I posted earlier on another thread about Apple Bacon I had as a kid and couldn't duplicate since...Well...I got as close as I thinkI can on this last Bacon go around ...I did up 10# of my new Jalapeno pepper Bacon...It turned out really good...Lips and toungue tingle good 15# of the Apple, and 12# of the double maple..
1st off I'll explain why no Q-Veiw...
Hooli-Poop, My 18 month old 20# Burmese cat. tends to steal stuff and hide it...Socks, lighters,slippers...Camera bag with the camera and battery's
He hid my camera in the compost bucket while I was prepping pumpkins for "Punkin Jerky" and I dumped it in the compost pile not knowing it was in there... My big smoker isn't at the apt...so I do as much work as I can when Smoking...I found it while I was turning compost with my Kubota...un harmed mostly...Just covered in horse poo, punkin guts and rind ...EEEEEWWWWWW... Battery's were dead...so all I got was pix of the finished Bacon...camera was lost for 2 weeks...Thank god it didn't rain
1st the Apple Bacon, wet brined in 3/4 reduced apple Juice simmered down 3 gallons into 1..this time...No cider. After thinking about Old John Shogren I Went from Nitrate and kosher salt to Tender Quick following the guidelines...He was old school and of the K.I.S.S. plan. I tossed in some white and black pepper corns about a cup of them, about a 1/2 cup of honey, and 1/4 cup of molassas. Then I tossed a couple of peeled Granny Smith Apple in the food processor and kinda coarse pureed them (chunky and juicey)
Realizing this was not enouph liqid to cover I just added Cheap apple juice and TQ to the mix
The Brine looked really pale and wan't as sweet as I thought it should would be so I tossed a half a cup of brown sugar in and mixed it up.
Next was the Jalapeno Bacon, I fine chopped about 6-8 red Japs, 6-7 wax a few tobasco;s and a green pepper,,,( I thought it was a good idea...Dunno why) mixed it with about a half cup of Spec Pow...That's my blend of spices, a table spoon of Jap powder, a Tablespoon of Asian Powder, and about a half a cup of brown sugar and rubbed them in the Butt halves
The brine was tender quick to specs, plus water and some left over apple juice, and a shot...about 1/4 cup of Pure Dark Maple syrup
The Maple was the same as last time.
I Injected brine after 3 days of soaking
Turned every day....
TURNED EVERY DAY
and turned every day for 2 weeks
Pulled them from the brine and rested in the fridge overnight
till smoker day
6 filleted Butts and 2 Loin ends were on their way to greatness
cranked up the smoker with my blend of oak,and maple at 125* I choked it off and added my flavor blend
While Smoking I basted the Bacons every hour
Apple got basted with It's Brine Plus alittle apple puree to help it stick...Didn't really work But the Flavor is awesome
Jap got basted with it's brine stirred to keep the peppers even...and man did they stick
Maple was the standard brine with a extra glurp of Mapl syrup from the Jug to give that extra Maply punch
Ready for the crappy pix yet?
Jalapeno
Apple
The Maple
