I smoke Canadian bacon and slab bacon in my #3.
I use a dry cure following the calculator from
DiggingDogFarm. I use 1 gallon ziplock and put the loins in bag and then in pan to keep frig clean. The bags keep the leaching curing liquids in contact with pork and makes turning 2 x a day easier. Give the bacon 12-14 days to cure.
The Old Fat Guy has a good tutorial. I use some additional spices in mine like mace, garlic, pepper and onion powder which gives the bacon a German ham (schinken/speck) flavor.
Rinse the loin well before smoking, let dry in frig overnight unwrapped.
Start smoke with temp set at 140 deg using 3-4 oz apple wood. After 2 hour of smoke, raise smoker temp up to 180-200 and cook until internal temp of loin hits 135-140 (
guidelines say cook till 145 deg). Total smoke time is usually 3-4 hours. Then I remove from smoker, chill until cool. I put the bacon in a ziplock bag if using in next 2 weeks, or vacuum bags if freezing for longer than 2 week storage or giving to friends.
USDA says pork is cooked at 145 deg, but I am strict on my food storage temperature control so I am satisfied with 135, which leaves some room for finish cooking without meat being overcooked and dried out. I suggest you cook to 145 for safety.
Here's the recipe I use:
Bacon Dry Cure
For every 5# of pork belly:
3 TBS Kosher or pickling salt (NOT Table salt as it has iodine)
1.5 TBS brown sugar
Cure #1 weight per calculator
1.5 to 2 tsp Garlic granules
1.5-2 tsp Mace powder (or 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg)
1.5-2 tsp onion powder
2 TBS coarse grind black pepper
