Makin bacon

[lemans]

I'm going to leave it for 14 days then cold smoke it
With cherry pellets for 6 hours

 

[daveomak]

That should be good bacon....  

  ....

 

[lemans]

So here are the two pieces of belly out of the cure and
Into a water bath for a few hours ..

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• lemans
• Jul 15, 2017

 

[lemans]

Oh yeah .. they were in the cure 9 days

 

[lemans]

Did a fry test after an hour in the water.. still a little salty so back into the water another 90 mins..
Ps. It was awesome tasting

 

[SmokyMose]

Did a fry test after an hour in the water.. still a little salty so back into the water another 90 mins..
Ps. It was awesome tasting

You're already thinking about the next batch, aren't you?

 

[lemans]

Absolutely. So it's in the fridge drying till tomarrow
Cold smoke using my 12 inch tube and Cherry pellets
Thanks Todd...

 

[lemans]

Question.. should I take the skin off before smoking?

 

[SmokyMose]

Question.. should I take the skin off before smoking?

I have no idea, but I'd be interested to find out. While checking out a local "International" grocery a few weeks ago, I saw belly packaged in 3" strips with the skin still on. It was pretty reasonable and I was wondering if I could use it for bacon...

 

[lemans]

Why not!!!

 

[lemans]

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• lemans
• Jul 16, 2017

Skinned the bellies and into Cherry Smoke for 4 hours

 

[lemans]

IMG_3189.JPG

• lemans
• Jul 16, 2017

It's like 60 degrees this am in NJ

 

[lemans]

IMG_3192.JPG

• lemans
• Jul 16, 2017

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• lemans
• Jul 16, 2017

After four hours I was happy with the color so I pulled it from the cold Smoker and rinsed it off under warm water dried it and back in the fridge to air dry 24 hours before slicing..

 

[SmokyMose]

Oh, yeah! That looks nice!

 

[SmokyMose]

Possibly a dumb question, LeMans, but why did you rinse it out of the smoker?

 

[lemans]

That gets the fat that comes out off the surface

 

[lemans]

And here is the finished product..

IMG_3202.JPG

• lemans
• Jul 16, 2017

Lot of work but worth it..

 

[tom kish]

Question.. should I take the skin off before smoking?

I don't, myself. I smoke all of it, then separate the skin after smoking. When i have three or four bellies worth of skins, the wifes makes pork rinds. Its kind of neat being able to tell exactly what batch you made when eating them. Makes the house smell pretty good, too.

 

[daveomak]

Skin the belly while it is warm...  before refrigerating...

 

[lemans]

Dam I should have kept the skin and made cracklins