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.

 

[steve3327]

Sorry did not post an update since the bacon was finished and ready for the propane griddle. It turned out absolutely DELICIOUS! Now if anyone has an awesome recipe for basic snack sticks, like the jack link style ones (maybe much less sweeter) I'd have it made! The less sugar the better. My daughter and wife type 1 diabetics and I am looking to make her some delicious low/no carbohydrate treats that will not spike their blood sugar with smoky delicious goodness! Maybe a pork only stick, or a pork and beef mix.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Do you like pepperoni sticks? Or we can go Polish and do Kabanosy.

 

[nlife]

Now if anyone has an awesome recipe for basic snack sticks, like the jack link style ones (maybe much less sweeter) I'd have it made!

I use BGKYSmoker 's snack stick recipe. I tried a bunch, but they all seemed to miss the mark. His was bang on.

 

[tallbm]

Sorry did not post an update since the bacon was finished and ready for the propane griddle. It turned out absolutely DELICIOUS! Now if anyone has an awesome recipe for basic snack sticks, like the jack link style ones (maybe much less sweeter) I'd have it made! The less sugar the better. My daughter and wife type 1 diabetics and I am looking to make her some delicious low/no carbohydrate treats that will not spike their blood sugar with smoky delicious goodness! Maybe a pork only stick, or a pork and beef mix.

You can replace sugar with Erythritol in brines and cures if you like. It will not cause any insulin spikes. Your body gets no nutritional value out of it, but don't go thinking you are going to replace all sugar with. In larger quantities your body will want to get rid of it since it cant process it and you will have to go to the restroom because of that lol. In normal and smaller quantities you will have no issues :D

 

[Steve H]

How long did you cure the meat before smoking?

 

[steve3327]

How long did you cure the meat before smoking?

full 7 days vacuum packed flipped over and massaged every day. All I used was salt pepper white sugar and cure #1

 

[steve3327]

Do you like pepperoni sticks? Or we can go Polish and do Kabanosy.

pepperoni, polish, kubi, any kind. I do not have a grinder, but my wife does have a kitchen aid mixer if I be nice to her she may lend it to me after purchasing a grinder/stuffer attachment. BUT I have a jerky gun I have made breakfast sausage with before and they turned out descent. Just had to buy ground pork from the store instead of grinding my own.

 

[steve3327]

I just want to say thank you for everything and helping me out on this post. This is for sure a fun and tasty (but expensive) hobby to be into. I sure love this electric smoker I have. Does not produce any smoke rings but it sure does make amazing smoked bbq and works great in the wind! So far out of my 3 smokers, I prefer electric, propane a close 2nd, and finally the pit boss vertical which I do not care for, seems to lack the bold smokiness the electric and propane provide using wood chips instead of sawdust pellets.

 

[SmokinEdge]

pepperoni, polish, kubi, any kind. I do not have a grinder, but my wife does have a kitchen aid mixer if I be nice to her she may lend it to me after purchasing a grinder/stuffer attachment. BUT I have a jerky gun I have made breakfast sausage with before and they turned out descent. Just had to buy ground pork from the store instead of grinding my own.

Give this a try, it’s from BGKYSmoker and is absolutely delicious snack stick.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/pepperoni-recipe-for-you.323787/#post-2469059


Here is the Kabanosy recipe I use.

1 Kg ground pork
Salt) 18g
Cure #1) 2.5g
Black pepper) 2g
White pepper) 1g
Sugar) 2g
Mace) 2g
Caraway seed cracked) 2g
Gran garlic) 2g
Celery seed) 1g

 

[Fueling Around]

...
I do not have a grinder, but my wife does have a kitchen aid mixer if I be nice to her she may lend it to me after purchasing a grinder/stuffer attachment. ...

Get an all metal grinder attachment. I only used the plastic bodied grinder that came with our KA a few times and the body has a major split. No recommendations for an Amazon purchase.