- Mar 30, 2008
- 141
- 10
I have been loving the curleys venison/elk bacon. If you haven't tried it you really should, it is soooo tasty.
Here is my take on it to make it look and taste more like regular bacon. I wasn't sure if it would work so I did a small test batch. It worked!
Cut up 3 lbs elk into 1 inch cubes and freeze on a sheet.
Do the same to 2.75 lbs pork fat (yes its almost 50% fat but look at bacon and you tell me what you think the ratio is).
Take the elk out of the freezer and let it thaw just slightly and grind it with 1/4 lb of the fat with a coarse grinder plate. Put it back in the freezer.
Repeat with the remaining 2.5 lbs fat.
Measure your cure that came with the packet (1 packed teaspoon / lb. meat) and curleys seasoning (.54 oz / lb. meat) and sprinkle it over the ground meat and toss. Then toss it in the grinder and run it through the small plate (1/8"). Once out add water (1.9T / lb meat.) and mix.
Do the same with the fat.
Take an aluminum tray and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Spray the sides with nonstick spray. These steps make it easier to get the meat out later.
Now begin to layer the fat and the lean in uneven layers like you see in regular bacon.
Put wax paper over the top and chill for 24 hours min..
Remove and generously coat with cracked black pepper.
Smoke per the curleys directions and bring up to 155 internal. I put foil with the edges turned up on a shelf below to catch all the yummy fat that renders out which can be used for a million other things.
When done cool down overnight and slice.
Then fry.
I'm eating some right now and man are you jealous....
I will keep tweaking to perfect the technique but it worked very well. The only change so far that I am thinking is to only run the fat through the coarse plate.
Here is my take on it to make it look and taste more like regular bacon. I wasn't sure if it would work so I did a small test batch. It worked!
Cut up 3 lbs elk into 1 inch cubes and freeze on a sheet.
Do the same to 2.75 lbs pork fat (yes its almost 50% fat but look at bacon and you tell me what you think the ratio is).
Take the elk out of the freezer and let it thaw just slightly and grind it with 1/4 lb of the fat with a coarse grinder plate. Put it back in the freezer.
Repeat with the remaining 2.5 lbs fat.
Measure your cure that came with the packet (1 packed teaspoon / lb. meat) and curleys seasoning (.54 oz / lb. meat) and sprinkle it over the ground meat and toss. Then toss it in the grinder and run it through the small plate (1/8"). Once out add water (1.9T / lb meat.) and mix.
Do the same with the fat.
Take an aluminum tray and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Spray the sides with nonstick spray. These steps make it easier to get the meat out later.
Now begin to layer the fat and the lean in uneven layers like you see in regular bacon.
Put wax paper over the top and chill for 24 hours min..
Remove and generously coat with cracked black pepper.
Smoke per the curleys directions and bring up to 155 internal. I put foil with the edges turned up on a shelf below to catch all the yummy fat that renders out which can be used for a million other things.
When done cool down overnight and slice.
Then fry.
I'm eating some right now and man are you jealous....
I will keep tweaking to perfect the technique but it worked very well. The only change so far that I am thinking is to only run the fat through the coarse plate.