hanging bacon to dry after cold smoking?

[seadog92]

I wanted to make some bacon, using a process that I read about someplace on the net, but wanted to get the expert's opinion.  I will cure it as usual, leaving cure and pepper on for 7+ days, then after washing off and drying, the process says to cold smoke the bacon for a minimum of 36 hours, then let hang in a cool place for 24 hours, then wrap with cheesecloth and hang to continue to dry.  It didn't say how long the bacon would last, but I don't think I have to worry about that, as bacon doesn't last that long at my place anyway.  I remember seeing western movies where they take slabs of bacon wrapped in cloth out of barrels of sawdust.  Is that cold smoked like what this article said.....or is that just Hollywood?

 

[woodcutter]

What kind of cure did you use?

 

[seadog92]

Cure #1, salt, br. Sugar, andouille spices.

 

[jerky nut]

You should use cure #2 for any process that requires over 14 days.   Cure #2 contains a mixture of Nitrite and Nitrate.  Nitrate will be converted by enzymes in the meat into Nitrite over time which will provide longer protection.  Think of it as a time release cure it keeps releasing nitrite for extended protection when your meat is subjected to temperature ranges that are in the danger zone.

You could still dry it using cure #1  but dry it in the fridge. I would use one of these special vacuum sealer bag it lets moisture out but doesn't let any thing come in. sounds crazy but they work here is the link. http://www.drybagsteak.com/

 

[woodcutter]

 
You should use cure #2 for any process that requires over 14 days.   Cure #2 contains a mixture of Nitrite and Nitrate.  Nitrate will be converted by enzymes in the meat into Nitrite over time which will provide longer protection.  Think of it as a time release cure it keeps releasing nitrite for extended protection when your meat is subjected to temperature ranges that are in the danger zone.

You could still dry it using cure #1  but dry it in the fridge. I would use one of these special vacuum sealer bag it lets moisture out but doesn't let any thing come in. sounds crazy but they work here is the link. http://www.drybagsteak.com/

X2, If your thinking of the flavor intensifying by drying it a little, the refrigerator is the way to go.

 

[eman]

Never went to all that trouble

Cure using #1 for 12 - 14 days rinse and do fry test,

If to salty soak in clean cool water for 1 hr, Then do another fry test, If salt level is okay place in fridge over night or hang in front of fan to dry and develop pelliculle. 

Then smoke for 24- 48 hrs, 

 let sit over night in fridge before slicing.

 

[seadog92]

Thanks for the comments, and you're right, I should be using cure#2. I'll go ahead and smoke this batch and use the other cure on the next batch.

 

[dingo007]

I agree that Cure #2 is the ideal.

Out of interest i recently did a pancetta from Charcuturie using cure #1..their pancetta was intended to be used for cooking so the aging time was short. I had intended to age it longer and eat it as a cold cut. Discussing this problem with some of the guru's over on Sausagemaker.org it was highlighted that EU scientists noted that even when Cure #1 is considered expired, the protection it provided continues. And considering that the reduction in AW is higher in the early stages of aging i aged the pancetta for 4 weeks with no ill effects. Maybe i was just lucky as I had no effective way of testing the AW.

I'm currently doing Brican's maple bacon recipe using Cure #1 which includes a 3 day smoke and 5 day dry age. Hoepfully I'll live to tell the story