# Back bacon on pizza - Cooked, or uncooked? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [April 22, 2024, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599 "2024-04-22T03:43:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/1 "2024-04-22T03:43:13Z")
I have quite a lot of uncooked back bacon (‘Canadian bacon’). Suppose I want to pit it on a pizza. Do I have to cook it first? Or can I put it on a pizza uncooked, and will it cook with the pizza? FWIW, when I make pizza at home I bake it in a 425ºF oven for 15 minutes (or longer, as I tend to use a lot of cheese and the crust takes longer). ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/2 "2024-04-22T04:08:00Z")
While back bacon is far leaner than most belly bacon, it can be a bit greasy still if cooked atop the pizza - I’d probably quickly par cook it in a pan to render the excess fat off anyway, and then put on top of the pizza while it was in the oven. But if it’s reasonably thin, I can’t imagine it not cooking to a safe temp in a pre-heated oven at that temp for 15 minutes (some possible exceptions if it’s a frozen pizza which would need to come to temp first, but those normally take more than 15 minutes cooking time anyway!). Now, if it were a piece of wild boar, or pig slaughtered at a friend’s house for personal consumption, I’d risk the overcooking prior to finishing on the pizza itself. But that’s a real edge case. Oh, and if you’re one of those people who want their bacon _crispy_ then you may also need to pre-cook it. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/3 "2024-04-22T05:22:02Z")
I disagree - Canadian bacon is plenty lean enough to cook on a pizza as is. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/4 "2024-04-22T05:23:32Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > But if it’s reasonably thin, I can’t imagine it not cooking to a safe temp in a pre-heated oven Canadian bacon is already cooked and doesn’t actually _need_ further cooking before it’s eaten, although it improves the flavor. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/5 "2024-04-22T06:03:27Z")
The “Canadian bacon” McDonald’s puts on its Egg McMuffins differs considerably from the “back bacon” sold in Canadian supermarkets. The latter is more thinly cut and (I would think) comes from another part of the pork loin. It’s also much leaner. I buy both, but I have trouble finding the McDonald’s stuff in Canadian supermarkets. It’s usually buried among the cold cuts and I have to dig to find it. I’ve made pizza with both, but I prefer the McDonald’s bacon, especially paired with pepperoni. There’s no need to cook either bacon beforehand, and the “back bacon” will shrivel if it’s fried. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/6 "2024-04-22T13:25:00Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Canadian bacon is already cooked and doesn’t actually _need_ further cooking before it’s eaten To be clear, I have ‘back bacon’ as opposed to the pre-cooked slices I’ve seen in packages at the supermarket. It is uncooked. (Also, the bacon I received is considerably leaner than whats in the picture. Barely any fat at all.) > **[Back Bacon: 32oz Bulk Pack](https://jollyposhfoods.com/collections/our-products/products/back-bacon-32oz)** > > This family-size pack is a very large 32oz (2lbs), and contains approximately 26 - 28 rashers. It comes frozen and is perfect for large family gatherings and parties. Our back-bacon is hand-trimmed, hand-rubbed and cured to our authentic British... ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/7 "2024-04-22T13:42:06Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I disagree - Canadian bacon is plenty lean enough to cook on a pizza as is. My intuition would be this. Cooking it first and then putting it on the pizza, I fear, would dry it out way too much. But this is just a guess. It’s gonna depend a bit on how thick that slice of back bacon is. I put raw sausage on my pizzas to cook along with the pizza, so I would expect back bacon to cook along with it, too, at 425 for 15-20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/8 "2024-04-22T13:43:31Z")
I cook the sausage first. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/9 "2024-04-22T13:48:09Z")
Yeah, I don’t and I’ve never had an issue. Maybe if you’re laying giant meatballs of sausage it may be a problem, but I’ve found cooking the sausage first leads to a drier end product. But it’s what I’m used to. The pizza places around here put raw sausage on the pizza before sticking it in the oven. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/10 "2024-04-22T14:11:25Z")
It’s generally a good idea to par-cook or fully cook anything you’re going to put onto a pizza. 15 minutes seems super long to me- mine are usually 5 minutes with the broiler on, in an oven preheated to 550 and a [3/8" pizza steel](https://bakingsteel.com/products/modernist-cuisine-special-edition). I guess if your pizzas are in there that long, then there isn’t a reason that you couldn’t put your back bacon on top of your cheese and let it cook that way, but I’d probably still par-cook it. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/11 "2024-04-22T14:12:36Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Suppose I want to pit it on a pizza. I’m sorry, here on the SDMB we only pit pineapple on pizza. 😄 More on-point, I think the pizza joints I have patronized use slightly pre-cooked Canadian bacon on their pizzas. The chewy texture tells me that the bacon is a hint overcooked. (Maybe the high temps of the pizza oven plus the thinness of the meat exacerbates it.) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/12 "2024-04-22T14:13:57Z")
