Curing pork belly for bacon.

[steve3327]

Hello All,

First post on the forums but long time viewer of the forms. I am doing my 2nd attempt at bacon. I was unable to find pink curing salt, or Prague powder #1. However what I did find, was a Original Wild West brand curing salt, $2 per 70g bag, containing 6.25% sodium nitrite and is white in colour, so is this essentially the same as the pink curing salt?

 

[SmokinEdge]

Yes, according to application it is. However it is directing you to use about 3g/Kg which is safe for whole muscle but we here use 2.5g/Kg.

Use it at 2.5g/Kg will work perfectly.

 

[rexster314]

Hello All,

First post on the forums but long time viewer of the forms. I am doing my 2nd attempt at bacon. I was unable to find pink curing salt, or Prague powder #1. However what I did find, was a Original Wild West brand curing salt, $2 per 70g bag, containing 6.25% sodium nitrite and is white in colour, so is this essentially the same as the pink curing salt?

I buy my pink salt from an eBay seller

 

[Fueling Around]

Happy to hear the Canadians have a source for cure at the 6.25% levels we use in the US.
If you plan to dry cure or wet cure it changes the amount used.

 

[nlife]

Cure #1 is readily available here in Canada, though it isn't always pink. I first started with using the same cure source as you did S steve3327 , but I eventually found a source that sells 1 lb bags here in BC. Alberta will have it too. I'd suggest that you check your local butcher.

 

[steve3327]

Thanks for the replies. Yes I found these on clearance at Cabela’s for $2 per bag. Bought 4 but barely used any. I googled a simple bacon dry cure mix and trying it. Salt sugar pepper and cure. I made bacon using high mountain brown sugar kit wasn’t impressed

 

[SmokinEdge]

Thanks for the replies. Yes I found these on clearance at Cabela’s for $2 per bag. Bought 4 but barely used any. I googled a simple bacon dry cure mix and trying it. Salt sugar pepper and cure. I made bacon using high mountain brown sugar kit wasn’t impressed

So, you are on here asking questions, but then googling for answers? Good grief.

 

[steve3327]

What temperature would anyone recommend smoking these slabs at? And to what internal temperature. I have a master built electric smoker with a temperature range of 100-275F as well as a pit boss vertical copperhead series 5. Leaning towards applewood for the wood chips in the electric smoker. Also does anyone cut off a slice fry it up to check for saltiness before going into the smoker?

 

[Fueling Around]

You can cold smoke for a number of mornings.
Final temps is your choice.
I take slab to around 135°F for an hour to pasteurize the meat. I will fry it later.
tallbm takes his bacon much higher to fully cook it for ready to eat.

 

[tallbm]

What temperature would anyone recommend smoking these slabs at? And to what internal temperature. I have a master built electric smoker with a temperature range of 100-275F as well as a pit boss vertical copperhead series 5. Leaning towards applewood for the wood chips in the electric smoker. Also does anyone cut off a slice fry it up to check for saltiness before going into the smoker?

Hi there and welcome!

I use 1.65% salt and 1% sugar and the proper amount of cure#1 for the amount of pork belly I'm curing for bacon.

I use the temp walk up method like used with smoking sausage. You don't want to smoke too hot or you render out all the fat from the bacon.
I start at like 100-110F and increase the temp 20-25F every hour until I get to 165F and I pull my bacon when it hits 145F Internal Temp (IT) of the meat.

If you cold smoke you don't need to apply any heat BUT you want to make sure you have a draft to circulate and move out the smoke so you don't get stale smoke. If you smoke at a temp hotter in the smoker than the outside temp then there should be draft to draw the smoke up and out vs it lingering and being stale and causing nasty smoke flavor.

So depending on what you want from your bacon, the temp will be different. Just be sure you don't go high enough to melt your bacon fat but probably high enough to be hotter than ambient temp outside.