Can you make chicken bacon with bacon cure?

[Armyguy2004]

call me crazy, but as the war goes on, I will probably not be able to afford pork for sometimes. So, I have this idea, what if, I cure chicken breast with bacon cure?
I know it doesn’t have any fat within, but it’s cheap and I guess good protein for the weight losing?

So, I have this cure ready.
1 cup of kosher salt, which I don’t have, I used 288g of sea salt,
100ml of Brown sugar, I measured 98g.
Instacure 3.5g. Check,
This is for 2kg of pork, which I can’t afford,
But i can do afford 2 kg of chicken breast,
So what say you guys? Should I do it? Would it work? Seven days, flip everyday? Would it get a same flavor as real bacon?

 

[Steve H]

Don't know for sure. I'll be interested in hearing other folks input. Though, I would think a wet cure may work better. Then make certain the "bacon" gets to at least 160 degrees. But the finished results could end up being tough and dry. Nothing ventured.....

 

[daveomak]

WOW !!!! That's 14% salt... ~5% sugar... The cure is a little low... I'd add 5-5.5 grams cure#1... for a dry rub, up to 200 Ppm nitrite is fine...
2% salt and 1% sugar are my target ranges for curing anything...
Can you get pork butts for around $1/pound... that makes very good BBB, Buck Board Bacon... If you can, I recommend removing the shoulder blade and curing the butt in halves...
I would add 2% salt, 1% sugar and 0.25% cure#1... zip bag and refer for 14 days turning every day..

Remove the blade.. split the butt into 2 halves where the blade was.....
..

Rub in the cure...
.

BBB from the fatty side of the butt..


Pictures of Chef Rob's BBB.... thanks Rob... Your always came out much better than mine...

.

 

[Armyguy2004]

WOW !!!! That's 14% salt... ~5% sugar... The cure is a little low... I'd add 5-5.5 grams cure#1... for a dry rub, up to 200 Ppm nitrite is fine...
2% salt and 1% sugar are my target ranges for curing anything...
Can you get pork butts for around $1/pound... that makes very good BBB, Buck Board Bacon... If you can, I recommend removing the shoulder blade and curing the butt in halves...
I would add 2% salt, 1% sugar and 0.25% cure#1... zip bag and refer for 14 days turning every day..

Remove the blade.. split the butt into 2 halves where the blade was...
View attachment 404253 ..View attachment 404256

Rub in the cure...
View attachment 404254.

BBB from the fatty side of the butt..
View attachment 404255

Pictures of Chef Rob's BBB.... thanks Rob... Your always came out much better than mine...

.

my god thats nice!
and i cant. pork butt is about $5 Canadian dollar per pound now. we will soon be going back to the 60s, the government will be limiting the pork supply.
so you could also make bacon with pork butt, thats what i was thinking two days ago. because i saw the belly on the market is a bit too fat, and pork butt is much better with the ratio.
i got this recipe from my cookbook....

 

[Armyguy2004]

Don't know for sure. I'll be interested in hearing other folks input. Though, I would think a wet cure may work better. Then make certain the "bacon" gets to at least 160 degrees. But the finished results could end up being tough and dry. Nothing ventured.....

i cured chicken breast before.
onion powder, garlic powder, salt and honey. cured for 2 or 3 days. and it turned out great. but, like you said, dry, yes.

 

[smokerjim]

I would go ahead and try the chicken, I think the worst that will happen is it will have a more hammie taste then bacon. also you might want to check out pop's brine, it's simple and taste good and it will put some moisture into the chicken.

 

[Steve H]

i cured chicken breast before.
onion powder, garlic powder, salt and honey. cured for 2 or 3 days. and it turned out great. but, like you said, dry, yes.

I have a few times as well with pops brine. And as a whole breast it was tender and moist. I'm wondering who it'll work when sliced thin and cooked like bacon.

 

[chopsaw]

Turkey bacon you buy in the store is a ground formed product , not whole muscle . No reason you can't do the same with chicken . That way you can add some fat to it . I did it once with ground pork butt .

