DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF BACON

[hondabbq]

I have made bacon several times now and most turning out pretty well with grat accolades form friends, family and co workers, so much as to ask me for some next time a I do a run of bacon. I am now up to making 50-60 lbs at a time to suffice all the requests.

I like the bacon I make but I think it can be better.

I was looking at a few websites and the flavors of bacon are getting adventurous. I noticed that a lot of these "commercial" bacons have the flavor profile on the outside of the bacon. I don't know if it has been infused with said flavors but it only looks like the flavors are on the outside.

I am getting ready to do another bacon run and I am posing this question.

If I do my standard cure to get the bacon to its cured state, rinsed and patted dry, can I take whatever flavorings and add them to each slab and then re cryovac them for a few more days to infuse the flavors into the bacon? Im looking at doing a garlic and rosemary bacon and a jalapeno bacon.

 

[SmokinAl]

Why not add all those spices to the cure, that's what I do.

Then you can add them again when you smoke the bacon.

I also do that.

Al

 

[mdgirlinfl]

I'm working on my first attempt at curing bacon ever. But you already have me pondering flavors "out of the box". I'm thinking of adding some ground chipotle into the cure and smoke on one of the next batches with something sweet for balance.
Has anyone used apple juice in the wet cure?

 

[hondabbq]

 
Why not add all those spices to the cure, that's what I do.

Then you can add them again when you smoke the bacon.

I also do that.

Al

I have done that in the past as well. I have found that a lot of the flavor is lost after rinsing off the cure and aromatics.

Plus if you re read my post it also says that these other bacons have a coating around each individual slice which would preclude me to think that that is only where the "flavor" is. 

I know bacon is rather thin, and most of us eat it from end to end which gives you a taste of the flavors they are going for and just "wrapping" it around the belly is easier. To me it looks like a cop out to just flavor the outside of the bacon.

I guess nothing ventured nothing gained. stay tuned. Well do sit by the pc and wait im not starting my bacon run for another week or 2 until im on holidays.

 

[hondabbq]

I changed my mind about how I as going to prep these for curing.

I added my aromatics to the cures for each of the 6 bellies. 55lbs in total.

I made

2x basic cure for a double smoked bacon

2x honey and black pepper

1x rosemary and garlic

1x jalapeno

Just into the cure this morning. Patiently waiting for the 7 day mark on them. Ill open them up and check on the flavors at that time, and if they need more time to get the flavors im looking for I can rinse off and  re flavor them again till I get what I want.

 

[hondabbq]

Well the bacon turned out spectacular. Rosemary and garlic turned out great.
Lots if request again for more so I have 57 more lbs in cure as we speak. It will be out of cure on thursday.
This run is
2x rosemary and garlic
2x honey dusted
1x jalapeño
1 X Bloody Mary




Sent by me from here.

 

[Bearcarver]

I don't know if this will help any, but I used to try adding various flavoring ingredients to the cure in the bags, and got nearly no extra flavor.

Ever since then I only add Brown Sugar to the cure in the bags, to counter the salt in the TQ.

Then I add CBP, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder after rinsing & patting dry, but before getting the Pellicle, because when the Pellicle is in process the drying & the tackiness seems to hold the spices onto the Bacon throughout the whole Pre-smoke & smoking process. I believe this is the best time to add any spices or flavoring ingredients.

Just My 2 cents,

Bear

 

[hondabbq]

I don't know if this will help any, but I used to try adding various flavoring ingredients to the cure in the bags, and got nearly no extra flavor.



Ever since then I only add Brown Sugar to the cure in the bags, to counter the salt in the TQ.



Then I add CBP, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder after rinsing & patting dry, but before getting the Pellicle, because when the Pellicle is in process the drying & the tackiness seems to hold the spices onto the Bacon throughout the whole Pre-smoke & smoking process. I believe this is the best time to add any spices or flavoring ingredients.



