My attempt at making bacon

[chad]

Where can I get bellies?

Check with your local grocer, assuming they have a real meat department and it's not all brought in pre-packaged.

Around here you can get anything from Publix: whole hogs, bellies, fat back, etc. You just have to ask.

Other options are to look for a local "locker" and find out who's buying what from whom. Or, check with a local 4-H or FFA chapter. We used to go halves on a couple of hogs each year for a friend's son that had a swine 4-H project.

I wasn't into que much then but we sure had some great smoked hams, whole hog sausage, bacon, and loins.

 

[chad]

Ah. OK . Pink curing salt. Is that necessary?

Good question. No, you don't have to use it but then it won't have a cured bacon taste. Still be great stuff...just different. The cure acts like brine (you can use it in brine and inject) and "firms" the meat. You can smoke uncured bellies and have great bacon, but like I said, it will be "different".

Tenderquick has cure in it - so it's basically the same as the Ruhlman formula. Just use Morton's suggested amounts. I think TQ can be used in sausages but not the "maple" cure. I haven't checked the formulas but there is some difference in them -- probably the prague powder #2 thing with nitrates.

Do some reading at Barnes & Nobles :-D. They have Ruhlman's book along with a couple of other butchering and sausage making books. Interesting stuff.

I had 5 years of vo-ag (FFA) and still didn't do a log of charcuterie. Plenty of plain and fancy butchering, but not sausage making.

I forgot to say in my first post -- great job.

 

[TedW]

What a great reply. I gathered that there was salt, and then there was pink curing salt. If the pink were omitted and kosher salt remained, would you notice?

 

[atcNick]

What a great reply. I gathered that there was salt, and then there was pink curing salt. If the pink were omitted and kosher salt remained, would you notice?

Yes


-Nick via Tapatalk

 

[smokinQ2]

Bacon for breakfast but it won't be nearly as good as yours!!!

 

[AJP]

And the final product sliced and bagged.