Bacon

Sausage making and curing meats.

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Bacon

Postby Matt » Wed Jun 22, 2016 5:06 pm

Picked up an 11# belly at Costco a few weeks back for $3 lb. All cured, smoked and sliced!
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Re: Bacon

Postby Okie Sawbones » Wed Jun 22, 2016 5:45 pm

:cheers: :chef: Nothing better than your own bacon. I have a bunch coming out tomorrow.
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Re: Bacon

Postby TwoGuysBBQ » Wed Jun 22, 2016 6:28 pm

That is awesome, is it hard to do? anyone willing to share their recipe/technique?

Love me some Bacon :pig:

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Re: Bacon

Postby OldUsedParts » Wed Jun 22, 2016 6:56 pm

:tup: :salut: :cheers:
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Re: Bacon

Postby Okie Sawbones » Wed Jun 22, 2016 9:06 pm

TwoGuysBBQ wrote:That is awesome, is it hard to do? anyone willing to share their recipe/technique?
Ric G.


No, not hard at all. I have several recipes.

A good standby recipe:

Home Cured Brown Sugar and Black Pepper Bacon

Ingredients

4-5 pound belly
¼ cup salt
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon ground thyme
2 teaspoons of pink salt (Cure #1)

Method

Mix the salt, brown sugar, black pepper, bay leaves, garlic, onion, thyme and the pink salt (Cure #1) and mix well. Apply the curing mix all over your pork belly, making sure it is well covered. Place in a 2-gallon zip lock bag and place in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. You can under cure bacon but you cannot over cure bacon. Turn every day or two.

Rinse under cold water, washing off as much of the cure as possible and pat dry. Let it sit overnight to form the pellicle.

Cold smoke for two hours, smoke at 160F for two hours, then smoke at 200F until an internal temperature of 145F. The three temperature allow more smoke flavor to the bacon. Remove the skin, chill well, then slice and package.
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Re: Bacon

Postby Matt » Wed Jun 22, 2016 10:22 pm

Okie Sawbones wrote:
TwoGuysBBQ wrote:That is awesome, is it hard to do? anyone willing to share their recipe/technique?
Ric G.


No, not hard at all. I have several recipes.

A good standby recipe:

Home Cured Brown Sugar and Black Pepper Bacon

Ingredients

4-5 pound belly
¼ cup salt
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon ground thyme
2 teaspoons of pink salt (Cure #1)

Method

Mix the salt, brown sugar, black pepper, bay leaves, garlic, onion, thyme and the pink salt (Cure #1) and mix well. Apply the curing mix all over your pork belly, making sure it is well covered. Place in a 2-gallon zip lock bag and place in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. You can under cure bacon but you cannot over cure bacon. Turn every day or two.

Rinse under cold water, washing off as much of the cure as possible and pat dry. Let it sit overnight to form the pellicle.

Cold smoke for two hours, smoke at 160F for two hours, then smoke at 200F until an internal temperature of 145F. The three temperature allow more smoke flavor to the bacon. Remove the skin, chill well, then slice and package.


That right there will do it!
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Re: Bacon

Postby Finatic » Thu Jun 23, 2016 9:33 am

Guys. On the pork belly skin do you find it better to remove the skin before you cure/smoke it? I've seen it done both ways. Some say you get more flavor (both from the brine & smoke) if you remove the skin before hand.
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Re: Bacon

Postby Williep » Thu Jun 23, 2016 10:52 am

Sure looks good. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
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Re: Bacon

Postby Okie Sawbones » Thu Jun 23, 2016 10:54 am

Finatic wrote:Guys. On the pork belly skin do you find it better to remove the skin before you cure/smoke it? I've seen it done both ways. Some say you get more flavor (both from the brine & smoke) if you remove the skin before hand.


I find it too hard to skin with a knife until smoked. I have plenty of flavor. If you are skilled with a long knife, you might skin one and leave one skin on -- try them side by side.
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Re: Bacon

Postby Finatic » Thu Jun 23, 2016 11:00 am

Okie Sawbones wrote:
Finatic wrote:Guys. On the pork belly skin do you find it better to remove the skin before you cure/smoke it? I've seen it done both ways. Some say you get more flavor (both from the brine & smoke) if you remove the skin before hand.


I find it too hard to skin with a knife until smoked. I have plenty of flavor. If you are skilled with a long knife, you might skin one and leave one skin on -- try them side by side.

Costco sells them with the skin on but my local Restaurant Depot sells them with the skin already removed. Both are really close in price.
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Re: Bacon

Postby Okie Sawbones » Thu Jun 23, 2016 5:35 pm

The only place anywhere near me that sells them is a Mexican market. Good prices though.
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Re: Bacon

Postby CaptJack » Thu Jun 23, 2016 5:58 pm

Image
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Re: Bacon

Postby Txdragon » Fri Jun 24, 2016 5:21 pm

Okie Sawbones wrote:
TwoGuysBBQ wrote:That is awesome, is it hard to do? anyone willing to share their recipe/technique?
Ric G.


No, not hard at all. I have several recipes.

A good standby recipe:

Home Cured Brown Sugar and Black Pepper Bacon

Ingredients

4-5 pound belly
¼ cup salt
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon ground thyme
2 teaspoons of pink salt (Cure #1)

Method

Mix the salt, brown sugar, black pepper, bay leaves, garlic, onion, thyme and the pink salt (Cure #1) and mix well. Apply the curing mix all over your pork belly, making sure it is well covered. Place in a 2-gallon zip lock bag and place in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. You can under cure bacon but you cannot over cure bacon. Turn every day or two.

Rinse under cold water, washing off as much of the cure as possible and pat dry. Let it sit overnight to form the pellicle.

Cold smoke for two hours, smoke at 160F for two hours, then smoke at 200F until an internal temperature of 145F. The three temperature allow more smoke flavor to the bacon. Remove the skin, chill well, then slice and package.



This is a perfect starter to get you into bacon. Once you get the hang of it, then you can mix it up and add otha flava!
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Re: Bacon

Postby Txdragon » Fri Jun 24, 2016 5:24 pm

Finatic wrote:Guys. On the pork belly skin do you find it better to remove the skin before you cure/smoke it? I've seen it done both ways. Some say you get more flavor (both from the brine & smoke) if you remove the skin before hand.


I prefer with the skin on because I use the skin afterwards to flavor my beans and such. As far as skin removal pre/post smoke; I find it much easier after smoke.
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