First stab at bacon

[smokewood]

Go for it, I can't wait to see the end result

 

[fatboyz]

I am rinsing it tomorrow and start the 24 hour wait before I smoke it....pics to follow as I go through the steps.

 

[fatboyz]

Well, the bacon is off the smoker. Here are a couple of pics of the progress. It is cooling now, then in the fridge overnight before slicing tomorrow.

Pre-smoke

pellicle bacon.JPG

• fatboyz
• Oct 11, 2015

Finished (Applewood smoked)

DSCF5708.JPG

• fatboyz
• Oct 11, 2015

DSCF5709.JPG

• fatboyz
• Oct 11, 2015

DSCF5710.JPG

• fatboyz
• Oct 11, 2015

 

[wade]

That bacon looks good 

Like the cure, the smoke takes a little time to fully penetrate the meat so I would recommend letting it rest longer than overnight. I normally leave it about a week before slicing. This is not critical though and is only really to maximise the flavour throughout the meat.

 

[fatboyz]

DSCF5711.JPG

• fatboyz
• Oct 14, 2015

DSCF5712.JPG

• fatboyz
• Oct 14, 2015

Very disappointed in the bacon, it looks good but it doesn't taste like bacon at all. I will try it again but I need to find a better tasting end results. I love the way bacon taste, so if I make it I want it to taste like the bacon I have always eaten.

 

[fatboyz]

oops, Wade I didn't see your post until after I sliced it. It looked great, so I got that part down, now if I can just get that traditional bacon taste.​

 

[pc farmer]

Did it have a ham flavor?



I have found if i want a bacon taste use Tender Quick. If i want a ham taste use cure #1.

 

[fatboyz]

C Farmer, yes it did. It seemed to have a little bit of an aftertaste, I figured that may be from the cure also. I will try the Tender Quick, where is the best place to get it?

 

[pc farmer]

Not sure where you are located.

Wegmans has is, also amish markets has it.

They have a locator on the website.

 

[daveomak]

[quote name="fatboyz" url="/t/235804/first-stab-at-bacon/20#post_1473617

Very disappointed in the bacon, it looks good but it doesn't taste like bacon at all. I will try it again but I need to find a better tasting end results. I love the way bacon taste, so if I make it I want it to taste like the bacon I have always eaten.
[/quote]



Store bought bacon is usually cooked with steam and smoked with liquid smoke and cured for about 24 hours using "speed" curing techniques... You can't duplicate that stuff....

 

[oregon smoker]

Not sure where you are located.

Wegmans has is, also amish markets has it.

They have a locator on the website.

 you might try a resteraunt suppy house as well.

Tom

 

[duecerider14]

I have  4 slabs of bacon in cure now for a few days ...my  ?   is we mixed up all the salt and honey and prague power  1 teaspoon per 5 lbs of meatbut we rubbed all the slabs down on butcher paper,should I be worried  that some of the salts stuck to the paper as we went on with the rub till all the slabs were done ....we did measure for each slab....plz let me know if I'm wrong

 

[daveomak]

I have  4 slabs of bacon in cure now for a few days ...my  ?   is we mixed up all the salt and honey and prague power  1 teaspoon per 5 lbs of meatbut we rubbed all the slabs down on butcher paper,should I be worried  that some of the salts stuck to the paper as we went on with the rub till all the slabs were done ....we did measure for each slab....plz let me know if I'm wrong

You did good.... It will be fine....

 

[wade]

As Dave says you should not have a problem.

How much of the cure was left sticking to the kitchen paper though? You mention that there was honey in the cure mix so was it a paste when it was applied? If it was then you may have lost quite a lot of the cure on the paper. It is hard to know for sure without seeing photos.

If you are in doubt, make sure that you keep it cool and you may want to either eat it fairly quickly or freeze it.