation. Starting with a cold skillet and using moderate heat minimizes the danger of splattering fat, but it may still be necessary to pour off the bacon grease midway through the cooking process unless you are using a properly designed grill with good drainage. If the grease builds up to the point that the bacon is swimming in it, carefully pour off most of the fat into a metal container.

Prep the Plate

• Even after following all of the steps for well-cooked bacon, the finished product will not be crispy when you finally lift it from the cooking surface. Liquified fat saturating the slices render them limp, greasy and unappealing until you drain them on a plate lined with paper towels. Place them on the lined plate and use another paper towel to gently dab the excess grease from the top surfaces. Let the bacon sit on the towels for a minute or two to achieve crispy perfection before serving, but don't leave it there long enough to get cold.