Bacon ~ Foamheart

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foamheart

Gone but not forgotten. RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
Found this in the brine bucket Thursday so thought I would dry and smoke it today.

Used Pop Fassett's brine cure, cutting back the sugar slightly. Cured a couple a weeks.

After letting it dry in the reefer, and then the fan, it went in the preheated smoker.

Maintained 100 to 120 degrees.

4 hours of Corn cob, hickory & apple (pellets).

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Then 4 hours of pecan (pecan shells using the MECS )

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I think its had enough.......... back in the reefer!

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My hands smell just like smoked bacon!!

I got those slabs for 5.00 ea. and were gone before I could get more. BTW Just so ya know the packaging said I believe that the due date on them was a couple a years back. I assume they were frozen, cause they taste great! LOL. Thats why I didn't try to get more faster. Really cheap price and two year old date sorta scared me.

I forgot how pretty that pecan was. I am scared to go to sleep tonite, I might eat my fingers!
 
I've never tried my own bacon (being so new to smok'in). BUT I see it on my horizon - and soon. Time to find this "Pop Fassett's brine cure".

I think most of the curing here is a brine cure that is Pop's with slight variations. There are some dry rub cures also. I have been saying for a few years I was going to try a dry rub cure. I mean its how my Pop made bacon as a kid. But Pop Fassett's brine cure is just almost idiot proof. Convenient for folks like me....LOL

Pop's original cure is pretty simple. And now there is the reduced sugar and salt variation also. Pop's lite I guess.....LOL

I will warn you though, once you make your own bacon, you'll turn your nose up at store bought.
 
Looks great!! I use Pops for all my bacon types. Easy to do and almost dummy proof which I need :).
 
So I. Saw another post of yours with the ingredient list but nothing on time. How long did you leave it in the wet brine?

This is what I use, I got it from somewhere on the board here. Here's two good threads on curing meat.

Curing Times **********************
“Curing times vary with meat, but generally overnight to 2-3 days for chickens and turkeys, 8-10 days buckboard bacon, 10-14 days belly bacon, pork shoulder, whole butts, 3-4 weeks whole hams, 10-20 days corned beef (fresh beef roasts, briskets, rolled rib roasts, etc.) If whole muscle is more than 2" thick, then inject so it can cure i/o as well as o/i, and/or in and around bone structures, etc.”

Dry rub

Rub cure (Bearcarver)


Brine cure
Brine Cure ( Pops)

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/124885/bacon-made-the-easy-way
 
I dry cure my bacon and it turns out great. Use the cure calculator here. It was suggested here a while ago when I first started curing my own bacon. http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html You can adjust the amounts of salt and sugar to your liking. The default ratio is a good starting place and I do not deviate far from that to be honest. I usually do an hour soak in water and then slice and fry a test piece to check for salt content. Then cold smoke for 4-6 hours with apple and rest in fridge for two days then slice and vac seal. Also can dust with cayenne powder before the smoke for some heat. And Foamheart is right, I havent bought bacon in years! Good luck
 
Thanks A BUNCH for your advice and all the information! Bacon for my next fatty and egg breakfast will be home made by the looks of it :-)
 
Dang looks like bacon eggs and biscuits in you near future maybe some taters too.

Warren

First thing was a BLT, I just sliced up half it and blocked the other half. Each block was 1/2 pound the same as each package of sliced. It ended up 4 pounds. I thought about the blocks, might be what I give away, they look nice and whomever gets one will definitely appreciate sliced bacon more...>LOL

You sure you are not a run away southern boy? Bacon, eggs, biscuits, grits or hash browns and I'd be wanting to go sit in the blind! LOL.. might even take a nap while there... LOL
 
For sure could go for them grits too. Not a run away but I do live south of the Mason Dixon Line. :emoji_wink: :emoji_relieved:

Warren

Just placed my holiday corn order. Guy has a gris mill and I get grits, fish fry and meal from him. He grinds his corn and gives his money to his grand kids which we can all probably relate to, in one way or another!
 
Foamheart... Well, you went and did it, got me started - inspired. I Picked up a bag of Motrin Tender quick today. Next I'm off to Costco for pork belly. I've got plenty of apple dust and pellets. My goal here is to come up with some apple maple(syrup) bacon that I personally enjoy more than the locally produced bacon. Successful or not it's going to be fun! Smok'in cheese tomorrow :-). Thanks again!
 
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