Dry cure bacon questions for first attempts…

[G8trwood]

Should start by saying I have the Maranski book and have read most of it. Have scales, cure #1, spices, etc.

I would like to try belly and BB bacon, haven’t gone to Costco yet to buy anything.

With the dry cure, can it be on a wire rack with air flow or should it be in a bag to keep the salt that drips off with moisture as part of the “system” to keep the proportions even?

I am not a fan of real salty bacon, so what is the minimum safe level? 1.5+.25 for a total of 1.75?

On the smoking, I live in Florida, so a cold smoke is out, lol, I could probably do a medium (140-160) smoke in my pellet with an anmps tray? Thought I had an old electric in the barn, but, nope. Could probably swing a MES if recommended. I think my pellet is about 90 right now just sitting in the sun.

I have read most of the threads and will read Maranski again unless a nap gets in the way.

Thanks for any responses

 

[tallbm]

Should start by saying I have the Maranski book and have read most of it. Have scales, cure #1, spices, etc.

I would like to try belly and BB bacon, haven’t gone to Costco yet to buy anything.

With the dry cure, can it be on a wire rack with air flow or should it be in a bag to keep the salt that drips off with moisture as part of the “system” to keep the proportions even?

I am not a fan of real salty bacon, so what is the minimum safe level? 1.5+.25 for a total of 1.75?

On the smoking, I live in Florida, so a cold smoke is out, lol, I could probably do a medium (140-160) smoke in my pellet with an anmps tray? Thought I had an old electric in the barn, but, nope. Could probably swing a MES if recommended. I think my pellet is about 90 right now just sitting in the sun.

I have read most of the threads and will read Maranski again unless a nap gets in the way.

Thanks for any responses

I think 1.5 salt will be fine and then add the cure #1 in appropriate amount.
I would bag the bacon with the seasoning/cure and squeeze out all the air you can to ensure the salts and cure stay in contact and with the meat. Also the bag catches any liquid loss and lets it reabsorb if needed. It's less messy this way and better all around.

You can "hot smoke" your bacon walking the smoker temp up to like 165F-170F degrees to hit any internal temperature you want. I personally take my bacon to an IT of 145F because I like to eat on it as I slice it.
I have found that I eat like 95% of my bacon without it ever kitting a skillet because its sooooooo good this way and already fully cooked for eating. It's like having bacon cold cuts!!!

As for pellets, I would suggest you not go over 5 hours of straight hickory. 4 hours of straight hickory is safer. To me it's too strong to go over 5 hours.
My personal favorite is 30% Hickory and 70% Apple smoke for bacon and sausage. Sometimes I want 100% hickory but learned how long I care to apply smoke so it isnt too strong.

I hope all this info helps :)

 

[G8trwood]

I think 1.5 salt will be fine and then add the cure #1 in appropriate amount.
I would bag the bacon with the seasoning/cure and squeeze out all the air you can to ensure the salts and cure stay in contact and with the meat. Also the bag catches any liquid loss and lets it reabsorb if needed. It's less messy this way and better all around.

You can "hot smoke" your bacon walking the smoker temp up to like 165F-170F degrees to hit any internal temperature you want. I personally take my bacon to an IT of 145F because I like to eat on it as I slice it.
I have found that I eat like 95% of my bacon without it ever kitting a skillet because its sooooooo good this way and already fully cooked for eating. It's like having bacon cold cuts!!!

As for pellets, I would suggest you not go over 5 hours of straight hickory. 4 hours of straight hickory is safer. To me it's too strong to go over 5 hours.
My personal favorite is 30% Hickory and 70% Apple smoke for bacon and sausage. Sometimes I want 100% hickory but learned how long I care to apply smoke so it isnt too strong.

I hope all this info helps :)

It does. I will see if I have any apple. Just bought an oak, hickory, cherry blend.

 

[SmokinEdge]

With the dry cure, can it be on a wire rack with air flow or should it be in a bag to keep the salt that drips off with moisture as part of the “system” to keep the proportions even?

This is how I do my bacon. Just be sure to place a pan or tray under the rack to catch the liquid. This process results in a deeper bacon flavor and reminds me of rind on bacon we used to buy from the butcher in the 70’s. Curing bacon this way allows the meat to dry slightly, this concentrates the flavors slightly.

I am not a fan of real salty bacon, so what is the minimum safe level? 1.5+.25 for a total of 1.75?

This is exactly what I use along with 0.5% sugar for balance.

On the smoking, I live in Florida, so a cold smoke is out, lol, I could probably do a medium (140-160) smoke in my pellet with an anmps tray? Thought I had an old electric in the barn, but, nope. Could probably swing a MES if recommended. I think my pellet is about 90 right now just sitting in the sun.

This will work fine. Just be careful on temp as any time north of 160F will start rendering the fat and make the bacon greasy. If you will fry or otherwise cook the bacon before eating then IT really isn’t an issue, although I still recommend keeping the IT at or below 145F.

I have read most of the threads and will read Maranski again unless a nap gets in the way.

Marianski is highly recommended.

 

[SmokinEdge]

On pellet flavor, a pecan and cherry blend is all I use now. It’s fantastic and the meat color is off the charts.

 

[indaswamp]

I would not take the internal temp of bacon above 125*F, otherwise the fat will crack and it will be both difficult to slice and difficult to separate the slices for cooking once packaged.

You can cold smoke at night when the temp. is lower and the humidity is higher....

 

[Sven Svensson]

I’m not a fan of salty bacon, either. I use 1.5 on both belly and BB and it has never been too salty. I apply the dry cure and then immediately vacuum seal it. My last batch I put in the fridge for 3+ weeks as some of the BB was rather thick and it was perfect. For bacon I use a 50/50 of Lumberjack cherry and KnottyWood plum. The color is always insane. Flavor is amazing, too.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I’m not a fan of salty bacon, either. I use 1.5 on both belly and BB and it has never been too salty. I apply the dry cure and then immediately vacuum seal it. My last batch I put in the fridge for 3+ weeks as some of the BB was rather thick and it was perfect. For bacon I use a 50/50 of Lumberjack cherry and KnottyWood plum. The color is always insane. Flavor is amazing, too.

Sven, what brand of pellet has the plum? I’m intrigued.

 

[G8trwood]

Knotty Wood. Home Depo distributes now I think

 

[slavikborisov]

I just did this… ziploc bag worked for me 14 days 1.5% salt .75% sugar and .25% cure 1 massage and flip daily… pellet smoker set at 185F till IT hit 145F…. I also
Let it rest one night the. Cold smoked for a few hours the next evening but that’s an optional step.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I just did this… ziploc bag worked for me 14 days 1.5% salt .75% sugar and .25% cure 1 massage and flip daily… pellet smoker set at 185F till IT hit 145F…. I also
Let it rest one night the. Cold smoked for a few hours the next evening but that’s an optional step.

This works fine. Personally I would not run the cooker that high, but if your happy, I’m tickled. It works. Running the temp lower also give better smoke and for longer. YMMV.