- Oct 28, 2017
- 14
- 10
A ‘Sweet Cure Bacon’
For this bacon, I wanted to push up the sugar percentage in the equilibrium immersion cure more toward what some might refer to as a ‘Sweet Cure’ bacon at 6% sugars. Just to give me and the family a taste comparison to belly bacon using lower sugar concentrations in prior bacon batches. I also slightly increased my typical salt percentage to 2.5%.
The bacon flavor after the final fridge rest has become quite uniform and well balanced throughout the meat. Quite good to eat freshly sliced, but outstanding when carefully fried off at low to medium heat due to the higher sugar. It cooks and crisps nicely with the outer edges developing a nice caramelization. It has a much sweeter finish on the palate when eating a slice. Quite rich. Quite filling.
Smoked in my converted electric kitchen oven smoker using a graduated time/temperature profile.
After removal from the smoker and letting it cool to room temperature, each whole piece (well … one piece had to have a number of “quality control” slices removed) was wrapped in uncoated peach butcher paper for it’s 3 day fridge rest.
Of course, after a full day at rest additional quality control sampling just had to be done.
Yield after smoking was about 80% by weight from the initial meat weigh-in.
The now firmed up and equalized bacon was well chilled and sliced on the Berkel 827A where the 12 inch blade size meant almost no length trimming was needed to fit on the cutting tray. Sliced at a 3.5 on the dial giving a thickness of 1/8 inch.
Finally the bacon was chamber vacuum sealed in a mix of 1/2 and 1 pound packages. Ready for future good eats and holiday gift bags for friends.
Gotta love a slicer and sealer when making larger amounts of bacon as this cook cycle had a companion 10 lb batch of a pepper bacon.
The Smokehowze family gives this bacon batch two thumbs up.
For this bacon, I wanted to push up the sugar percentage in the equilibrium immersion cure more toward what some might refer to as a ‘Sweet Cure’ bacon at 6% sugars. Just to give me and the family a taste comparison to belly bacon using lower sugar concentrations in prior bacon batches. I also slightly increased my typical salt percentage to 2.5%.
The bacon flavor after the final fridge rest has become quite uniform and well balanced throughout the meat. Quite good to eat freshly sliced, but outstanding when carefully fried off at low to medium heat due to the higher sugar. It cooks and crisps nicely with the outer edges developing a nice caramelization. It has a much sweeter finish on the palate when eating a slice. Quite rich. Quite filling.
Here is that ~ 10 lb batch. This was an equilibrium immersion cure approach at the higher sugar level. Cure #1, salt, brown and white sugar and some fine ground black pepper in the brine. Basically a variation of "Pop's Wet Curing Brine" for 14 days. Fridge rest uncovered on wire racks for a day before smoking to dry and develop a pellicle. Lightly dusted with more fine ground pepper before smoking with hickory.SWEET PICKLE BRINE RECAP (rounded numbers)
Meat Weight 4355 grams 9.6 lbs
Equiv Water in Meat 2830 grams
Water for Brine 9464 grams 10 quarts
Total Water Weight 12294 grams
(below are based on total water weight)
Salt (pickling) 307 grams 2.5 percent
Sugar (brown) 393 grams 3.2 percent
Sugar (white) 344 grams 2.8 percent
Black Pepper (fine ground) 1.25 tsp
Cure #1 27 grams 138 ppm
Equiv Water in Meat 2830 grams
Water for Brine 9464 grams 10 quarts
Total Water Weight 12294 grams
(below are based on total water weight)
Salt (pickling) 307 grams 2.5 percent
Sugar (brown) 393 grams 3.2 percent
Sugar (white) 344 grams 2.8 percent
Black Pepper (fine ground) 1.25 tsp
Cure #1 27 grams 138 ppm
Smoked in my converted electric kitchen oven smoker using a graduated time/temperature profile.
- 130 degrees for 60 minutes, no smoke, to dry any condensation as I had taken the meat right from fridge.
- An extended 145 degree regime for 4.5 hours with smoke
- A finishing phase at 165-170 degrees for about 6 hours with smoke until internal temperature across the three pieces was between 147 and 150 for a fully cooked product.
After removal from the smoker and letting it cool to room temperature, each whole piece (well … one piece had to have a number of “quality control” slices removed) was wrapped in uncoated peach butcher paper for it’s 3 day fridge rest.
Of course, after a full day at rest additional quality control sampling just had to be done.
Yield after smoking was about 80% by weight from the initial meat weigh-in.
The now firmed up and equalized bacon was well chilled and sliced on the Berkel 827A where the 12 inch blade size meant almost no length trimming was needed to fit on the cutting tray. Sliced at a 3.5 on the dial giving a thickness of 1/8 inch.
Finally the bacon was chamber vacuum sealed in a mix of 1/2 and 1 pound packages. Ready for future good eats and holiday gift bags for friends.
Gotta love a slicer and sealer when making larger amounts of bacon as this cook cycle had a companion 10 lb batch of a pepper bacon.
The Smokehowze family gives this bacon batch two thumbs up.