Just My 2 cents,



Bear

I know you have a ton more experience at this than I do.
I have had great success with he flavors mentioned above.
The jalapeño and Rosemary ones are good out of the cure.
The Bloody Mary and other ones I'm looking to do im guessing might need a boost and I was going do the same method you described.
If they came out good from the cure I was happy but if they needed a boost then I can easily add it on the outsides.


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[Bearcarver]

I know you have a ton more experience at this than I do.
I have had great success with he flavors mentioned above.
The jalapeño and Rosemary ones are good out of the cure.
The Bloody Mary and other ones I'm looking to do im guessing might need a boost and I was going do the same method you described.
If they came out good from the cure I was happy but if they needed a boost then I can easily add it on the outsides.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's Great !!  If they're working good for you do it how it works for you.

I never used a lot of spices & flavors.

The ones that didn't work for me in with the cure are Maple Syrup, CBP, Garlic Powder, & Onion Powder. Other than Brown Sugar, those are all I ever used.

All of those work good for me before the Pellicle, except Maple Syrup. So I got some Maple Sugar, and I got hardly any flavor from that either.

So I pretty much gave up on Maple Flavor, because I don't want to put it on any later, and make it all sticky.

Bear

 

[poindexter]

hondabbq what exactly are you adding the the garlic rosemary is it garlic powder or fresh garlic? I think my wife will like that flavor combination.

 

[hondabbq]

@hondabbq what exactly are you adding the the garlic rosemary is it garlic powder or fresh garlic? I think my wife will like that flavor combination.

Fresh chopped.

 

[wade]

One that I make regularly and is liked by customers is a dry cure using Szechuan pepper. I add about 6g of freshly ground Szechuan pepper per Kg of meat to the cure. It adds a mild chilli/citrus flavour and gives a lovely distinctive smell when it is being fried.

 

[martyn c]

I'm trying this now, time will tell  

 

[dave17a]

 
I changed my mind about how I as going to prep these for curing.

I added my aromatics to the cures for each of the 6 bellies. 55lbs in total.

I made

2x basic cure for a double smoked bacon

2x honey and black pepper

1x rosemary and garlic

1x jalapeno

Just into the cure this morning. Patiently waiting for the 7 day mark on them. Ill open them up and check on the flavors at that time, and if they need more time to get the flavors im looking for I can rinse off and  re flavor them again till I get what I want.

 
Why not add all those spices to the cure, that's what I do.

Then you can add them again when you smoke the bacon.

I also do that.

Al

Right on Al.

 

[Marianne Kehr]

One that I make regularly and is liked by customers is a dry cure using Szechuan pepper. I add about 6g of freshly ground Szechuan pepper per Kg of meat to the cure. It adds a mild chilli/citrus flavour and gives a lovely distinctive smell when it is being fried.

Hi Wade, was wondering if I could get this recipe of your Szechuan pepper Bacon from you ?
Thanks

 

[Jmart3]

Does anyone have a recipe involving chipotle and lime? As well as one with sriracha they wouldn't mind sharing. Thanks in advance.

 

[larwill99]

Does anyone have a recipe involving chipotle and lime? As well as one with sriracha they wouldn't mind sharing. Thanks in advance.

Did u ever find a chipotle bacon recipe

 

[Smokin' Penguin]

Fresh chopped.

I've got a test batch of rosemary/garlic/black pepper out of cure and in the fridge for pellice formation.

I'm curious about what you smoked it over?

I use pellets in an A-Maze-N rack for smoke. My choices at hand: oak, maple, apple, hickory or cherry/rum

right now I'm leaning towards either oak or cherry/rum. Thoughts?

 

[rexster314]

I make my own bacon also. I have done black pepper, chipotle pepper flavor, habanero flavor, green jalapeno flavor, Carolina Reaper flavor, Caribbean jerk flavor, Louisiana hot sauce flavor, and maple flavor. I only did the Reaper flavor once. That was enough.