beggin for bacon advice

igallant · Feb 8, 2010

As i mentioned in my previous thread i have 2 slabs of pork bellies that have been curing for 6 days now. I am looking for advice on how to get the best result.

Here are a couple questions.

1. Can I still add Tender Quick or Salt Peter to the brine?
The last run looks like pork chop once it is cooked. It tastes good but it doesnt "look" like bacon. Maybe it shouldn't.

2. Smoke? What wood? How long? What temp?

3. Can someone help me eat it all. 10 lbs of bacon is a lot.

All comments appreciated, will be repaid in amateur BBQ pr0n.

bbqbull · Feb 8, 2010

Go to the main page here and use Google at the bottom.
It searches this forum for awnsers.

BadHorsieBBQ · Feb 8, 2010

I can help you eat it.

SmokinAussie · Feb 9, 2010

HI Ian,

It's too late to add the tenderquick in my opinion. Reason being, for it to penetrate right through the slab of meat, you'd need many more days. Consider that the bacon has already been in the cure for 6 days, all of the meat juices and insterstitial fluid from the bacon has ALREADY come out and you already have a hard slab. You're not going to get the tenderquick to get in. That's just basic chemistry..

Second, the Sodium Nitrite imparts certain colours and flavours that you come to associate with "the way bacon should look. If you have not used it, you won't get the colour or the taste you're expecting, but that is not a bad thing.

I'd recommend finishing the process as you started it and then smoke the bacon to 165 F just to make damn sure you don't kill yourself from botulism.

I've done it this way now 3 times and so far, I'm still alive and the flavour of the bacon has been well worth the effort.

Good Luck!!!

Bill

bingo1912 · Feb 9, 2010

SmokinAussie said:
HI Ian,

It's too late to add the tenderquick in my opinion. Reason being, for it to penetrate right through the slab of meat, you'd need many more days. Consider that the bacon has already been in the cure for 6 days, all of the meat juices and insterstitial fluid from the bacon has ALREADY come out and you already have a hard slab. You're not going to get the tenderquick to get in. That's just basic chemistry..

Second, the Sodium Nitrite imparts certain colours and flavours that you come to associate with "the way bacon should look. If you have not used it, you won't get the colour or the taste you're expecting, but that is not a bad thing.

I'd recommend finishing the process as you started it and then smoke the bacon to 165 F just to make damn sure you don't kill yourself from botulism.

I've done it this way now 3 times and so far, I'm still alive and the flavour of the bacon has been well worth the effort.

Good Luck!!!

Bill

Yup!
What he said, next time use Tenderquick and I recommend 7 days turning every day until it's stiff/cured. :wink: As for wood, I suppose you have Maple there. Maple is nice for bacon, try that, sometimes you gotta use what you have.
Bing

beggin for bacon advice

igallant

Guest

bbqbull

Watching over us.

BadHorsieBBQ

Knows what a fatty is.

SmokinAussie

somebody shut me the fark up.

bingo1912

Take a breath!

Similar threads