Bacon Made Simple

[meateater]

Here is my recent Belly Bacon that I Cured and Cold Smoked myself. I will break this down into simple steps that a 5[sup]th[/sup] grader could follow and complete. Enjoy!

1: Weigh each piece and apply the correct amount of cure of your choice according to MFG’s directions.

2: Flip every day and rub it for 10 day’s.

3: Rinse well with cold water and soak for an hour in cold water.

4: Rinse again, slice off a piece and pan fry to test for saltiness, if to salty repeat step 3 as needed.

5: Place in fridge overnight uncovered to form a pellicle.

6: Cold smoke with your favorite wood for as long as you like.

7: Yes it’s just that simple. This is the same process for Canadian bacon i.e Pork Loin or Buckboard Bacon i.e. Pork Butt.

8: Enjoy and get ready to make another batch as this won’t last long. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now on how I did this. This is only half of the belly that I bought, the other half is in the freezer waiting. I measured out each piece and applied Hi-Mtn BBB cure according to the MFG’s directions. The rest is described above. I smoked it with my AMNS filled with a combo of maple and cherry dust and lit from both ends. This gave me a perfect 9 ½ hours of TBS. Now back into the fridge overnight to firm up before breaking out the slicer. Once you make your own you will not buy packaged bacon again. Enjoy! 

 

[scarbelly]

Looking good my friend. Mighty tasty too I bet

 

[gotarace]

Yummmm Bacon...and yours looks excellent, Can i get a plate like the one in your q-view with a side of hash browns? Thanks for sharing the views!!!

 

[SmokinAl]

Thank you Meateater for a simple easy to follow recipe for bacon. By the way the color of your bacon is spectacular. We can't get bellies around here so I make BBB, but I'm dying to make belly bacon. It looks like if I want any pork bellies I will have to drive at least 2 hours one way & buy the whole case. I guess that's next on the ToDo list. Thanks again for an easy step by step bacon recipe.

 

[custom99]

Wow, I hope mine come out even half as nice as that. Looks fantastic.

 

[tjohnson]

SWEET!

Bacon = Good!

TJ

 

[meateater]

Looking good my friend. Mighty tasty too I bet

Thanks Gary, you bet this stuff is tasty. 
 

Yummmm Bacon...and yours looks excellent, Can i get a plate like the one in your q-view with a side of hash browns? Thanks for sharing the views!!!

I had some hashers in the freezer but was drooling over the bacon. 

Thank you Meateater for a simple easy to follow recipe for bacon. By the way the color of your bacon is spectacular. We can't get bellies around here so I make BBB, but I'm dying to make belly bacon. It looks like if I want any pork bellies I will have to drive at least 2 hours one way & buy the whole case. I guess that's next on the ToDo list. Thanks again for an easy step by step bacon recipe.

Thanks Al, well a case would last you awhile,just might be worth the drive if you have the room. 

Wow, I hope mine come out even half as nice as that. Looks fantastic.

I think everyone gets nervous on there first one then is no biggy. 

SWEET!

Bacon = Good!

TJ

Thanks Todd, it was easy with the AMNS. That was my longest so far 9 1/2 hours on one filling. 

 

 

 

[venture]

Super looking bacon!

I like that mix of maple and cherry for smoking cheese!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[raptor700]

Awesome color on the bacon

Looks very nice

 

[chefrob]

good looking bacon! i used to use Hi Mountain until i started using #1.....never had an issue about flavor or ease of use.

 

[meateater]

good looking bacon! i used to use Hi Mountain until i started using #1.....never had an issue about flavor or ease of use.

Thanks Rob, I'm trying to use up the Hi Mtn that I have, I notice you have to soak a few times, kinda salty stuff.  I have some #1 but use it for jerky only right now. I'm converting slowly. 

 

[chefrob]

yea, i've got just enough left that i can't use it for a cure. i did soak my BBB for about an hour but that was it. as for the cure i don't have to soak at all since i control the sugar/salt content.......you will love it!

 

[roller]

That looks just great. I am going to do this one day when I get me a slicer....

 

[meateater]

That looks just great. I am going to do this one day when I get me a slicer....

No slicer needed. Just put in the freezer till kinda hard and use a sharp knife. If you only saw chefrob's knife skills...........

 

[bmudd14474]

yummmmmmmmmmy

 

[jak757]

Looks great!

I started curing 12 lbs. of bellies on Friday.  Looking forward to smoking it next Sunday!!  Qview to follow........

 

[meateater]

Super looking bacon!

I like that mix of maple and cherry for smoking cheese!

Good luck and good smoking.

Maple and Cherry is my new combo for bacon, cheese I like apple. 

 

 

[nwdave]

Maple and Cherry is my new combo for bacon, cheese I like apple. 

 

Maple I got.  Cherry?  Oh no, time to panic -  got no cherry.  But wait, Tuesday I can snag some.  I can just hear SWMBO now. 

What's wrong with all that other stuff you got?

  But Dear, the guys say.......  yep, that's going to go over real good....  Ah well.

Now that's some mighty fine looking bacon. 

 

[whtplainssmoker]

Mmmmm Bacon (in Homer Simpson voice).  Now I need to read up on cold smoking.

 

[smokinstevo27]

Meateater that looks great, its on my to do list. Al, that sounds like as good of an excuse as any for a lil ole roadtrip!

 

Thank you Meateater for a simple easy to follow recipe for bacon. By the way the color of your bacon is spectacular. We can't get bellies around here so I make BBB, but I'm dying to make belly bacon. It looks like if I want any pork bellies I will have to drive at least 2 hours one way & buy the whole case. I guess that's next on the ToDo list. Thanks again for an easy step by step bacon recipe.