I've finished my second round of bacon last weekend and it came out pretty good but it can be better. I've read a lot of stuff here but am still a little unsure of the process. What I did with the last batch is as follows:
- I cured the bacon with Morton's TQ, a little brown sugar or a splash of maple syrup and some pepper in the zip locks.
- After 10 days in the zip locks, turning daily, I washed it and let it soak for a few hours to bring the salt level down.
- Into the fridge on a tray overnight to form a pellicle.
- Smoked for about 8 hours on the Kamado using the AMPS with apple pellets for smoke for a warm smoke (95F-115F).
- Off the Kamado and wrapped in plastic wrap and into the fridge for 2 days before slicing and vac packing.
Questions:
- The flavors were OK but how do I get more maple / honey / spice flavor into the bacon?
- Do I add some of the ingredients to the bacon immediately before smoking?
- Do I add the flavors to the bacon after curing and let them stew in the fridge for another week before smoking?
- Do I smoke the bacon for 8 hours, rub with syrup/honey spices and smoke for another 8 hours?
- After I finish the 1st smoke should I wrap the bacon in plastic wrap before I put in the fridge to season or just leave it on a tray so it doesn't get condensation on it? ( I have a second fridge in the garage so a little smoke smell isn't going to hurt anything)
- I have to use the Kamado to smoke on as I can't get enough air flow in my UDS to keep the AMPS lit. Should I have a diffuser plate between the AMPS and the bacon?
- Is it better to let the bacon come to room temp after taking it out of the fridge before putting it on the smoker?
- I know flavors are very personal but what other spices go good with the bacon?
I'm picking up another couple pork bellies this weekend for the neighbor and I. They will likely get cut into thirds so I can experiment with different things. I really appreciate the knowledge supplied so far on this forum from the various members.
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