Long cure cold smoke

[Fueling Around]

Started this dry cure pork belly on September 5th.
1% total salt with 150 ppm or 0.25% nitrite.
Pulled from the bags October 20th to wipe and dry overnight. That is almost a 7 week cure.

First round of cold smoke on October 21st.
Lumber Jack 100% hickory pellets in the tube. 54° air temp so didn't monitor the internal tamps.
Used my Big Chief

4 hours of smoke and into the fridge to chill overnight.

Another round of cold smoke the next day
Another cold smoke the third day

Bagged and resting in the fridge

I hope this posts well.

 

[chopsaw]

That's some awesome belly . Nice lean to fat ratio . I bet it's fantastic .

 

[Schwarzwald Metzger]

Started this dry cure pork belly on September 5th.
1% total salt with 150 ppm or 0.25% nitrite.
Pulled from the bags October 20th to wipe and dry overnight. That is almost a 7 week cure.
View attachment 679264

First round of cold smoke on October 21st.
Lumber Jack 100% hickory pellets in the tube. 54° air temp so didn't monitor the internal tamps.
Used my Big Chief

View attachment 679266

4 hours of smoke and into the fridge to chill overnight.

Another round of cold smoke the next day
Another cold smoke the third day

View attachment 679278View attachment 679278
Bagged and resting in the fridge
View attachment 679278
I hope this posts well.

That's going to be outstanding!

 

[LakeErieSMKR]

Started this dry cure pork belly on September 5th.
1% total salt with 150 ppm or 0.25% nitrite.
Pulled from the bags October 20th to wipe and dry overnight. That is almost a 7 week cure.
View attachment 679264

First round of cold smoke on October 21st.
Lumber Jack 100% hickory pellets in the tube. 54° air temp so didn't monitor the internal tamps.
Used my Big Chief

View attachment 679266

4 hours of smoke and into the fridge to chill overnight.

Another round of cold smoke the next day
Another cold smoke the third day

View attachment 679278View attachment 679278
Bagged and resting in the fridge
View attachment 679278
I hope this posts well.

It looks like you have that Big Chief dialed in

 

[indaswamp]

Great looking Bacon!

 

[SmokinEdge]

Nice work. Great looking belly.

 

[JLeonard]

Looking good from here!

Jim

 

[Fueling Around]

Thanks everyone.

I realize everyone isn't looking for reduced salt or sugar in their cures.
I'm posting my learning curve

I vac packed the slabs tonight.
A slab will will served at the So Florida gathering in December.
My low sodium breakfast brats were loved by some of the attendees last year.

The larger slab started around 1112 grams and finished at 1020 grams for a 8% loss.
The smaller slab started around 960 grams and finished at 846 grams for a 12% loss.
The liquid in each bag was minimal as the 1% salt didn't draw out.

It looks like you have that Big Chief dialed in

The Big Chief cabinet was simple a vessel. The element is burned out so the smoke tube was the only source of heat and smoke. Left the tray in place to diffuse the heat.

 

[gmc2003]

Looks great from here John. Like Rich ( chopsaw ) said - that is fine looking slab of meat to start with.

Point for sure
Chris

A slab will will served at the So Florida gathering in December.

So what your really saying is. If there is a sudden lapse in posting from Florida members. We'll know the real reason. LOL

 

[DRKsmoking]

Looks great, and a bet full of flavour

David

 

[Fueling Around]

Looks great, and a bet full of flavour

David

We will find out in a little over a month on the flavour. In the freezer now , but will be in the cooler on Friday when we leave for Florida. One pack will stay in fridge to let the smoke mellow out.

That's some awesome belly . Nice lean to fat ratio . I bet it's fantastic .

Thanks
I pick through the cooler case at Costco to find the better belly.
I do the same when I get the thick bacon. Sometimes I have to get pretty deep in cooler to find a package that has a decent ratio.

 

[cptnding]

That looks delicious!
How do you decide which belly to buy? I always feel like I'm spinning the prize wheel every time I get one lol.

 

[Fueling Around]

That looks delicious!
How do you decide which belly to buy? I always feel like I'm spinning the prize wheel every time I get one lol.

Costco is my closest source for whole belly at a reasonable price .
I pick through EVERY package in the cooler case to find one that has a decent meat to fat. It requires looking at the ends and sides

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Bacon is looking good.

 

[kilohertz]

Costco is my closest source for whole belly at a reasonable price .
I pick through EVERY package in the cooler case to find one that has a decent meat to fat. It requires looking at the ends and sides

You're lucky to have a selection, last time I was shopping for belly Safeway was the only store and only had one, looked good on the outside, got it home and unfolded it, at least have of it is fat, a good 1/2-3/4" inch on one side, I trimmed it off for sausage and am just prepping the remainder today for another batch of bacon.

I like the Chief smoker, nice simple setup.

Cheers

 

[Fueling Around]

Plans changed for the gathering. I ended up not staying the park and got a motel room in town so I wasn't there for much of Saturday. Made up pork shots instead of breakfast, but Doug had fed everyone with his pork shots before I got out there. Put out a pan for snacks at the buffet table.

Making plan for next year.

You're lucky to have a selection, last time I was shopping for belly Safeway was the only store and only had one, looked good on the outside, got it home and unfolded it, at least have of it is fat, a good 1/2-3/4" inch on one side, I trimmed it off for sausage and am just prepping the remainder today for another batch of bacon.

I like the Chief smoker, nice simple setup.

Cheers

When I lived in Seattle, the people in the Safeway meat department were pretty good about picking out special requests.

Big Chief will get modified into a smoker cabinet attachment to my pellet pooper next year.