It Was So Hot Yesterday We Tried Cooking Bacon and Cookies in the Car

By Nick Rallo Tue., Jul. 26 2011 at 7:40 AM

All photos by Nick Rallo

Pretty sure we violated a few health codes.

So, a question for all of your doctors out there: If you eat bacon that cooked on the dashboard of a car parked outdoors in the midday, 100-plus degree heat, will you experience health issues?

Ah, hell, never mind -- that ship's pretty much sailed. Yesterday at 1 p.m., after reading on the Daily What about some genius who cooked up a couple of trays of cookies in the galactic temperatures, we attempted leaving bacon and Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies on the dash of a car outside Observer headquarters, near Maple and Oak Lawn, to see if they would cook.

Then, we, like, ate the bacon. And the cookies.

Crazy thing? After a few hours in the car, the bacon was actually crisp in some places. The cookies were a pretty mushy, but hell, not the worst things we've ever tasted. Definitely better than those ones at the grocery story with the circle of hard frosting on top.

Around 1 p.m. at Observer HQ. At this point, we're sweating similar to this scene in Airplane.

Stage two: about 30 minutes later. Temperatures around 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Think surface of Mercury temperatures in the car.

Stage three, around 3 p.m. Bacon is nearly crispy on the edges. It's about 103 degrees outside.

Tags:

It's Really Hot All The Time

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lemonaioli

Yet another reason that after 35 years in Dallas minus time in college, I finally bailed and moved north. Yeah, it will get hot where I live but not ridiculously, consistently hellish all summer. My car was toasty today with a high of just 60...don't leave pets and kids in the car!

Villano Christina

The Weather Channel did the same thing. The car can get hot enough inside even with a car that is located in a place that has only a 78 degree day, sure everything is cooked fine, but people please think about this... KIDS and PETS SHOULD NOT BE LEFT IN CARS on these hot days!

mynameisURL

I tried with stuffed turkey.

Would NOT recommend.

CheeryBitch

1 Like

I love germaphobes. 'OMG salmonella!' Do you wash your hands before EVERY time you eat? Do you have any idea how much bacteria is there from money (some of the worst!), door handles, keyboards, your own electronic gadgets, the gym, counters, the restaurant chair, not to mention whatever bacteria the chefs are carrying, etc., etc., etc. You're still alive, and not sick, so get a grip, will ya?

(BTW, Hubs is going to try this at work again. They did it last year, and everyone was safe.)

MattL1

I'm going to leave the boring "are you going to die" stuff to the medical experts. I just want to say that the whole idea is pretty damn funny. Thanks for doing this.

JesseHughey

Damn these clouds keeping us from making fondue today!

I was impressed. The bacon wasn't great, but it wasn't exactly a high-quality brand to begin with. The cookies were a little doughy, but certainly not the worst I've had. Way better than Chips Ahoy.

Megan DaGata

To the dude talking about salmonella(Sp??) you don't just eat it out of the package? Favorite thing to do since childhood! This sounds cool. Should try it in Houston...could get car hotter here I think.

TLS

Um, just google "salmonella in raw cookie dough" and educate yourself. Even Nestle had to recall their pre-made cookie dough due to bacteria.

Seth Bursell

Hello Trichinosis and explosive Diarrhea.. and it was crisp because the bacteria in the car was hardening the edges as it began to eat it.

Geez, some of you people are real wusses. Ever heard of tartare? Sushi? Rare steak? Do you cook everything to death before it touches your lips?

TLS

Tartare, sushi and rare steak are not left out in hot temps for hours. They go from the cold to your plate to your mouth in a matter of minutes. Bacteria needs time and the right temperatures to grow and that is not happening when you eat the foods you mentioned.

Luli

I admire your bravery. Who all ate it? And I second the 'fry an egg on the sidewalk' idea.

Hungry Observer Sales Girl

1 Like

Um...where was I when you served up the crispy bacon and yummy cookies? You should share with the rest of the class!

NewsDog

Whatever happened to the good ole trick of frying an egg on the sidewalk. Haven't seen a local reporter try that one in years.

TLS

You ate it? Are you dead yet? You need at least 150 degrees to kill salmonella that may be in the raw cookie dough and at least 137 degrees to kill trichinosis that may be in the bacon (yes, I know trich has apparently been eradicated). My car read 114 degrees yesterday so that is the highest temperature I will agree that it could have gotten. Too low for food safety.

Next thing you're going to tell us is that you cooked a fish in your dishwasher.

mantikos

Your car reads the outside temp...the inside temp due to the greehouse effect of the glass is much higher in the 120-130s at times...

Z-man

It actually MAY be hot enough. Within just 1 hour the interior temperature of the cars in this study were up to 138 and 140 degrees. Some articles state temperatures up to 200 degrees are possible in hot climates.

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