Bacon, the gateway meat (aka the most tempting of all meat products for vegetarians), comes in all sizes and flavors—from thin, smoked, and mapled to thick-cut and laced with black pepper. You’ll find it made from pork (the classic), turkey (lean), or even pea and soy protein, but one fact remains constant across all types: Bacon satisfies.

While 70% of bacon is eaten at breakfast in the United States, it’s a clever jumping-off point for many unctuous meals throughout the day: the classic BLT, bacon-wrapped dates, bacon-y carbonara, and every manner of fish or fowl wrapped in bacon and sage—to name a few.

To enjoy bacon at its best, learning how to cook it well is essential. Read on for four mini-lessons on how to cook bacon.