Christmas Day Bacons

Hello all,finally got my bacons smoked,I let them go for 24 hours at 100 to 120 degrees.Im letting them chill for a couple of days for easier slicing.Ill let you know how they taste this weekend,David

 

Sorry guys Ive been a bit busy with work to post much.I do what is called spray injection curing.Heres what you do for 25 lbs of bacon.

5 quarts of ice water 38-40 deg
1 1/3 cup powdered dextrose
1/3 cup instacure #1
1 lb salt

Chill the bellies good,dislove all the ingredients in the water,Pump your bellies at 8% of green weight.Chill at 38-40 deg for 5 or 6 days.
When your ready scrub with a stiff brush under warm water.Stick them in a 135 deg smoker with DAMPERS WIDE OPEN and start smoking.After the surface of the bacons have become dry close the dampers to 1/4 open and smoke until internal temp hits 128 deg.Reduce temp and smoke bacons until they look like you want them.A nice redish brown,you will know when you see them getting right.Take them out and chill overnight then slice if you like.Ill tell you from experience you need a good slicer for this.I had to cut some by hand last time cause my slicer croaked.
There are other ways to do bacon,use Mortons Tender Quick and follow instructions on the package.You can dry cure by just rubbing the cure on the surface but the spray injection is a lot quicker.After all your bacon is gone you wont want to buy any at the store.
This method I learned from The Sausage Maker book and it turns out a wonderful bacon,not to salty and very tasty.I like to take it to work,warm it up in a microwave and watch people perking up at the smell.

 

Brandx,hickory is the traditional and preferred wood for bacons and hams.I use probably 80% hickory and 20% oak.To much hickory can be overpowering plus I just like oak with any kind of pork.