smoking bacon

[TuscaloosaQ]

Would someone be so kind to tell me how to smoke bacon. I never have done this and realize it is not rocket science but know there are plenty of people here who have had great success at it. I talked to my butcher today and he said just let him know and he would get me the bellies. I have recently had plenty of wild hog meat my family's farm in alabama has been over run with them. Caught 11 this week in traps. The meat is wonderful smoked a whole one skinned a few weeks ago and everyone flipped over it . Thanks for any help I can get. Do I need any cure please list any ingredinets

[PFSmith]

Tuscaloosa - an Auburn guy to the rescue. I found this blog site: http://menuinprogress.com/2008/08/homemade-bacon.html

Which seems to use a recipe from Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn's book, Charcuterie. I have a copy of the book and have started reading it but haven't tried any of the recipes and technique's yet. Hope to do that soon.

Hope this helps.

Pat

[Soulman1282]

rub it with a good amount of salt, brown sugar, and whatever else you like. be creative! put into a pan and leave it for about 4-5 days, turning over everyday so the belly can be in contact with the salty juice that comes out of it. then rinse them off and hang somewhere cool and dry, a garage or spare fridge works well. If you can't hang it a pan with a rack or on a clean rack in the fridge will do. this drying out for a day is important because it forms a "pellicle" that the smoke adheres to better. Then smoke with your favorite wood between 150-200 degrees until the internal temp is 150(about 4-5 hours). then cool for several hours, slice, and enjoy! I just did a maple/brown sugar and an herb/garlic bacon with hickory wood. one belly, two bacons! they are delicious! hope this helped

[TuscaloosaQ]

Thanks for the info,Good luck this weekend I pull for Ya'll but not this weekend

[TuscaloosaQ]

Sounds wonderful I can't wait to smoke some. Do you slice it then freeze or freeze the whole slab??? How long will it keep, although I will probablly eat on it very quickly

[Soulman1282]

I slice it, portion into like 8-10 slice bunches, then wrap in plastic very tightly, then in foil and freeze. A vacuum packer would be even better. It should keep pretty much forever unless ravaged by freezer burn, but that's what the tight double wrap is about. I figure if i do a bunch it should last several months or more, and then I'll just make some more. I'll never have to buy flabby, watery, commercial bacon again!!!! Mwah ha ha ha!

[TuscaloosaQ]

When you say salt is it Kosher or plain salt?? Sorry for being so goofy but I am at the refinery working tonight and my unit is running so well I had to hit the BBQ brethern site

[Bluehawg]

I would use some curing salt such as Morton Tender Quick or InstaCure #1. I use InstaCure when I'm making canadian bacon and it works marvelously. 1 tbsp per pound and the sugar or whatever you want to add to it can be put in there with it as well. Put in a bag and set in fridge for about 4 days. I turn my bag over once in the morning and flip it over once more in the evening. At end of 4th day, rinse it well to get all the cure off it. I then rub it with brown sugar if I want to and put in smoker for few hours.

[Soulman1282]

I use straight kosher. I don't go for any of the sodium nitrite curing agents. that junk causes cancer and whatnot. besides, people were curing meats with regular salt for thousands of years before commercial packers figured out they could use chemistry to make things chelf stable for longer. and since you're freezing it you really don't have to worry about that.

[SmokinAussie]

I recommend you buy this book from Amazon.

Amazon.com: Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing (9780393058291): Michael Ruhlman, Brian Polcyn, Thomas Keller: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51gO0bcPi8L.@@AMEPARAM@@51gO0bcPi8L

It is certainly worth it and started me off on my quest for curing and smoking.

Also, check in with Thirdeye, the master... http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/

Cheers!

Bill

[TuscaloosaQ]

Thanks soulman, I like your attitude I was wondering a while back what in the world would people do without all the do dads they sell today. I am pretty basic I learned from my dad who over 45 years ago cooked the best butts ever on an open fire using green hickory wood and never checked a temp one time. Did it all by looks good feels good and that is me today good info thanks

[TuscaloosaQ]

Thanks Aussie will order tomorrow and get friday with next day shipping

[Soulman1282]

No prob bud. Hands on is the way to go! A little food science/safety knowledge doesn't hurt either though! Lol

P.S.-I want that book too!

[aquablue22]

Here's a recipe I use for BACON.........


B A C O N

Ingredients

5 lb Pork Belly (have your butcher remove the skin)
¼ cup Kosher salt (tablet salt is to fine)
1 tsp Pink salt
(Pink salt is a mixture of 6.5% sodium nitrate (salt peter) and 93.5% kosher salt, it is key to kill any botulism or bacteria that may grow during the curing process, you can usually find it at any good butcher shop)

½ cup – Flavoring (one of the following)
Maple Syrup
Honey
Brown Sugar
Fresh Ground black pepper


Method

Wash the pork belly with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel, cut into two manageable pieces.

Apply salt rub evenly on all sides of the pork, next apply flavoring of your choice to all sides of the pork

Put belly into a large zip lock bag and press out as much air as possible. Into the refrigerator for one week, turning everyday. If possible hang the end of the bag over the end of the refrigerator shelf to collect moisture drawn out of the belly during this curing process.

After one week remove from Refrigerator, place in cool water and scrub off salt mixture, this is key as it reduces the salty taste of the bacon. After washing pat dry with paper towels and back into the refrigerator on a sheet pan uncovered to air dry for 24 hours.

If you want a nice coating of black pepper apply it now before smoking it.

Prepare grill for very low smoking, smoke pork bellies at 150 degrees for 4 hours, using your favorite wood chips or chunks. This is just adding flavor not cooking the low temperature fire is very important, any higher and you’ll end up cooking it.

After 4 hours remove from smoker and you’re done, slice to desired thickness and enjoy.

[Whitfield]

Leaving out the pink salt is a good way to experiment with botulism. Be vary careful if you decide to go that route. Pink salt is only shown to cause cancer in extremely excessive amounts after severely over cooking /burning.