Belly Tying Up The Smoker As It Becomes Bacon

[smoking b]

Yup as the title said I have belly that is becoming bacon tying up the smoker today so I won't be able to smoke any meals - just gonna have to make do the best I can... I realized today that despite making countless bellies into bacon I don't have a single picture of one on here so here we go...

Here is the belly that is currently smoking...

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

This was a dry brine done with cure #1, salt, pepper, sugar & just a tiny bit of garlic. It was on the rack to develop a pellicle & it has a very nice one...

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

Here are the bellies in the smoker. This is a cold smoke with hickory.

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

Since the smoker is tied up I figured I would have some smoked ham for breakfast. This is what's left of a dry cured ham I did - once it's gone I will only have one country ham left 

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

Cooked up in a skillet with some red eye gravy...

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

And ready to eat 

  with a piece of soda bread I made yesterday. I love country ham! 

 

Edit: Typo

 

[pc farmer]

Bacon is a good reason to tie up the smoker.       

My next curing lesson will be country ham if my butt turns out good this time .

 

[smoking b]

I figured I might as well get some dried beef going too...

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

I started with this chunk of beef.

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

I trimmed the fat ruthlessly from it.

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

Injector sanitized & drying.

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

I injected both ends of the beef with beef curing brine.

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

Here they are in one of my small brining buckets.

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

Baggie to hold them under the brine.

This will go in my fridge for one week to cure then I will start the smoking/drying process.

The bellies are still doing fine in the smoker 

 

 

[smoking b]

 
Bacon is a good reason to tie up the smoker.       

My next curing lesson will be country ham if my butt turns out good this time .

Sure is!

Make sure you pick good hams to cure for your country hams - nice full muscle bellies with no pockets around them etc... True dry curing such as country hams is a different beast & it's best to start with every advantage you can 

 

 

[smoking b]

Well the bellies are out of the smoker. They will stay in the fridge tonight & get smoked again tomorrow.

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

Here is how they look after about 12 hours of smoke.

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

Coming along nicely 

 

 

[pc farmer]

Man they look great. Nice color already.

 

[jp61]

Looks good! Choice of wood?

 

[deuce]

 
Well the bellies are out of the smoker. They will stay in the fridge tonight & get smoked again tomorrow.

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

Here is how they look after about 12 hours of smoke.

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

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• smoking b
• Apr 16, 2014

Coming along nicely 

 

I would tie up my smoker 24/7 for bacon that looks that good!! 

 

[tjkoko]

Aaahhhhh, so you double smoke your bellies!

 

[smoking b]

Man they look great. Nice color already.

Thanks man 

  They are coming along perfectly.

 
Looks good! Choice of wood?

Thanks man 

  I'm using hickory.

 

[smoking b]

 
I would tie up my smoker 24/7 for bacon that looks that good!! 

Thanks man 

  the couple days it takes to smoke great bacon is a small price to pay & it is instantly forgotten once you taste the finished product! 

 

[smoking b]

 
Aaahhhhh, so you double smoke your bellies!

Yes - I cold smoke them for 12 hours, rest overnight in the fridge, cold smoke them for another 12 hours then rest in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. After that I slice them up & enjoy 

 

[newsmokeguy]

Look good! U cured the ham 2?

 

[smoking b]

 
Look good! U cured the ham 2?

Thanks 

  Yes I made the country ham too. It was a dry cure that takes a long time but the results are well worth the trouble for these! 

 

 

[smoking b]

Ok the bellies are back in to finish up today.

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• smoking b
• Apr 17, 2014

AMNPS running hickory pellets again - this will finish up the cold smoking of the bellies 

 

 

[deansomers]

WOW!!! Bacon ham dried beef. U r the man! I gotta learn as much as I can off ur posts (:

 

[smoking b]

 
WOW!!! Bacon ham dried beef. U r the man! I gotta learn as much as I can off ur posts (:

Lol thanks man 

 

 

[smoking b]

I just got back from a run & the bellies are coming along great 

 

[smoking b]

Ok the bellies are out & will soon be wrapped to spend two or three days in the fridge. After that I will slice them up & enjoy some bacon! 

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• smoking b
• Apr 17, 2014

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• smoking b
• Apr 17, 2014

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• smoking b
• Apr 17, 2014

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• smoking b
• Apr 17, 2014

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• smoking b
• Apr 17, 2014

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• smoking b
• Apr 17, 2014

The bellies were cold smoked for a total of 24 hours - 12 hours of smoke, rest in the fridge overnight, 12 hours of smoke.

I'll update again when I slice the bacon...

 

[pc farmer]

Looks great. I need to try cold smoking bacons again.