removing skin from pork belly. (help)

chriscw81 · Jan 10, 2013

So i've been getting my pork belly for bacon with the skin on and i'm not very good at removing the skin without hacking the belly all up. any brethren out there have any tips or tricks to get the skin off without messing up the belly or removing much fat? i've been looking for videos and pictures online and cant find much. is there a certain type of knife that works best. maybe a certain method?

i havent had any home cured bacon in about 2 or 3 weeks and im going through withdrawals

edit: i should have mentioned i like to cure my bellies with the skin off rather than curing with the skin on. :mrgreen:

chriscw81 · Jan 10, 2013

can anyone tell what kind of knife is being used in this video? it seems like a knife with a rounded cutting edge would work better......

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsdqRjI5OAE"]Butchery demo at A.I. - YouTube[/ame]

Dirtbuddy · Jan 10, 2013

I take mine off after smoking it while it's still warm and it just pulls right off. Just start one corner with a knife then using your hand pull it off in one sheet.

chriscw81 · Jan 10, 2013

Dirtbuddy said:
I take mine off after smoking it while it's still warm and it just pulls right off. Just start one corner with a knife then using your hand pull it off in one sheet.

i guess i should have mentioned that i prefer to remove the skin before i cure the belly. i usually buy belly with the skin already removed but it hasnt been available like that lately.

Rover24 · Jan 10, 2013

I use a fillet knife and a whole lot of patience. I try to find a corner that is loose as an easy starting point and grab it with a paper towel, pull back lightly and use a bunch of small cuts to slowly work the skin off of the fat layer.

I recently haven't found enough patience enough to do it, so I've been curing and smoking them skin on...they are easy to remove after smoking. They are even easy to remove (similar to tearing the membrane off of a rack of ribs) if they've fully cooled after smoking.

realspaazz · Jan 10, 2013

Using a skinning knife works best. The one in the video is a bit different, but this one is a good knife:
http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerc...nox®+Cutlery+Microban®+6"+Skinner/F46536.html

The skin is rather tough, so you are running your knife right up against it. It is mostly a "feel" thing... practice will help. Cutting the little finger holes like in the video works great.

chriscw81 · Jan 10, 2013

realspaazz said:
Using a skinning knife works best. The one in the video is a bit different, but this one is a good knife:
http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerc...nox®+Cutlery+Microban®+6"+Skinner/F46536.html

The skin is rather tough, so you are running your knife right up against it. It is mostly a "feel" thing... practice will help. Cutting the little finger holes like in the video works great.

i guess i need to get myself a skinning knife. what are your thoughts on using a butcher knife like this one?

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Dexter-S112-6-Dexter-Russell-Butcher-Knife/dp/B000LDFPK6"]Dexter-Russell S112-6 Butcher Knife - Amazon.com[/ame]

do you think the skinner knife would really work a lot better than a butcher knife with a curved edge? i ask because i have a $50 gift certificate to cabelas that i could use but they only have the butcher knife. thanks for help, by the way

Dirtbuddy · Jan 10, 2013

Dirtbuddy said:
I take mine off after smoking it while it's still warm and it just pulls right off. Just start one corner with a knife then using your hand pull it off in one sheet.

chriscw81 said:
i guess i should have mentioned that i prefer to remove the skin before i cure the belly. i usually buy belly with the skin already removed but it hasnt been available like that lately.

Ahhh copy that!

Others have given you good advise.

captndan · Jan 11, 2013

In the video the first knife is a straight boning or 'fillet' knife. The next one is a 7 inch curved boning knife. That's what I use. I have never seen a belly skin come off that easy. Trick photography ?

Smoking Westy · Jan 11, 2013

Sharp knife and do it while it is warm if you are curing with the skin on.

jestridge · Jan 11, 2013

Slice it with skin on then take skin off each piece

deepsouth · Jan 11, 2013

check out this post from a thread i just posted about pork belly, relating to the skin....

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2318317&postcount=17

chriscw81 · Jan 11, 2013

Thanks for the advice everyone! I really appreciate it!

Sent from my Nexus using Tapatalk 2

chad · Jan 11, 2013

I'm with others: patience and a SHARP knife will get it done. Keep the blade going towards the skin, too. Like you do when you filet a fish. Good luck. I've got to order some pork belly soon!

removing skin from pork belly. (help)

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