Teaching the Younger Generation the Craft of Curing Meat (BACON)

[harleykids]

Great post!

I have been making my own bacon at home for many years...homemade bacon just can't be beat! I buy a whole pork belly, skin and teats still on it, then I remove skin before curing as we like to make chicharon/cracklings with it. You can leave it on, but it slows down curing time, and we like to utilize it non-cured.

I cut my belly into 6"x6" slabs (sandwich length to save time when we slice after smoking) and each one gets weighed separately for cure #1, kosher salt, and brown sugar. Then I add my other spices and flavorings to each bag, at my discretion. Molasses, chili powder, cumin, curry, etc...the skies the limit, from sweet to savory to spicy. Curry is actually one of my favorites!

I cold smoke mine in my Lonestar Grillz smoker, using a fully packed Amaz-N tube (whatever wood u want, apple, cherry, hickory, etc) for 3-4 hours (bacon comes out of fridge at 33 degrees, quick rinse and dry, back in fridge uncovered for 1 hour to form pellicle, then right into my smoker)
After smoking for 3-4 hours, I par freeze the bacon to firm it up almost solid, then slice, and vac pak in portions and freeze.

During the cold smoking process I never take my bacon temp to anywhere near 130, 150, etc. I just cold smoke at around 80 degrees for 3-4 hours. No need to take the bacon to any specific internal temp if you plan on cooking it traditionally (before eating) as it's already fully cured. If you plan on eating it without cooking it, then yes, you need to take temp up there in the 150 range.

When I need bacon, I just thaw out a pack, separate slices and lay them out on a mesh rack over a cookie sheet covered in foil (easy cleanup), and bake at 350 for about 15-18 mins.

Done!

Bacon stays nice and flat, and I save the bacon grease that drips onto the foil (put in ramekin in fridge, use for flavoring green beans, Brussels sprouts, pinto beans, etc)

Those students should love it! Passing on that knowledge is key!

 

[W.I.T.W.A.G?]

I'm curious about the spice you used for the maple flavor. I've never heard of it. I have always thought using syrup created a maple flavor that was a bit too strong for my liking and have experimented with maple sugar instead but found that to be too weak, haven't found a good in between. where do you get it and how much do you use?

Thanks

 

[harleykids]

From the web:

"For Indian cooking, fenugreek is a staple ingredient.
Smelling fenugreek alone is more reminiscent of Aunt Jemima than curries and kabobs.
In 2005 a New Jersey factory was processing fenugreek and lower Manhattan was overcome by the aroma of pancakes and syrup.

It's a common ingredient in fake maple syrup, and smelling the spice alone can be off-putting. Tasting it raw is even worse - it's incredibly bitter.

But when combined with aromatics and spices, fenugreek contributes a complex sweetness and a subtle bitterness to saucy dishes. Its maple syrup flavor transforms into something more like a dark caramel, and it makes a palette of more well-known spices feel complete. There's no substitute for it, but it's easy to use and increasingly easy to find."

 

[IamMadMan]

I'm curious about the spice you used for the maple flavor. I've never heard of it. I have always thought using syrup created a maple flavor that was a bit too strong for my liking and have experimented with maple sugar instead but found that to be too weak, haven't found a good in between. where do you get it and how much do you use?

Thanks

The problem with syrups is that they will make the bacon burn easily and leave a slightly bitter flavor undertone. Maple sugar will take a higher heat, but I find it does not easily enter the meat cells.

Fenugreek seed is a common spice, you just never noticed it because you are unfamiliar with and and probably never noticed it. Most stores carry it including whole foods, trader joes, ethic food markets, and the international section of most supermarkets. They are also sold as methi seeds.

Getting to the use of them, I lightly heat them in a saute pan and then crush them before putting them on the pork belly. I use about 1 teaspoon per kilogram of pork belly, and you can adjust to your tastes. It leaves a maple like flavor in the bacon.

EDIT: Just to clarify.... by crush, I simply use a roiling pin to break them open, not to break them down in small pieces.

.

 

[IamMadMan]

Getting back to the process...

I cold smoke with no heat for four hours, then add heat to the smoker to reach 130°.

Some have commented that they do not raise the temperature of the smoker, and that you don't need to do so because the meat is already cured.

I don't raise the temperature to kill bacteria or to cook the meat, 130° is a far stretch to accomplish any of that.

The reason for adding mild heat in the final smoking stage is to melt away some small amounts of the saturated fats that will melt at a very-very low temperature. This helps to firm the bacon. The heat also helps to evaporate a small amount of water content which helps to concentrate the flavor of the bacon itself. Also, as the water evaporates from the surface, the meat reacts with the smoke which helps to bond a bolder smoke flavor.

