First attempt at bacon

[JC in GB]

My first attempt at bacon is complete and it was a success. I dry cured the pork belly 7 days and hot smoked it with cherry wood chunks. I made some regular, pepper, and paprika bacon.














Burnt looking piece is smoke end piece. So smoky and delicious.

Shout out to Disco for his awesome tutorial that gave me the knowledge and courage to give this a shot. Thanks Disco!

 

[HalfSmoked]

Nice for your first try.

Warren

 

[solman]

that looks good! can't wait to try my hand at bacon too.

 

[JC in GB]

It is really quite simple. Just follow the measurements as closely as you can. I spoke to one guy who made his own and just "eyeballed" it. It was way too salty. The only problem is clearing enough space in your fridge to hold around 10 lbs of pork belly for 1 - 2 weeks. Had fun making it and it really did turn out well.

 

[SonnyE]

Looks good!
I go for 14 days of curing myself.
In my observation, around day 11-12 it starts sucking up any moisture and by 14 days the bag is pretty dry, all the moisture is gone back in.
Now the fun part, start in with your next. Because you can't wait till this load is gone before you start your next.
You're on the Bacon Maken Train now.

 

[HalfSmoked]

JC in GB Thanks for the like it is greatly appreciated.

Warren

 

[JC in GB]

I had originally wanted to cure the bacon longer, however, the weather kind of dictated when the bacon was cured. That said, I am not sure what an extra 5 days would have done. The taste was right where I was expecting it to be. Next time I will leave it longer and see what the difference is. It was fun to do and very rewarding as now I have 12 lbs of bacon!

 

[GaryHibbert]

Good looking bacon, JC, especially for your first go round.
Any reason in particular you hot smoked it rather than cold smoking it?? I cold smoked mine for about 12 hours.
Gary

 

[JC in GB]

I hot smoked it at about 185 F as per Disco's tutorial and stopped when the IT reached 135.
Disco's method was the most easily understood for me so I used that method for my first attempt. I am sure I will experiment more now that I have achieved a baseline. Thanks for all the comments and input. I take all relevant comments seriously and appreciated any constructive feedback.

 

[SonnyE]

I had originally wanted to cure the bacon longer, however, the weather kind of dictated when the bacon was cured. That said, I am not sure what an extra 5 days would have done. The taste was right where I was expecting it to be. Next time I will leave it longer and see what the difference is. It was fun to do and very rewarding as now I have 12 lbs of bacon!

I don't understand what the weather had to do with it. Maybe you could enlighten me?

The prescribed curing times I've seen were up to 14 days. So I chose to err to the long side. To be sure the cure has, well, cured what it is being used for.
The moisture absorption is just my observation.
Anyway, I'm not bothered by cure. I know I can cook it to death in the end anyway.
Cure to me equals flavor in the finished item.

Now, if I was Farmer John, Hormel, Johnsonville, or you-name-it, sure, time is money. Don't cure for 1 hour longer than is required according to the Company lawyers.

But I'm not, I'm just and old fart enjoying myself and not in a hurry. My small batch Bacon takes ~25 days to be table ready, roughly. Shopping to table. I also age my bacon after the smoking process. Then slice and freeze vacuum packed.
Anymore, sliced to short pieces, and in 8 ounce envelopes. I noticed my pretty 1 pound lays of bacon were getting cut in half anyway, and about 1/2 a pound was good for a breakfast. So I decided to just package it that way for us.
I'm not sure a short cure would instill confidence for me. I know folks do it, and no problems.
I just go the other direction.

 

[JC in GB]

The weather here was -25F then we had a break for two days where it went to 40F. The forecast said we would be going back to negative numbers around what would have been day 14 of the cure. I was like no way am I sitting outside in -10F when I can shorten the cure and still get a good result. Based on calculations from the thickness of the pork belly, 7 days should have been just enough. Nearly all the juice had been reabsorbed by the pork belly by that time. I have found that as much as I like this bacon more than the store bought, I find myself eating less at a sitting. Just more hearty and satisfying I guess. Sounds like you are a real technician about how you do your bacon. I hope to get my game that finely honed. The advice and recipes I have gotten on this site have really upped my BBQ game and it will only get better!

 

[gmc2003]

JC that is some fine looking bacon. Nice Job. Disco is a good one to listen to.

Point for sure.
Chris

 

[SonnyE]

The weather here was -25F then we had a break for two days where it went to 40F. The forecast said we would be going back to negative numbers around what would have been day 14 of the cure. I was like no way am I sitting outside in -10F when I can shorten the cure and still get a good result. Based on calculations from the thickness of the pork belly, 7 days should have been just enough. Nearly all the juice had been reabsorbed by the pork belly by that time. I have found that as much as I like this bacon more than the store bought, I find myself eating less at a sitting. Just more hearty and satisfying I guess. Sounds like you are a real technician about how you do your bacon. I hope to get my game that finely honed. The advice and recipes I have gotten on this site have really upped my BBQ game and it will only get better!

I follow the footsteps of excellent mentors. And they help me via the conversation feature.
Great Friends!
I hear Ya about the sub-zero's. 0° in Wyoming was T-shirt weather, and time to drag a car hood full of kids around on the snow.

Technician? Naw. Just observant. My most recent Pork Belly is due out for a bath today. Then Pelical for ~5 days. Cold smoke for 6 hours with Apple Wood dust from pellets. Into the little outdoor "Curing/Beer" fridge to age for 5 days.
That sitting in my little fridge does two things:
1. Airs out the bacon slabs and allows the smoke to penetrate and mellow out. daveomak advised me on aging my bacon after the smoker. (And most other steps I follow.) (I like Disco's method for Back Bacon, which is my wife's favorite)
2. That wonderful smoky air from the Bacon seasons my beer cans. Drinking a beer from a Bacon Scented can is pretty special!
Anyway, after 5 days ageing in the curing fridge it's ready to slice and package.

BTW, letting the bacon air in my own little fridge was a diversion from War. If I had stunk up Mama's fridge and made the milk, eggs, and veggies smell like bacon.... Well, lets say I'm not that fond of cleaning a fridge with bleach. It was a very worthwhile investment to avert pissing off Grandma. Just sayin...

I use dry waxed paper as my Bacon slipper. Then Vacuum Seal the finished, sliced Bacon.

Little methods to my madness. Maybe I am a technician? LOL!

 

[SmokinAl]

Good looking bacon!
Nice job on your first try!
Al