My Bacon making process QView #2 The Rub

[bixter1]

Continuing from My Bacon making process QView :

I like to cut a chunk off to match the size of my deli slicer. The other bigger piece I leave as is and cut what I need to cut off before I slice. The little chunk left over is kept for cooking like soups or Dutchs Beans.

First I cut a piece off the belly to the size of my slicer


I used 2 different kinds of cures. One was from DJs site. I subsituted maple power for the dextrose in the recipe (Belly Bacon) and pickling salt instead of Kosher. It's the first time Im trying a wet cure. I put a plate in the container to keep the meat below the surface and covered it with a lid.

Here is the 2 1/2s in the cure.


The other 3 got Hi Mountain BuckBoard cure. I love this cure. Im very careful to measue out the cure according to the recipe. Basically 1.25 T per lbs. I make sure every last bit gets into every crevice and all the sides of the bellys.

Here is one all done up


I then put both halves into the same bag and seal them up. The bags I use are big but sometimes leak so I put all of them into a big tub.



Into the frigde for the 4 bellys. Day 5 I will flip the buckboard and day 6 i will wash and smoke the Maple cured one. I'll post a new thread with some pictures when that happens.

 

[ronp]

Hmm, what happened? No replies, none?

 

[laughingpanther]

So how did it turn out?

 

[bixter1]

Awesome. I posted the results in my first thread.
http://smokingmeatforums.com/forums/...ad.php?t=20582

The wet cure one barely has any salt or salt taste at all. I like this since I dont need all that salt sometimes...

The Buckboard is always great.