But there is no single method to make bacon, in the end, we all make bacon in a manner that works best for us, and give us the end product that we can personally enjoy.

But once you make your own bacon, you'll never be satisfied with store bought bacon ever again.

.

 

[MisterChrister]

You're a good guy Bob, thanks for what you're doing to pass on the craft to the kids. You're a tremendously valuable resource in your community, and on the Brethren as well.

I'm putting ~50# of belly and loin into dry cure this weekend for upcoming graduation parties. I will be sure to try the fenugreek and juniper on a few packages. I'm also going to paint a finishing glaze of "B grade" dark real maple syrup on some of the Canadian bacon, right at the end of the finishing temperature hike.

 

[Titch]

Inspiring post Bob, bet you have started a few watchers have a Go

 

[IamMadMan]

Last load taken out of the smoker and heading to the class this morning. It will sit wrapped in the walk-in over the weekend to let the smoke flavors migrate throughout the meat.

I did the first batch in apple smoke and the second batch in cherry smoke. There is a definite difference in aroma as well as the expected difference in color.

 

[Ayvatr]

Hey thanks a bunch MM! I have a Pork belly waiting in my freezer for this process. Can you make a recommendation on the precision scales to weigh out the cure and ingredients?
Thanks

 

[PaSmoker]

Well done, Bob.

Love the fact that you're teaching all sorts of skills to these kids just by harnessing interest in curing meats.

Consider me one of dem kids!!...Thanks Bob, very informative...haven't tried...YET!!

 

[IamMadMan]

Hey thanks a bunch MM! I have a Pork belly waiting in my freezer for this process. Can you make a recommendation on the precision scales to weigh out the cure and ingredients?
Thanks

An electronic pharmaceutical scale is the most accurate as it can measure grains, drams, and grams; however it is not well suited for this purpose.

The important part of the scale is the ability to weigh in metric mode (grams) for accuracy and consistency. Any digital metric scale will work fine, and the more expensive ones are not necessarily better, so purchase wisely.

You don't really need an expensive scale, Harbor Freight has a scale for about $20.00 ( https://www.harborfreight.com/digital-scale-95364.html ) that works surprising well, the only drawback is that it isn't backlit. Webstrestaurant.com has one with back-lighting for $24.00 ( https://www.webstaurantstore.com/20-lb-9-kg-compact-digital-scale/407DPS20.html )

While the limitations are 20 pounds, it's not a problem because one has to cut the belly into manageable pieces (for me 5 pounds work well).

 

[Ayvatr]

Thanks Mad Man, I'll check them out....

 

[IamMadMan]

Final visit to classes,

 

[akoda]

I am planning on doing more soon but can't find the post here that mentions the maple flavor other than fenugreek, what else goes for a maple like flavor?

I want to do a maple jalapeno batch

 

[IamMadMan]

I am planning on doing more soon but can't find the post here that mentions the maple flavor other than fenugreek, what else goes for a maple like flavor?

I want to do a maple jalapeno batch

Maple syrup can burn and make the bacon bitter if you like crispy bacon, so I would not recommend using it.


The syrup you buy at the store for pancakes and waffles is merely corn syrup flavored with fenugreek seeds. Fenugreek seeds are available at most spice stores or Indian markets. They are also sometimes labeled as methi seeds, but they are fenugreek seeds.


So your cure would contain fenugreek seeds and jalapeno powder for maple jalapeno bacon.



If you want to use pancake syrup to flavor the bacon if you like it cooked crispy; then simply paint the cooked bacon with the syrup while it's still hot. It's similar to pig candy or candied bacon, just not as sweet. You can also do this to bacon that is not crispy.

 

[Ayvatr]

That explains why I get a dark charred edge on the outside edge of my bacon slices as I do rub the outside of the slab down with real maple syrup near the end of the smoking process.
I can eliminate this by cooking on low heat.. I’m going to rethink this process
Thanks

 

[bschoen]

Would maple sugar in the cure/brine help?

 

[ChrisBarb]

Dumb question. There several decent brands that sell "uncured" bacon at the local grocer. Is curing really necessary? I would like to avoid nitrates. Thanks.

 

[akoda]

I have used maple sugar in the cure and haven't noticed much maple flavor. So I will go fenugreek on a batch this time, I am pondering injecting some to get a little more flavor in rather than on.

 

[Yellowhair42]

Dumb question. There several decent brands that sell "uncured" bacon at the local grocer. Is curing really necessary? I would like to avoid nitrates. Thanks.

"Uncured" is a misnomer. Every package of uncured whatever that I've ever seen is in fact cured. They usually involve some form of celery extract, which contains nitrite or nitrate. Tricky labeling that is allowed and hoping to fool people who are afraid of cured stuff.