smokewood
Smoking Fanatic
Ahh Bless!
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1st Attempt at Smoked Bacon
- Thread starter slimjimuk
- Start date
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slimjimuk
Smoke Blower
DAMMIT ..... Didn't read the instructions (school boy error) and didn't realise I had to rinse, dry and rest in the fridge on a rack for 25 hours.
Still, looking good and the dust is all setup in the smoker ready for 2pm tomorrow.
Hoping to pickup a slicer on eBay nice and cheap tomorrow....
Still, looking good and the dust is all setup in the smoker ready for 2pm tomorrow.
Hoping to pickup a slicer on eBay nice and cheap tomorrow....
smokewood
Smoking Fanatic
I look forward to the end results in a day or two.
slimjimuk
Smoke Blower
Did you smoke it? How did it turn out?
slimjimuk
Smoke Blower
Yup.... Smoking right now. 40 hours done, 8 more to go!!
Then another 48 in the fridge.
Is if going to make EVERYTHING in the fridge stink of smoke? [emoji]128518[/emoji]
Then another 48 in the fridge.
Is if going to make EVERYTHING in the fridge stink of smoke? [emoji]128518[/emoji]
Your are going to get a strong flavor/smell of smoke. If you have thinks that are delicate/absurd smells, I would put into plastic containers.
Steve - you wimp! what is the problem with everything in the fridge smelling of smoked bacon
On a serious note Jim - yes the smell will permeate the whole fridge. Hopefully you are already following good food handling practice in the fridge and have everything covered.
I do not have a problem with it, but Jill has, that's why I have my own fridge [emoji]128077[/emoji][emoji]128512[/emoji]
slimjimuk
Smoke Blower
Thought about vac-packing it... but I am presuming the whole point of letting it rest is for the flavours to settle and also for it to air dry.
Will stick it on a rack (as I did before) but wrap the whole thing in clingfilm and tinfoil. Try to keep some of the smell to itself..............
--EDIT-- yes, everything else is covered. I have done a spot of Hygiene training (back in my student job days) and carried it through.
Plus we are pretty confident in the kitchen and like to experiment with strong flavours, so I am pretty sure I know what to expect.
Will stick it on a rack (as I did before) but wrap the whole thing in clingfilm and tinfoil. Try to keep some of the smell to itself..............
--EDIT-- yes, everything else is covered. I have done a spot of Hygiene training (back in my student job days) and carried it through.
Plus we are pretty confident in the kitchen and like to experiment with strong flavours, so I am pretty sure I know what to expect.
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slimjimuk
Smoke Blower
So.... Seems like the biggest problem is going to be that the bacon won't last as long as it took to make!!!
Another convert!!!
Great looking bacon Jim. I know what you were going through as it was your first time but now that the fear of the unknown has been overcome there will be no stopping you. The secret is to keep a batch going all the time and when you find you are getting too much then skip a batch. Don't let friends and family taste it though or you will never have enough.
With this batch be quite critical. Was it too salty or not salty enough? If you feel it needs to change then up or down it by 0.5% for next time. Do you need to adjust the smoking time?
Next time maybe cure two batches - one the same as this and another with maybe some Bay, juniper or szechuwan pepper. Don't be afraid to try things out.
Also try it for the 10-12 days curing. You will find that it is sufficient for most pork cuts.
Again - great job
Wade
With this batch be quite critical. Was it too salty or not salty enough? If you feel it needs to change then up or down it by 0.5% for next time. Do you need to adjust the smoking time?
Next time maybe cure two batches - one the same as this and another with maybe some Bay, juniper or szechuwan pepper. Don't be afraid to try things out.
Also try it for the 10-12 days curing. You will find that it is sufficient for most pork cuts.
Again - great job
Wade
Once it has finished smoking give it 24 hours in the fridge for the surface to dry and then vacuum pack it. It will all still happen in the vac pack.
slimjimuk
Smoke Blower
Going to get stuck into it properly and make some decisions on the taste.
The biggest (obvious) issue is the rind. Very very chewy, no matter what I do. So going to take it off before slicing any more.
Shame, as I love crispy rind on my bacon.
Any suggestions on how to solve this?
Other than that, it may be a little over smoked. Air dried it for 48 hours in the fridge to let the flavour settle before slicing but still could be a little over. But I can very easily solve that by only smoking for 36 hours and not 48.
Quite like the lemon pepper flavouring too, which gives me confidence to try more.
We have a pretty extensive fridge mounted spice 'rack' that will come in handy. (Highly recommend)
Plenty of junipers, bay and a wide array of peppers.
Plus the thermomix turns all the spices into dust, which is great for rubs.
Off the the butchers this morning. I let them have some of the smoked salmon and now they are very kind to me. Going to see if they will put the rest of the pork on their slicer for me, in exchange for a few slices. [emoji]128518[/emoji]
The biggest (obvious) issue is the rind. Very very chewy, no matter what I do. So going to take it off before slicing any more.
Shame, as I love crispy rind on my bacon.
Any suggestions on how to solve this?
Other than that, it may be a little over smoked. Air dried it for 48 hours in the fridge to let the flavour settle before slicing but still could be a little over. But I can very easily solve that by only smoking for 36 hours and not 48.
Quite like the lemon pepper flavouring too, which gives me confidence to try more.
We have a pretty extensive fridge mounted spice 'rack' that will come in handy. (Highly recommend)
Plenty of junipers, bay and a wide array of peppers.
Plus the thermomix turns all the spices into dust, which is great for rubs.
Off the the butchers this morning. I let them have some of the smoked salmon and now they are very kind to me. Going to see if they will put the rest of the pork on their slicer for me, in exchange for a few slices. [emoji]128518[/emoji]
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slimjimuk
Smoke Blower
Looking pretty good.
I swear this pack would be about £4 from a farm shop!!!
I swear this pack would be about £4 from a farm shop!!!
Not really, sorry, as I always cut the skin off before I cure it so that I don't have to worry about it. Steve may have some suggestions as to how to get it crispy.
smokewood
Smoking Fanatic
smokewood
Smoking Fanatic
I am really pleased for you. I remember the first bacon that I cured and the flavours....... absolutely fantastic.
Like you mentioned on a previous post after you give a couple of slices here and a few more there, there is nothing left! I cured 2 pork loins for my second smoke hoping to fill the freezer, but still gave a lot away. I now cure them in 4's or more.
Congratulations I am really pleased for you - Another Convert - YES !!!!
I
Like you mentioned on a previous post after you give a couple of slices here and a few more there, there is nothing left! I cured 2 pork loins for my second smoke hoping to fill the freezer, but still gave a lot away. I now cure them in 4's or more.
Congratulations I am really pleased for you - Another Convert - YES !!!!
I
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