DOH! I’ve mentioned I’ve had more typos since the accident. Fortunately, this one was funny. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/13 "2024-04-22T14:47:12Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s gonna depend a bit on how thick that slice of back bacon is. It occurred to me that I wouldn’t be putting whole rashers on. I’d cut them up to the pieces would be distributed like any other meat topping. Cutting them up should definitely allow them to cook thoroughly. NB: I’m not planning on doing this any time soon. We still have leftover pizza from Friday night. And I haven’t taken notice of any fresh pineapples yet. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/14 "2024-04-22T14:59:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > To be clear, I have ‘back bacon’ as opposed to the pre-cooked slices I’ve seen in packages at the supermarket. It is uncooked. (Also, the bacon I received is considerably leaner than whats in the picture. Barely any fat at all.) > > > [vKxZImBFz9TzhGIQ7W9gmGe0xvi.jpeg)/](https://jollyposhfoods.com/cdn/shop/products/baconontraysqsm_1800x1800.jpg?v=1663791216) Those look like the “rashers” of bacon served in British “full” breakfasts. This is the brand I buy here in Toronto. Most of the fat is trimmed off: > [https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.xY43EY4QkSAzyNat\_5QQ5gAAAA?rs=1&pid=ImgDetMain](https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.xY43EY4QkSAzyNat_5QQ5gAAAA?rs=1&pid=ImgDetMain) These are “rounds,” the type used in Egg McMuffins. They are thicker than slices of the bacon shown above and can be used to make sandwiches straight out of the packet, like so-called processed “ham steaks:” > [https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.284190ad5ea20340fc076c894dad7cf3?rik=V4vB8YuI%2F%2FbZ%2Fg&pid=ImgRaw&r=0](https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.284190ad5ea20340fc076c894dad7cf3?rik=V4vB8YuI%2f%2fbZ%2fg&pid=ImgRaw&r=0) ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/15 "2024-04-22T15:27:51Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > > > Suppose I want to pit it on a pizza. > > I’m sorry, here on the SDMB we only pit pineapple on pizza. 😄 That was funny as hell. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Maybe if you’re laying giant meatballs of sausage it may be a problem, but I’ve found cooking the sausage first leads to a drier end product. But it’s what I’m used to. The pizza places around here put raw sausage on the pizza before sticking it in the oven. Pizza joint employee, checking in. Where I work, sausage is the one and only topping that’s put raw onto a pizza. It’s rolled/pulled into bits about the size of a thumbnail - you’re right that big ol’ meatball sized pieces wouldn’t cook through. But the lil’ bits absolutely cook all the way through. (A pizza takes 7 minutes for a regular bake; our ovens run IIRC 550 F.) So I wouldn’t worry too much about using raw ingredients, especially since the O.P. seems to be using a rather long bake time due to extra cheese. (At our place, that would add 45-90 seconds extra bake time. And yes, they have that shit down to a very precise science.) Oh, and as to the bacon aspect, we use what Americans would call “normal bacon” which is absolutely fully cooked before even being shipped to us. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/16 "2024-04-22T16:11:53Z")
Otherwise known as “streaky” bacon? Do you cut it up before putting it on the pizza? At one place I used to work at, they put it on the pie in long strips. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/17 "2024-04-22T16:28:32Z")
I believe, yes, it’s called streaky bacon in non-U.S. contexts. It’s like what you’d get at a roadside U.S. diner alongside some fried eggs and toast. Ours is NOT in strips; it’s crumbled into smaller bits, although there are still occasionally longer pieces. (Those are actually a PITA since they “drag” when you’re slicing the finished pizza and disturb the other toppings.) ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/18 "2024-04-22T19:22:16Z")
One thing you do not put on a pizza raw is mushrooms. They exude too much water when cooking. Long, long ago, when I was delivering pizza, if the cooks ran out of pre-cooked mushrooms, they’d substitute raw mushrooms, then pull out the pizza halfway through its cook time and sop up the liquid with wads of paper towels. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/19 "2024-04-22T19:43:33Z")
I’ll partway agree with you. We only use fresh (raw) 'shrooms at my place but for a regular amount, there’s no problem. A double (or gawds forbid, 3x) mushroom? Yeah, it’s paper towel time. Side question: precooked mushrooms? Are those canned? I’m curious! ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-bacon-on-pizza-cooked-or-uncooked/1000599/20 "2024-04-22T23:11:36Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Side question: precooked mushrooms? Are those canned? > I’m curious! For the place I worked, they were bought fresh and precooked before the place opened.