Bacon Question

[BB-que]

I’m dry curing my first bacon, always have wet cured but this is easier and read a lot of good things. It cured for 2 weeks and I was doing the fry test to test for saltiness. The bacon shrunk by 50% when fried. Is that to be expected? I was hoping it was the wet curing that was causing the extreme shrinkage but seems not.

 

[JLeonard]

Hmm......Waiting on the replies as I am not quite a week into my dry cure on some buckboard bacon.
Jim

 

[Steve H]

Mine shrinks by quite a bit as well. 50% seems a tad extreme. How fatty was the bacon?

 

[HalfSmoked]

Steve is on to your problem as fat melts and causes shrinkage. The fatter the more shrinkage.

Warren

 

[BB-que]

Mine shrinks by quite a bit as well. 50% seems a tad extreme. How fatty was the bacon?

Quite a bit, belly from Costco. I was just making sure there wasn’t something I was missing. Guess I need to sharpen up my belly picking skills.

 

[Steve H]

Quite a bit, belly from Costco. I was just making sure there wasn’t something I was missing. Guess I need to sharpen up my belly picking skills.

I don't mind it being on the fatter side. I think it gives a better flavor. And the grease never goes to waste.