You need to think long and hard before you do bacon, once you go there, you'll never be the same. You'll beg the butcher for sides at any price, you wear a trench coat down into china town to the seedy dark and gloomy resturants looking for sides, you'll dream at night of developing a pig with bigger better sides, you'll be a sow belly junkie.
This year, I found a place for fresh hocks too. Did I say hams, yes YES! Fresh hams! I wonder if you can cure ears and tails too?
Its all Pop's cure, and Bears 10 degree per hour smoke chart. Last year was my first bacon cure, I did 7 sides and was out a month ago.
I want to smoke an uncured side..... That sounds sooooooo good. Maybe this year.