Bacon

ATTAC64D

New member
Hello all! Have a question for the bacon lovers out there. I recently started buying fresh pork belly and making bacon. I simply rub with my brisket rub of coarse salt and pepper and smoke at 205 for two hours using a couple ounces of hickory and slice up for the frying pan.Am I doing something wrong by not curing for 7 days? It comes out great and I have gotten lots of requests from my buddies for more. Looks like bacon and smells like bacon so it has to be bacon........right? Thanks for any replies.
 
I think what you have is really good smoked pork belly.

It wouldn't technically be bacon without the cure.

You're not necessarily doing anything wrong. It's just not technically bacon.

If you and your friends and family like it more power to ya I say. Much faster than waiting for the cure to finish.
 
Thx for the reply NDKoze. I reckon your right. It's really good but now my OCD is going to kick in and I'm gonna have to try curing and making it correctly. I've been telling everybody it was bacon! What they don't know won't hurt them. Do you have any basic cures that work? Take care
 
I will admit that I am not a pork belly bacon expert. I have only made three pork belly beacons and they all turned out great. But I have done a lot more Canadian Bacon, Turkey Bacon, and Backboard Bacon as noted below:

Canadian Bacon - http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=1474.
Backboard Bacon - http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=1640.0
Turkey Bacon - http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=2461.0

Most of the bacon that I have made is of the brining variety. But, I am starting to change more to the dry cured method that many use as I tend to like the taste and flavor just a bit better.

Brian AKA Pork Belly is the resident Bacon Expert here and I am guessing will add his comments at some point. But, if you are looking for a good basic Dry-Cured bacon from an expert that we know works, I would suggest that you try Brian's recipe linked below:

Dry Cured Bacon -  http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=1797.0

If check out any other meat smoking forums, you may know of a guy called "Bearcarver" who has a couple of very popular Bacon Cure recipes in threads called "BACON (Extra Smoky)" and "Smoked Bacon (step by step with Qview)".
 
Gregg's right - no cure, no bacon!  Go to the Bacon section and browse around.  Pork Belly, and several others, have great bacon cure recipes that you will find helpful!

BTW, how about adding your first name and town to your signature line?  We like to know our new friends!
 
Here are my basic instructions for bacon, including two different dry cures, depending on what is available in your area.

Maple Cured Bacon

Uses either Prague Powder #1 or Morton Tender Quick (depending on what is available to you).

I’ve noticed several posts on this forum about using Prague Powder #1 (Pink Curing Salt) vs. Morton Tender Quick. Morton Tender Quick is pretty much available at any basic supermarket. For most people though, Prague Powder #1 must be ordered. Either one will give you the same results, as long as you use each in the correct proportions. Use whichever cure is available in your area.

CURE OPTIONS:

Prague Powder #1 Cure (per pound of belly)
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt (Morton’s)
1/2 teaspoon Prague Powder #1 (Pink Curing Salt)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Morton Tender Quick Cure (per pound of belly)
1 Tablespoon Morton Tender Quick
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

If desired, go ahead and add your special twist with additional flavors to the cures like garlic powder, black pepper, etc., but your bacon will be delicious with just the basic cure.

PROCESS:

Prepare a batch of cure using the ratios above per 1 pound of meat. Rub the belly with the cure making sure to evenly distribute it over the entire surface of the belly. Place in a zip lock bag. Place in the fridge and allow to cure for 7 days per inch thickness of belly. Flip the bags once every day and massage the meat to ensure even distribution of the cure.

When fully cured, remove meat from bags and rinse in cold water, washing off all the excess salt and cure. Soak in plain water for 30 minutes to further remove excess surface salt. Dry with paper towels and place on a rack, set over a sheet pan. Place in fridge, uncovered, and allow to dry for 24 hours to form a pellicle.

Cold smoke phase:
Use 5-6 oz chips and/or split slivers of wood for fairly smoky bacon. Good is hickory, cherry, maple or any combination. Smoke using the cold smoke plate and a pan of ice for 5 hours (20 minutes full blast, 40 minutes off) keeping the ambient box temperature below 100 degrees.

Hot smoke phase:
After 5 hours, remove the cold smoke plate and pan of ice (water at this point). Remember to dump out your water from the drip pan and slide it under the smoker (if you are using the drip pan that came with the SI for ice). Set temp to 200, and continue to smoke until an internal temperature of 150 (will take about 2+ hours).

For more pronounced maple flavor, brush lightly with maple syrup immediately after removing finished bacon from smoker. Add a sprinkling of fresh cracked black pepper for maple/pepper bacon.

Cool 1 hour lightly tented with foil.

Chill for 24 hours or more, then slice to desired thickness.
 
Any meat market worth its salt (pun intended) will sell Cure #1. My meat market sells 4oz packets for a dollar a piece.

I have since purchased a large container of cure #1 from Amazon that will take me many many many years to use up.
 
My preference is making the large batches of dry cure and keeping it on hand. I prefer the "salt box" method for application. Basically rub on some cure and shake of the excess, I like to keep it simple. There is no bad bacon, try a few methods.
 
Pork Belly said:
My preference is making the large batches of dry cure and keeping it on hand. I prefer the "salt box" method for application. Basically rub on some cure and shake of the excess, I like to keep it simple.
Mike Ruhlman's Basic dry cure is very good.
Can always add some maple sugar (spendy!) or maple syrup is so desired, but i don't think is necessary.

Here is the fancy one...
 
Thanks for all the very good tips and recommendations everybody. Please give me your recommendations for only a warm smoke. Do I have to cold smoke? Thx again.
Brian
 
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