We're In The Bacon!

I've noticed that a lot of folks are smoking their bacon off at a smoker temp of 200° F, and the product to an IT of 150°F. I wondered why since the bacon was going to be fried, so I avoided this method. I usually smoke at lower temps and pull at 127° F, or cold smoke. This weekend I had to see for myself. Took a belly, cut into thirds, skinned, and dry cured for ten days at 138°F-141°F(cure #1, K salt, brown sugar, and a sprinkle of maple sugar).


Did a four hour soak, changing water once prior to smoking.


Cold smoked for eight hours, apple. Temps were 73°F-80°F for the first six hours, and gradually gradually rose to 90°F.


Belly #2 was smoked in the Pro Q Stacker, using a snake minion, and Australian pine chunks. I was shooting for 130°F smoker temp. Didn't happen. It ran between 145°F and 150°F. (All intake dampers closed!)


Six hours later

Pulled at 127°F


The subject belly was smoked in the UDS at 175°F-212°F to an IT of 150°F(Australian pine chunks). Pulled in Three hours!


Said trio of porky goodness. From the left, 150°F, 127°F. and cold smoked.



The acid test!

The higher temp bacon sliced easily after chilled, the other two needed to be thrown into the freezer a bit to firm up in order to slice.
They were all KILLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!, But the unanimous favorite was the hot smoked bacon:shock:. Dang, all these years wasted:tsk:. AND done in only three hours:thumb:.The pieces weighed about 3 1/2 lbs.
We're in the bacon. Thanks for lookin!

gtr said:

I'm kinda surpised the hotter cooked/higher IT bacon came out better. I'm glad it did though, 'cause that's how I do it. :heh:

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Me too! I was real surprised with the amount of fat that rendered out we I fried it. So good!

Hoss said:

Nice comparison.I would have bet a dollar that the cold smoked would have left the others in the dust. Guess ya never know til ya try em all.

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Surprised the heck out of me too!

Hoss said:

Question......????? Your post shows the shrinkage from hot,to med,to cold. Left to right.I understand the hot smoked slab being smaller,than the medium, then the cold smoked remaining full sized.However the cooked pics are opposite of that,it shows the hot smoked slices much bigger than the cold smoked piece if they are in fact in the same position after smoking?Please explain.Maybe the cold smoked rendered that much more,just wondering.:shock: I am guessing the cold smoked is on the left and the hot smoked is on the right in the sliced pic.???

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The smaller and darker piece(on left) is the hot smoked. It did not shrink as much as pictured, it was trimmed up a bit before smoking. Also, I was able to slice up the hot smoked slab whole, but had to cut the med and cold smoked slabs in half to slice.

JohnHB said:

I do not understand. I always dry cure in refrigerator but you are suggesting 10days at around 140f. From my limited experience in long term cooking sous vide it would be cooked 5 times over in the curing process!!! Definitely confuses me.

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:doh::doh::doh::doh::doh: OOPS! Thanks for catching that. It was 38°-41°F for ten days.