1st attempt at belly bacon

JamesB · 12-02-2009, 02:41 AM

I thought I would show ya what I did about a month ago.

When shopping at the local Mexican Market, I saw fresh pork bellys in the meat case... Had to give it a try, so I picked up 10lbs of it. Looked around the net and various forums looking to see how much Tender Quick to use and found a lot of various opinions on the subject. I sort of took all of the amounts and decided to go about half way... So for 10lbs of belly, I used 7 oz of MTQ, 1/2 cup of fresh cracked black pepper and a little more than 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar. I ran the sugar and pepper corns through the burr grinder so they were fairly small and consistant granules, but not as small as the TQ. Rubbed the various pieces of belly and bagged them up and put 'em in the 38° fridge. I turned them once a day for 8 days.

Here they are fresh from the market and then rubbed up with cure and those two with maple syrup.

After 8 days in the fridge, rinsed and patted dry.

Put the cured pieces on the big ugly pit. 2 bottom pieces with fresh cracked pepper and the 2 top pieces with Sucklebusters Hoochie Mama. The little piece was just left plain.

Tried to keep the temps down and the smoke up, so I used the basket from one of my UDSs with some briquettes and small hickory splits.

Temps were a little iffy in the early going (I've got a plan for better control on the next attempt). They got up to 200 for a very short while, but I managed to get the temps back down to ~150° for most of the cook. Took them off at about 140° internal. They finished up a bit earlier than I wanted. here they are after 5 1/2 hrs, I was shooting for about 8 hours in the smoke.

Wrapped and ready to sit in the chill chest for a day or so.

I know your supposed to chill it several hours for the flavors to bloom (or what ever they call it), but I couldn't stand it no more... I had to try at least a piece, so I took the skin off the smallest slab, sliced then fried it in an old CI skillet... Over all, not bad... not bad at all really. Maybe a little salty. Next time I might back off on the TQ a bit, or leave the cure on it for 1 less day...

These are the slices from the small piece of belly. They were only about 2/3s as long as a regular bacon slice.

Got the rest of the bacon sliced up and most of it vac packed for later use. Slicing by hand sure ain't no fun. I'll be looking for a decent, economically priced slicer... Maybe Santa will bring me one.

Also had to have an obligatory BLT.

Over all, I'm impressed with the final product. Other than having to wait a week or more, it was a very easy process and I will be doing this again and again...

tmcmaster · 12-02-2009, 02:54 AM

:drools:

Awesomeness!!!

Neil · 12-02-2009, 03:18 AM

Nice, very nice. Thanks for the post JamesB. I've done the buckboard and the canadian, now I'll be trying the bellies.

Phubar · 12-02-2009, 03:41 AM

Respect!

TennHaynes · 12-02-2009, 06:19 AM

Looks good. You took alot of time and effort in preparing, cooking, and documenting your venture. Thanks for sharing.

Ron_L · 12-02-2009, 07:03 AM

That looks great! thanks for the pictures.

You mentioned that you sliced off the skin when you tried the smaller piece. Would it hurt to cut it off before curing and smoking?

Also, did you try the bacon with black pepper vs. with the rub? Could you tell the difference?

Smokey Al Gold · 12-02-2009, 07:08 AM

Wow looks great! You have way more patience than I do :)

LouCfur · 12-02-2009, 07:25 AM

Some fine looking bacon there James! I've gotta belly curing as we speak and gonna do pepper bacon to give away for some holiday gifts.

bbqbull · 12-02-2009, 07:41 AM

Thanks for the pictorial James!

Ive got 2 bellies in our deep freeze that are new aquired.
I will be trying my hand at making our first belly bacon here shortly.

chibi · 12-02-2009, 07:44 AM

One thing I want to try this winter is the bacon. And after that pic of my favorite sammy I know what will happen at the first of the year!!!!

voodooblu · 12-02-2009, 08:06 AM

God morning pron!! now im really hungry! Looks great Im gonna have to try to make some! Thanks for the jump start!

deguerre · 12-02-2009, 08:15 AM

Outstanding preparation and presentation! I'm impressed by the hand slicing too. Well done! Gotta try that myself now!

Hell Fire Grill · 12-02-2009, 08:29 AM

James your bacon looks delicious. That samich looks good too.