 

[Steve H]

Turkey bacon you buy in the store is a ground formed product , not whole muscle . No reason you can't do the same with chicken . That way you can add some fat to it . I did it once with ground pork butt .
View attachment 404257 View attachment 404258
View attachment 404260

Didn't think of that. This should work well.

 

[chopsaw]

Didn't think of that. This should work well.

You can buy the ground formed bacon mix . I got mine from Owens . I hear Curley's has a good one also . Mine was intended to use half deer meat . Had 50 lbs of venison that went in the trash . Was worried about CWD .

 

[daveomak]

my god thats nice!
and i cant. pork butt is about $5 Canadian dollar per pound now. we will soon be going back to the 60s, the government will be limiting the pork supply.
so you could also make bacon with pork butt, thats what i was thinking two days ago. because i saw the belly on the market is a bit too fat, and pork butt is much better with the ratio.
i got this recipe from my cookbook....

$5# for pork butt ??? Time to move...

 

[Winterrider]

$5# for pork butt ??? Time to move...

They have free health care though Dave

Love Canada, some things are very reasonably priced and others are ridiculously priced though.
Our ND butt prices aren't real good lately, $2.89. Waiting for sale.

 

[Armyguy2004]

They have free health care though Dave

Love Canada, some things are very reasonably priced and others are ridiculously priced though.
Our ND butt prices aren't real good lately, $2.89. Waiting for sale.

I am currently working in china. i will be back to canada soon...chinese pork price is crazy, the price is going to go much higher, and wont come down for another 2 to 3 years.

 

[Bearcarver]

Is Pork Loin also super high in price??
Around here we can always get it for under $2 a pound.
Here is how you can make Canadian Bacon out of Pork Loin.
*New------Canadian Bacon

If it has to be Chicken, I would agree with above that "Pops' Brine Cure" would be the way to go. However it wouldn't taste like Bacon---More like a little on the Hammy Side.

PS: That "Formed Bacon" from Ground Chicken sounds good too.

Bear

 

[chef jimmyj]

How is the price of DUCK BREAST? Good fat to lean ratio with the skin on and the Dark Meat has a Hammy Flavor when cured like Bacon...JJ

 

[Armyguy2004]

Is Pork Loin also super high in price??
Around here we can always get it for under $2 a pound.
Here is how you can make Canadian Bacon out of Pork Loin.
*New------Canadian Bacon

If it has to be Chicken, I would agree with above that "Pops' Brine Cure" would be the way to go. However it wouldn't taste like Bacon---More like a little on the Hammy Side.

PS: That "Formed Bacon" from Ground Chicken sounds good too.

Bear

everything is sky high. because the african pig virus, if it's called that, has reached here, and the whole country is slaughtering pigs, burning and burying them. so, yeah, no more pigs for this country.

 

[Armyguy2004]

How is the price of DUCK BREAST? Good fat to lean ratio with the skin on and the Dark Meat has a Hammy Flavor when cured like Bacon...JJ

cheap.
do i treat it like pork, just cure it?

 

[daveomak]

Des Moines, Iowa Fri, DAILY DIRECT HOGS PLANT DELIVERED as of 1:30 PM Negotiated
Pork Prices

.

 

[chef jimmyj]

cheap.
do i treat it like pork, just cure it?

I figured Duck Breast would be cheaper!
Yep, Cure just like Belly Bacon...A dry rub cure would work well. Like DaveOmak suggested...
" I would add 2% salt, 1% sugar and 0.25% cure#1... zip bag and refer for 14 days turning every day..."
Smoke is your choice, or what's available. I like 12 hours of Cold Smoke at 21°C to 78°C (70 - 100°F). Slice and Cook as desired. Freeze 500mg portions. VAC-PACK is best but tightly wrapped in plastic is good too...JJ

 

[Aeglo]

Turkey bacon you buy in the store is a ground formed product , not whole muscle . No reason you can't do the same with chicken . That way you can add some fat to it . I did it once with ground pork butt .
View attachment 404257 View attachment 404258
View attachment 404260

How does this work? Sorry, new here. Do you have a recipe?