Bacon... Here we go again...

[paleoman]

Given the good results of my first try at hot smoked bacon, I'm going to give it another go...

I went to BJ's Wholesale Club, which I'm a member of, and got a 5.8 lb piece of pork belly...

I cut it roughly in half, weighed the pieces and made a dry brine mixture for each piece. Rubbed it on and massaged each piece...

The one on the left is 2.58 lbs, the one on the right about 3.18 lbs. I decided to use a 2% salt content (versus 1.65% last time), and 1% sugar. Used the online calculator for cure/salt/sugar. I also used sea salt, as it is finer grain than the kosher salt I have (which is coarse grain) - thinking it will blend better with the cure #1. It seemed to.

Placed it in the refrigerator, and will massage and flip the pieces daily, keeping it in there for at least 14 days, and then will smoke it.

I'm going to try Cherry pellets this time, instead of hickory (just for fun), smoking on my Traeger at 165˚F (the minimum), like I did last time.

I want to give a try at seasoning it a bit this time., as last time I didn't do anything above and beyond the dry brine mixture for curing.

Can I just apply the seasonings, prior to smoking?

Since I have two pieces, I was thinking of trying something different on each piece.

I found this site on seasoning bacon... https://mealsmade.net/how-to-season-bacon/. Of note they said this about spices:

• Black Pepper: A classic and versatile spice that enhances the savory flavor of bacon.
• Garlic Powder: Adds a subtle yet aromatic depth to the meat.
• Onion Powder: Imparts a sweet and savory balance.
• Smoked Paprika: Infuses bacon with a hint of smokiness and warmth.
• Brown Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to complement the saltiness of the bacon.
• Maple Syrup: Enhances the sweetness and adds a touch of complexity.
• Cayenne Pepper: Provides a subtle kick of heat.
• Cumin: Adds a warm and earthy flavor.

And mentioned these "combinations" (but no quantity or proportions)...

• Classic Blend: Black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
• Smoky Blend: Smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin
• Sweet and Savory Blend: Brown sugar, maple syrup, black pepper
• Spicy Blend: Cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion powder

I was thinking of trying one piece sweet, and one spicy. Any suggestions on combinations of ingredients and proportions?

Looking at other sites they had some sweet mixtures, but they seemed overly sweet (like 1/2 C of sugars for 5 lbs of bacon).

Any suggestions would be most appreciated!!!

 

[Astralogics]

You are right that the sea salt mixes better with the cure. The more uniform size of the granules make it so.

Yes, you can apply the seasonings prior to smoking! It's a bit of a waste to include them in the cure, as they won't really penetrate the meat beyond the surface anyway.

Those blends and flavor profiles are pretty standard, but for the sweet and savory mix, I'd add a touch of crushed red pepper flakes as well.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Yep, all you can do is try different variations until you find what you like best!
Just pulled mine out this morning from curing for two weeks... wife said we only had two pounds left of last batch!

It's addicting!

Ryan

 

[SmokinEdge]

Can I just apply the seasonings, prior to smoking?

Yes, you can. We prefer to add them at the rub stage. All we use for spices is granulated garlic and white pepper. I just apply by eyeball just like seasoning any piece of meat.

As to sugar, nock yourself out, but remember that the higher the sugar content the more the bacon will want to burn in the pan. If you like a bit of sweet, you can just let the bacon cure, then the day or two before smoking remove from the bag and pat dry with paper towels. Then add a good coating of sugar all around, again no real measuring but you can cover it like a sugar donut. Then shake off excess and on to a wire rack on a cookie sheet and fridge a day or two. The sugar will dissolve and diffuse a bit. Then dry it off the day of smoke and smoke it. This will give you a bit more sweet on the edges of the bacon without burning much in the pan.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I also used sea salt, as it is finer grain than the kosher salt I have

I use plain, non-iodized salt...

 

[paleoman]

Yep, all you can do is try different variations until you find what you like best!
Just pulled mine out this morning from curing for two weeks... wife said we only had two pounds left of last batch!

View attachment 717568


It's addicting!

Ryan

Wow! That is a lot of pork belly!

I'm usually the only one that eats it for breakfast (about 10 slices a week), as my wife has a very light breakfast (e.g. yogurt or just a banana). Although I think now that my wife has tried home made bacon, and more so, if I get a flavor mix she likes, I think she'll probably snarf some for breakfast too.

 

[paleoman]

Yes, you can. We prefer to add them at the rub stage. All we use for spices is granulated garlic and white pepper. I just apply by eyeball just like seasoning any piece of meat.

As to sugar, nock yourself out, but remember that the higher the sugar content the more the bacon will want to burn in the pan. If you like a bit of sweet, you can just let the bacon cure, then the day or two before smoking remove from the bag and pat dry with paper towels. Then add a good coating of sugar all around, again no real measuring but you can cover it like a sugar donut. Then shake off excess and on to a wire rack on a cookie sheet and fridge a day or two. The sugar will dissolve and diffuse a bit. Then dry it off the day of smoke and smoke it. This will give you a bit more sweet on the edges of the bacon without burning much in the pan.

Great tips! My first time, I didn't add anything beyond the cure mix. Interested in trying some flavors.