My Bacon not like 'Commercial' Bacon

[Cody_Mack]

How come our homemade bacon does not taste like, or smell like ‘commercial’ bacon. I’ve made bacon a few times, following the recipes and tips I find here. It is ok, I mean it is a nice pork product that I hand-made, and it’s good, but it doesn’t have that bacon smell or taste that is characteristic of ‘bacon’.

Rick

 

[Fueling Around]

Need more information on your curing and smoking.
I find most commercial bacon too salty and too sweet for my taste.
Don't eat much bacon these days so don't cure after belly prices skyrocketed.

 

[DougE]

Anything I cure for bacon has what you'd call a "bacon" taste similar to commercial bacon, but mine's better. What I make is less salty, for one, and that is on purpose.

Don't eat much bacon these days so don't cure after belly prices skyrocketed.

Why not do buckboard? I like it as well, if not better than belly bacon. Matter of fact, most friends I share bacon with prefer BBB to belly.

 

[SmokinAl]

Tell us your complete recipe & process. I think we can help, but need more info. And we have gone to BBB too, because bellies are just too expensive, and as Doug said. We like it better too!
Al

 

[Cody_Mack]

What I have made is with the basic guidelines I have found here. I have made both belly bacon and BBB. I have done wet cure and dry cure. The last time I used some real maple syrup and it added a little something extra, but it also wanted to burn when frying. It did a little better in the oven.

I am terrible about not documenting with photos, but there are a couple attached. One is belly that I got from HEB. The other is BBB ready to go in the oven, cured with the maple syrup. Good flavor, but as the thread title states, it just don’t smell or taste like store-bought bacon.

With the dry cure I used .25% Cure #1, 1.5% sea salt, .75% brown sugar and probably ½ C maple syrup. With the wet cures I use the DiggingDogFarm calculator based on meat weight plus water weight.

Rick

 

[Cody_Mack]

Wasn't sure how to cut the Butt for the BBB, so I just took the bone out and cut the whole thing in half horizontally. I don't think it had much of a fat cap, as indicated in the photo above.

Rick

 

[smokerjim]

Looks good, did you ever try pops brine?

 

[chopsaw]

I'm wondering what brand of commercial bacon you're buying . Might be some insight to the question if someone has had the same brand or brands . Nothing wrong with 1.5% salt , but I'm thinking the commercial might be higher .

Wasn't sure how to cut the Butt for the BBB

What you did is fine . If I get a butt that has a nice even fat cap side of the bone , I'll use that for bacon . I cut it off as parallel as I can get it .
I like it to look like belly bacon .


Makes a nice slice .

 

[Cody_Mack]

Looks good, did you ever try pops brine?

I think I have used it for Back Bacon. But I usually use the equilibrium method.

Rick

 

[indaswamp]

If it is the maple flavor not being as strong as store bought, it's becasue they use maple extract in commercial bacon....in the pump too...

 

[Cody_Mack]

I'm wondering what brand of commercial bacon you're buying . Might be some insight to the question if someone has had the same brand or brands . Nothing wrong with 1.5% salt , but I'm thinking the commercial might be higher .


What you did is fine . If I get a butt that has a nice even fat cap side of the bone , I'll use that for bacon . I cut it off as parallel as I can get it .
I like it to look like belly bacon .
View attachment 648047
View attachment 648048
Makes a nice slice .
View attachment 648046

I usually cheap out on the commercial bacon. It's the local HEB stuff and it's pretty decent for what it is.

Your Buckboard looks really good! Gotta find a butt with nice fat cap.

Rick

 

[Cody_Mack]

If it is the maple flavor not being as strong as store bought, it's becasue they use maple extract in commercial bacon....in the pump too...

Yeah that's what I have read. Here's some maple belly bacon I did a couple of weeks ago. It is very tasty. Cooked in the oven just now at 375 for about 13 minutes.

Rick

 

[zwiller]

It's sorta polarizing topic but I agree with you. Homemade does not necessarily mean better. Store bought bacon is pumped with liquid smoke. I think the main culprit with homemade is not smoking long enough. I think you need 24-48hrs smoke on bacon. I also think you need a rest period and these days to me that means a frozen for like a month.

I love me pics too but they can be deceiving. Some of the nicest pics I have tasted blah and vice versa.

 

[Cody_Mack]

Store bought bacon is pumped with liquid smoke

That's probably the answer I am looking for.

Rick

 

[bmudd14474]

Additionally your bacon will have a lower moisture and salt content then commercial products. It will be a better more meaty product.

 

[cutplug]

Hey Cody, if your not smoking it at all before cooking in the oven then that is the problem.
Smoke it to IT of @145 first before the final cook or use the liquid smoke.

 

[GaryHibbert]

I always give my bacon at least 24 hours of good hickory smoke, with breaks. Have you tried this??
Gary

 

[indaswamp]

^^^^^Yep. I go 32 hours of cold smoke. 4 nights in a row, 12 hours per night with a rest in the fridge during the day. Then wrap in paper and rest for a week in fridge before slicing.

 

[Cody_Mack]

Hey Cody, if your not smoking it at all before cooking in the oven then that is the problem.
Smoke it to IT of @145 first before the final cook or use the liquid smoke.

Yes I am smoking it. See more detail in below post.

Rick

 

[Cody_Mack]

I always give my bacon at least 24 hours of good hickory smoke, with breaks. Have you tried this??
Gary

No, so far it has been one-shot at as low temp as I can do presently. And that is in my pellet grill where I can go as low as 150-160, probably for about 6 hours. I had a MES-30 for a while but passed it on to get something larger later on. I will definitely go with your suggestions.

Rick