Mark Stanton · 12-02-2009, 08:30 AM

Would really like a slice of that bacon. Great job!

jocosa · 12-02-2009, 08:41 AM

Also been wanting to make belly bacon, thanks for the extra encourgement! I've made buckboard bacon with butts and pork loin, but the belly bacon seems to be the ultimate for bacon. Need to check out some Mexican markets around here.

Fried up, that looks simply yummy! Have been craving a BLT, and that photo is awesome!

12-02-2009, 02:41 AM	#1
JamesB is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 08-15-05 Location: Irving, Tx Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	1st attempt at belly bacon I thought I would show ya what I did about a month ago. When shopping at the local Mexican Market, I saw fresh pork bellys in the meat case... Had to give it a try, so I picked up 10lbs of it. Looked around the net and various forums looking to see how much Tender Quick to use and found a lot of various opinions on the subject. I sort of took all of the amounts and decided to go about half way... So for 10lbs of belly, I used 7 oz of MTQ, 1/2 cup of fresh cracked black pepper and a little more than 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar. I ran the sugar and pepper corns through the burr grinder so they were fairly small and consistant granules, but not as small as the TQ. Rubbed the various pieces of belly and bagged them up and put 'em in the 38° fridge. I turned them once a day for 8 days. Here they are fresh from the market and then rubbed up with cure and those two with maple syrup. After 8 days in the fridge, rinsed and patted dry. Put the cured pieces on the big ugly pit. 2 bottom pieces with fresh cracked pepper and the 2 top pieces with Sucklebusters Hoochie Mama. The little piece was just left plain. Tried to keep the temps down and the smoke up, so I used the basket from one of my UDSs with some briquettes and small hickory splits. Temps were a little iffy in the early going (I've got a plan for better control on the next attempt). They got up to 200 for a very short while, but I managed to get the temps back down to ~150° for most of the cook. Took them off at about 140° internal. They finished up a bit earlier than I wanted. here they are after 5 1/2 hrs, I was shooting for about 8 hours in the smoke. Wrapped and ready to sit in the chill chest for a day or so. I know your supposed to chill it several hours for the flavors to bloom (or what ever they call it), but I couldn't stand it no more... I had to try at least a piece, so I took the skin off the smallest slab, sliced then fried it in an old CI skillet... Over all, not bad... not bad at all really. Maybe a little salty. Next time I might back off on the TQ a bit, or leave the cure on it for 1 less day... These are the slices from the small piece of belly. They were only about 2/3s as long as a regular bacon slice. Got the rest of the bacon sliced up and most of it vac packed for later use. Slicing by hand sure ain't no fun. I'll be looking for a decent, economically priced slicer... Maybe Santa will bring me one. Also had to have an obligatory BLT. Over all, I'm impressed with the final product. Other than having to wait a week or more, it was a very easy process and I will be doing this again and again...

12-02-2009, 02:54 AM	#2
tmcmaster is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 09-23-08 Location: York, PA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	:drools: Awesomeness!!! __________________ Tim McMaster - Porter Mac's Rockin' BBQ - Recently converted Pellet-Head

12-02-2009, 03:18 AM	#3
Neil Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 06-04-04 Location: St. Joseph, MI Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Nice, very nice. Thanks for the post JamesB. I've done the buckboard and the canadian, now I'll be trying the bellies. __________________ "You can't always get what you want but if you try sometime you just might find you get what you need" Mange Bene Viva Bene! NB Bandera-Firebox & Baffle Mod, WSM, Weber: Performer(Col. Steve Austin Mod), WSM, Three 22 1/2" Kettles, 2 Brinkman Dual Zone Proffessional Grills, Smoky Joe, Uniflame Tabletop Gasser, Luhr-Jensen Big Chief, Turkey Fryer, Rocky Mountain Camp Stove & 3 UDS's.

12-02-2009, 03:41 AM	#4
Phubar somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 04-24-09 Location: Utrecht,The NetherPharkinglands Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Respect! __________________ -TG -WGA (3) -UDS (S,M,L) All fueled by Ecobrasa Coco Briquettes Lowland Smokers Dutch BBQ Champion 2011 - 2012 Lowland Smokers Dutch BBQ Champion 2013 Low 'n Slow WGA Ambassador

12-02-2009, 06:19 AM	#5
TennHaynes Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 11-28-09 Location: Ellendale, TN Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Looks good. You took alot of time and effort in preparing, cooking, and documenting your venture. Thanks for sharing. __________________ TennHaynes, Ellendale, Tenn. Weber 22 Kettle, Weber Smokey Joe

