Bride said we need bacon.....

[daveomak]

So, my meat guy brought me 4 bellies awhile back..... Thawing them now to prep the bellies....

Trim them to fit the MES and pickle container... Save and vac pack all the fat and skin... Bride made some awesome baked cracklin's...

Just stopped in to share my bellies..... I guess this day is filled..... Dave

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• daveomak
• Nov 14, 2014

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• daveomak
• Nov 14, 2014

 

[sqwib]

I would love to see a shot of the cracklins, c'mon bro, don't hold out on us!

 

[wolfman1955]

So, my meat guy brought me 4 bellies awhile back..... Thawing them now to prep the bellies....


Trim them to fit the MES and pickle container... Save and vac pack all the fat and skin... Bride made some awesome baked cracklin's...


Just stopped in to share my bellies..... I guess this day is filled..... Dave

DSCF1823.JPG

• daveomak
• Nov 14, 2014

DSCF1826.JPG

• daveomak
• Nov 14, 2014

Dave I got a quick question. What is the proper direction to slice those slabs length wise or accross the 12" direction?
I have only done belly bacon once and it turned out chewey after cooking it, great flavor just chewey. Was suggested then that I may have sliced it the wrong way.

 

[daveomak]

I would love to see a shot of the cracklins, c'mon bro, don't hold out on us!

I'll do that when we cook them.... Gotta find the recipe we used last batch.... That could be a problem.....


[quote name="Wolfman1955"Dave I got a quick question. What is the proper direction to slice those slabs length wise or accross the 12" direction?
I have only done belly bacon once and it turned out chewey after cooking it, great flavor just chewey. Was suggested then that I may have sliced it the wrong way.[/quote]


Well, I have looked at the layers of meat, and there seems to be at least 2 muscle layers.... they oppose each other to hold the guts in place... That being said, I think it is to slice in the narrow direction... That's how I do it.... There is some discussion about "cross grain" being the "tender" way to eat it... Darned if I know if it really does make a difference.... especially since there are 2 muscle layers opposed.... I'd eat it no matter how it was sliced.... I will try the slicing 2 directions and see if I can tell a difference.... Don't hold your breath... That will probably take a month.... At least 2 maybe 3 weeks in the pickle.... rest.... smoke.... rest.... slice and eat..

Dave

 

[themule69]

Dave

Nice looking belly. Looking at the weather map if your going to use your MES to smoke it is going to be a cold smoke. They are calling for colder than normal for a long time.

I have always sliced in the narrow direction. All of the store bought I have seen is sliced in the narrow direction. 

I have a making pork rind pellets from scratch thread running around here someplace.

Happy smoken.

David

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Hey Dave, lookin great so far.... I'am definitely gonna keep an eye on your thread here ! I love bacon & cracklings.... :beercheer:

 

[wolfman1955]

Thanks all for the slicing advice! That is how I sliced the bacon the one time I did it so maybe I just got a tuff belly. Like I said the flavor was great and I am going to do more cause the last of that bacon went into a pot of green beans last weekend.

 

[Bearcarver]

Thanks all for the slicing advice! That is how I sliced the bacon the one time I did it so maybe I just got a tuff belly. Like I said the flavor was great and I am going to do more cause the last of that bacon went into a pot of green beans last weekend.

I doubt if the direction you sliced your Bacon had much to do with how "Chewy" it was.

I slice my Bacon in all different directions, and usually go by which direction looks the nicest, and I have never noticed one direction being more chewy or tougher than another.

And---Yes Dave----I'd like to see the crackling's too. 

Bear