Finally procured some belly again

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nogoer

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Apr 30, 2007
153
10
Newtown CT
Belly is such a tricky thing to find sometimes! A new shop rite had opened up nearby with belly a stocking item, but when i was ready to get a whole one i was told they no longer stocked it. So months go by and i got used to the idea belly was now unobtainable again. Yeah i know i could go way out of my way to get some and pay exhorbatant prices at the same time, but it's not worth it when i have too many other food hobbies.

So then comes grocery day and i'm wandering down the meat aisle looking for the weeks meals and i spy something from the corner of my eye. Yup! that my friends was pieces of real pork belly glimmering like a star on the shelf. So i promptly grabbed a pack, for visual reference and ran (yeah i really ran!) to the meat counter and asked for a whole belly. Within minutes i had a nicely trimmed 9lb, skin on slab of honest to god pork belly and at an acceptable price of 2.99 a pound too.

I was so excited i turned it into this.....
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2b8a14a1_IMG_3899.jpg


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Tossed each one into a ziplock and they're now curing for 10 days when i will cold smoke in my MES and try to hide a little of it from prying eyes and drooling mouths that appear out of the thin smoke escaping from the smoker!
 
That Belly is about as nice a belly I have ever seen!

Except maybe for the one on a dancer I saw a long ti...............moving on now-----

Bellies in the supermarket-----That's Great!

Can't wait to see the finished product !!!!!

Thanks,

Bear
 
I'm really jealous.  I wish the belly I bought a while back was that thick.  I couldn't even see mine.  I was hidden in a cardboard box.  It was really thin, still made good bacon though  I will be more picky next time and ask the guy if I can see before I buy.
 
WOW Bear!  That belly is really thick!  Are those pics with the skin still on?


lol, I'm not bear but yes the skin is still on. I have tried it both ways and i don't think skin off is any different than on. The skin does help support the slabs for hanging and make them stronger for handling though..

@everyone else - i think the pics make them look thicker than they really are. This belly was the thickest i have ever obtained though for sure. The piece on the far left is going in my special private special reserve! That one end piece is as thick as any bacon I've bought anywhere. I will post pics of the smoked result, i really hope the pepper comes through this time. I have done peppered bacon twice before and by the time it's smoked and sliced  there hasn't been much of a pepper taste.
 
Hahahahahahaha...special private reserve bacon..I Love this place!!

 In Fl...will be back in Atl tonite!

Craig
 
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lol, I'm not bear but yes the skin is still on. I have tried it both ways and i don't think skin off is any different than on. The skin does help support the slabs for hanging and make them stronger for handling though..

@everyone else - i think the pics make them look thicker than they really are. This belly was the thickest i have ever obtained though for sure. The piece on the far left is going in my special private special reserve! That one end piece is as thick as any bacon I've bought anywhere. I will post pics of the smoked result, i really hope the pepper comes through this time. I have done peppered bacon twice before and by the time it's smoked and sliced  there hasn't been much of a pepper taste.
 sorry Nogoer. I was blinded by those awesome looking belly ! LOL 
wife.gif

 
 
Is that a good price on belly?  I asked my butcher today and I can get them as long as I tell them by butchering day (Tuesday) for the same price, 2.99/lb.


I have paid as low as $1.80, and as high as $3.20, (without the skin), but I haven't gotten any for about 9 months.

Bear
 
Finished up the bacon this past sunday. Set the smoker for 100 degrees and tried the MES charcoal trick. It was kind of a pain making sure the charcoal stayed lit but for the most part i was able to set it and forget it. The charcoal did let me use larger chunks of wood, but i was surprised how quickly the charcoal burned up. Suppose doing an 8 hour smoke as the first try was asking for it, but it all went ok!

I soaked them for an hour before putting them in the fridge for a 24 hour balancing period.

2897deb2_IMG_3934.jpg


All dry and ready for the smoker...

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Out of the smoker after 7.5 hours of applewood smoke.

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Sliced up the thickest peice...

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I wish i had the room for a slicer in my kitchen, but i guess hand slicing goes better with the rustic-ness of home smoked bacon.
 
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