12-02-2009, 07:03 AM	#6
Ron_L Moderator Join Date: 12-09-04 Location: Chicago 'Burbs Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	That looks great! thanks for the pictures. You mentioned that you sliced off the skin when you tried the smaller piece. Would it hurt to cut it off before curing and smoking? Also, did you try the bacon with black pepper vs. with the rub? Could you tell the difference? __________________ "Ron Rico, Boss. You can call me Captain Ron..." Save The Fatty! FEC-100/BWS Party/Memphis Pro SS/PBC/LBGE X 2/SBGE/Mini BGE/Nomad Pellet-matic/Good-One Model 42/WSM X 2/Cookshack Smokette 008/Weber Performer/Saber Cast 500/Weber Gasser (RIP)/Weber Kettle X 2/Weber Smokey Joe/WGA/UDS/Coffee Roasting Gasser and a pickle Remembering a friend

12-02-2009, 07:08 AM	#7
Smokey Al Gold is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 08-13-08 Location: San Antonio TX Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Wow looks great! You have way more patience than I do :) __________________ 22.5 OTG, 18.5 SJP (modded), 14.5 SJS, Weber Q 100, TX Longhorn Camper grill TL 21 [URL="http://www.elcapoteranch.com"]www.elcapoteranch.com[/URL] [URL="http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/group.php?groupid=39"]ZERO[/URL] Club Member (2) Creator of: "The Great Chicken Sammich Debacle of 2010"

12-02-2009, 07:25 AM	#8
LouCfur Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 11-05-09 Location: Hell, Michigan Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Some fine looking bacon there James! I've gotta belly curing as we speak and gonna do pepper bacon to give away for some holiday gifts. __________________ I love the smell of Q in the morning. Smells like hickory.

12-02-2009, 07:41 AM	#9
bbqbull Moderator Join Date: 12-27-05 Location: Mid Michigan Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Thanks for the pictorial James! Ive got 2 bellies in our deep freeze that are new aquired. I will be trying my hand at making our first belly bacon here shortly. __________________ You have never really lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. KC I miss your advice. Heavily medicated for your protection. Klose Mobile Pit Klose Owners Reccomended Pit Cookshack Smokette Gasser Little Chief Smoker Large BGE Gifted to me my Pit Barrel Smoker

12-02-2009, 07:44 AM	#10
chibi Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 06-14-06 Location: ftcollins,Co Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	One thing I want to try this winter is the bacon. And after that pic of my favorite sammy I know what will happen at the first of the year!!!! __________________ CHIBI-Q comp team. Vertical insulated charcoal dropping clone. Homemade offset. Traeger LilTex for winter cheating. <>< Remember when you get in the storms of life that's when you have to learn to dance in the rain.

12-02-2009, 08:06 AM	#11
voodooblu Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 07-07-09 Location: Knoxville, Tn Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	God morning pron!! now im really hungry! Looks great Im gonna have to try to make some! Thanks for the jump start!

12-02-2009, 08:15 AM	#12
deguerre somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 07-15-09 Location: Memphis, TN...Formerly of Decatur, AL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Outstanding preparation and presentation! I'm impressed by the hand slicing too. Well done! Gotta try that myself now! __________________ Guerry >^..^< Weber 22 1/2" OTS "Dirty Girl", Weber Performer/Cajun Bandit "Cajun Queen", GOSM "Bubba Q", Maverick et73, RED Thermapen, One Cameron Stove Top "Lazy Girl".It burns sawdust... Avatar by Northwest BBQ!!! If you really care about this place, you'll show some respect for it. Seven Zero notches on my spatula. Join_Us_In_The_Throwdowns_Forum!

12-02-2009, 08:29 AM	#13
Hell Fire Grill Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-30-08 Location: Battle Ground, WA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	James your bacon looks delicious. That samich looks good too.

12-02-2009, 08:30 AM	#14
Mark Stanton is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 07-25-09 Location: Southside of Houston, Texas Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Would really like a slice of that bacon. Great job!

12-02-2009, 08:41 AM	#15
jocosa Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-01-09 Location: Douglasville, GA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Also been wanting to make belly bacon, thanks for the extra encourgement! I've made buckboard bacon with butts and pork loin, but the belly bacon seems to be the ultimate for bacon. Need to check out some Mexican markets around here. Fried up, that looks simply yummy! Have been craving a BLT, and that photo is awesome! __________________ - UDS v1.0, ECB, Blue Thermapen

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