1st Shot at Bacon

[cybball]

Going to do some bacon this week. I ordered some cure #1 and have whT I think should be everything else. Can someone give me a basic cure recipe to use per pound of belly? i know the spices are fairly variable but have seen a LOT of different ways. I would sure appreciate it. Thanks. Jason

 

[daveomak]

I would make a basic bacon to start, and experiment later....   I like 2% pickling salt, others like 2.25 - 2.5% salt... I like 1% white sugar....  the cure amount is standard at 200 Ppm max...  0.32% or 1.45 grams/# max.... on a skin off belly.... 

Mix up the ingredients and sprinkle all over the meat...  rub it in...  put in a zip bag and refer....   I like to turn and massage daily for 8-10 days.. longer is better...  2 weeks is fine.... I also like a little liquid in the bag to insure even spreading of the ingredients... I will add a TBS or 2 if it looks like it is drying out.. meat absorbing the liquid...  at the end of the curing process, rinse the belly and dry... set back in the refer for a day or three to bloom... remove and  rinse and dry and set on a rack with a fan blowing on it to form a pellicle...  the meat will get dry and start to shine...   then cold smoke, below 70 for as long as you want, then you can cook it in the smoker or partially freeze and slice and vac-pack and freeze... and cook when you want to eat it...

Or you can look up pops brine/cure for curing meats.....  it is a very good recipe and makes great product....    I use a very similar recipe at times....

 

[cybball]

Thanks for the reply.  The 1.45 grams/# max on cure/instacure #1 makes sense.  I'm a little fuzzy on the salt and sugar percentage.  Is that percent of meat weight?  So if I have a 10lb belly, so roughly 90 grams of pickling salt and half that of sugar?  Sorry, I'm probably overdoing it, but with the cure, I want to make sure I'm correct so no one gets sick.  

 

[daveomak]

YES....   4540 x .02 = 90 grams... you got it....    Like I said...  those are Brides preferences and that's what I do....  it's good....  you can taste the pig.....  It's a very good starting point and you can always change it on the next batch....     Dave

 

[cybball]

Thanks Dave!