I am trying to get some recipes mastered so when I get my commercial smokehouse going I can turn out some quality products. My latest project has been bacon. My first batch was awesome until I had a smoker malfunction and it got way over smoked. The next couple batches have been very inconsistent. I have been using pops brine method. So this go around I decided to try a dry sugar cure recommended by Mr T. Both processes are here in the forums somewhere. I haven't figured out how to post the links yet. I will try to work on getting that figured out. Here are some observations:
Pops brine:
Fairly easy to setup especially for large full slabs of belly. Just weigh the meat and cure, sugar, and water and put it in a cooler and put it in the fridge.
Mr. T's sugar cure takes a bit more to get curing. I had to cut the belly down to get it in the bag. After you know they fit in the bag you need to calculate out the cure and other spices needed. Put the belly and spice cure in the bag and put them in the fridge. This method takes up less space in the fridge to keep she that must be obeyed off your back.
As far as clean up the sugar cure was way easier to clean up. Take the bellies out of the bags and throw them away. Pops brine I have to wash out the cooler for the next run. After the 14 day cure the sugar cure bellies were nice and firm. The bellies in the brine were soft. After the rest period (mine went 6 days due to work) both bellies were firm. It was hard to tell the difference. The sugar cure may have been a touch firmer but not noticeable. Both bellies are in the smoker again today. It was too cold to keep a draft going and I found the smoke coming out the holes in my mailbox and not out the pipe. I got a 60 a bulb shoved down the stack and it seems to be keeping a draft better today even though it is 28 outside. I can't wait to fry these up and see how they turn out. Will keep you guys posted as the experiment continues.
Edit:
Pops brine
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110799/pops6927s-wet-curing-brine/0_80
Mr T's sugar cured bacon
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/178233/mr-ts-sugar-cured-bacon/0_80
Hope those links work
Jason
Pops brine:
Fairly easy to setup especially for large full slabs of belly. Just weigh the meat and cure, sugar, and water and put it in a cooler and put it in the fridge.
Mr. T's sugar cure takes a bit more to get curing. I had to cut the belly down to get it in the bag. After you know they fit in the bag you need to calculate out the cure and other spices needed. Put the belly and spice cure in the bag and put them in the fridge. This method takes up less space in the fridge to keep she that must be obeyed off your back.
As far as clean up the sugar cure was way easier to clean up. Take the bellies out of the bags and throw them away. Pops brine I have to wash out the cooler for the next run. After the 14 day cure the sugar cure bellies were nice and firm. The bellies in the brine were soft. After the rest period (mine went 6 days due to work) both bellies were firm. It was hard to tell the difference. The sugar cure may have been a touch firmer but not noticeable. Both bellies are in the smoker again today. It was too cold to keep a draft going and I found the smoke coming out the holes in my mailbox and not out the pipe. I got a 60 a bulb shoved down the stack and it seems to be keeping a draft better today even though it is 28 outside. I can't wait to fry these up and see how they turn out. Will keep you guys posted as the experiment continues.
Edit:
Pops brine
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110799/pops6927s-wet-curing-brine/0_80
Mr T's sugar cured bacon
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/178233/mr-ts-sugar-cured-bacon/0_80
Hope those links work
Jason
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