Diana and I decided that we'd give making bacon a shot. It turned out pretty good was relatively easy.
Ingredients:
Maple syrup, kosher salt and brown sugar (Diana knows the ratios).
6lb pork belly
Combine ingredients and rub cure mixture on belly making sure to cover the entire surface. Place in a large sealable bag and turn over daily for 7 days. The belly will be cured when it is firm to the touch with no soft spots. When belly is fully cured, rinse it thoroughly, pat it dry and refrigerate overnight on a cooling rack. Once bacon had “air dried†I let it sit at room temperature for 1 -2 hours and got the grill ready. I used a mix of apple and hickory woods to smoke the bacon 160F for about 4 hours until the meat reached an internal temp of 150F then let it cool overnight in the fridge. We sliced it up this evening and had bacon and eggs for dinner.
Here's the pork belly going on the smoker after 7 days of curing.
View attachment 1552966
Here's what 4 hours of apple and hickory smoke will do it to.
View attachment 1552967
After cooling I had to cut it into smaller chunks to fit on meat slicer.
View attachment 1552968
Sliced and ready to cook.
View attachment 1552969
Ready to eat.
View attachment 1552970
Ingredients:
Maple syrup, kosher salt and brown sugar (Diana knows the ratios).
6lb pork belly
Combine ingredients and rub cure mixture on belly making sure to cover the entire surface. Place in a large sealable bag and turn over daily for 7 days. The belly will be cured when it is firm to the touch with no soft spots. When belly is fully cured, rinse it thoroughly, pat it dry and refrigerate overnight on a cooling rack. Once bacon had “air dried†I let it sit at room temperature for 1 -2 hours and got the grill ready. I used a mix of apple and hickory woods to smoke the bacon 160F for about 4 hours until the meat reached an internal temp of 150F then let it cool overnight in the fridge. We sliced it up this evening and had bacon and eggs for dinner.
Here's the pork belly going on the smoker after 7 days of curing.
View attachment 1552966
Here's what 4 hours of apple and hickory smoke will do it to.
View attachment 1552967
After cooling I had to cut it into smaller chunks to fit on meat slicer.
View attachment 1552968
Sliced and ready to cook.
View attachment 1552969
Ready to eat.
View attachment 1552970
