I call it easy because it is quite easy and safe.
When I first joined here I was interested in making sausage and bacon.
Never made or attempted any before.
I read and used the handy dandy search tool a lot.
My first bacon was made using Bears step by step and turned out great.
I used this recipe quite a few times...alway came out great.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/96761/smoked-bacon-step-by-step-with-qview
He was very generous with his help.
Pops6927 is a lifelong friend of mine and his family had a store and his Dads bacon,smoked hams and such were famous.
Pops posted the way his family made bacon and it has a lot less work to it.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110799/pops6927-s-wet-curing-brine
I liked the idea of less work so I gave it a try and now it is my go to for bacon.
I went to the grocery store and asked for a food grade bucket from the bakery.
They gave me a 15 pound icing bucket..perfect.
Here it is with some if the ingredients..
I use the gallon jug for mixing..then into the bucket.
I found a small store here that I get bellies from..not as cheap as the Asian store in Atlanta ..but at least they can be found here.
First I mix the brine up as desrcibed in Pops url up there ^^^.
2 gallons does one bellie perfectly in my bucket.
I also add lots of ground pepper corns and granulated garlic.
I usually cut the bellie into 3 chunks and into the brine they go.
I leave the skin on.. It comes off real easy when it comes out of the smoker.
Then into the well mixed brine.
Ziplock filled with water to keep things submerged.
Date the lid and into the fridge for 10 days.
Once the ten days pass I rinse them off and cover with Pepper onion and garlic.
Then into the fridge for a few days.
I use the MES for smoking this..
On smoking day I turn it on to 100 and leave it there for the entire time.
I use wharever I have handy for smoke...usually pecan in my AMS.
Smoke it least 10 hours til it has a nice color.
Using a very sharp fillet knife I cut the skin off and freeze it.
Getting the skin off can be a pain..but it gets easier as you do more.
Then back into the fridge for a day or two.
I was very lucky to fall on a deal for a commercial slicer..
Slicing was always the hard part..now it is easy.
On slicing day I put the bacon in the freezer for an hour...makes it much easier.
Then vac packed and into the freezer.
There you have it!!!
There is nothing hard or mysterious about making bacon and the way I do it is not the only way.
Follow the rules about safety and cleanliness and there will be no problems.
MMMMMMMMMMMM Bacon!!!
Have a great day!!!!
Many thanks to Pops,Bear and the rest of the crew here.
I have learned much in the past year!!
Craig
When I first joined here I was interested in making sausage and bacon.
Never made or attempted any before.
I read and used the handy dandy search tool a lot.
My first bacon was made using Bears step by step and turned out great.
I used this recipe quite a few times...alway came out great.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/96761/smoked-bacon-step-by-step-with-qview
He was very generous with his help.
Pops6927 is a lifelong friend of mine and his family had a store and his Dads bacon,smoked hams and such were famous.
Pops posted the way his family made bacon and it has a lot less work to it.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110799/pops6927-s-wet-curing-brine
I liked the idea of less work so I gave it a try and now it is my go to for bacon.
I went to the grocery store and asked for a food grade bucket from the bakery.
They gave me a 15 pound icing bucket..perfect.
Here it is with some if the ingredients..
I use the gallon jug for mixing..then into the bucket.
I found a small store here that I get bellies from..not as cheap as the Asian store in Atlanta ..but at least they can be found here.
First I mix the brine up as desrcibed in Pops url up there ^^^.
2 gallons does one bellie perfectly in my bucket.
I also add lots of ground pepper corns and granulated garlic.
I usually cut the bellie into 3 chunks and into the brine they go.
I leave the skin on.. It comes off real easy when it comes out of the smoker.
Then into the well mixed brine.
Ziplock filled with water to keep things submerged.
Date the lid and into the fridge for 10 days.
Once the ten days pass I rinse them off and cover with Pepper onion and garlic.
Then into the fridge for a few days.
I use the MES for smoking this..
On smoking day I turn it on to 100 and leave it there for the entire time.
I use wharever I have handy for smoke...usually pecan in my AMS.
Smoke it least 10 hours til it has a nice color.
Using a very sharp fillet knife I cut the skin off and freeze it.
Getting the skin off can be a pain..but it gets easier as you do more.
Then back into the fridge for a day or two.
I was very lucky to fall on a deal for a commercial slicer..
Slicing was always the hard part..now it is easy.
On slicing day I put the bacon in the freezer for an hour...makes it much easier.
Then vac packed and into the freezer.
There you have it!!!
There is nothing hard or mysterious about making bacon and the way I do it is not the only way.
Follow the rules about safety and cleanliness and there will be no problems.
MMMMMMMMMMMM Bacon!!!
Have a great day!!!!
Many thanks to Pops,Bear and the rest of the crew here.
I have learned much in the past year!!
Craig
