My first Bacon Effort

[chuck2u]

A week ago I purchased 5# of fresh pork belly and cured it for a week using Tender Quick and slathered it in a third of a cup of maple syrup.  I cold-smoked it with maple wood chips for the first three hours of 8 hours in the smoker at 140 degrees until I had an internal temperature of 120 degrees.  I was very happy with the results!  Next week: Canadian Bacon

 

[SmokinAl]

Nice job on your first try!

 

[tjohnson]

Looks GREAT!

Better make more, cuz you'll run out quick!

TJ

 

[Bearcarver]

Looks Awesome!!!

Beautiful Color!!!

That's very much like I do mine, but I make a little more---You'll be making more real soon---Probably within the week!  LOL

Bear

 

[africanmeat]

looks good to me 

 

[boykjo]

nice job.........................

joe

 

[teeznuts]

Congrats on your first belly! The guys are right, once you start, You can't stop. The bacon addiction is hard to shake.

 

[roller]

Looks great nice color...better than mine...

 

[fpnmf]

Looking good!!

  Craig

 

[realtorterry]

Tenderquick? I thought it had to be cure#1? Shows how much I know? What ratio did you use?

 

[chuck2u]

The package or Morton Tender Quick calls for 1 tablespoon per pound of meat.  My bacon turned out to be just a tiny bit too salty for my palate so I'm going to let it sit in water for 30 minutes before smoking the next time.  I started a loin four days ago and will smoke it this coming Saturday to make my first Canadian bacon.  I won't soak it in water after the cure because I want to see if the salt intake is the same as belly before acting on an assumption.

Chuck

 

[casmurf]

I have found for me when making BBB or Canadian bacon 1tablespoon Tender Quick per pound followed by 1tablespoon brown sugar works best. I soak for half hour then fry test. I always do a fry test before  smoking I had a few rough (salty) ones when I first started home curing. But as with all hobbies I got better with practice. I got a butt curing as we speak, will be smoking sometime next week I will try to get some pics.

Jerry

 

[Bearcarver]

I have found for me when making BBB or Canadian bacon 1tablespoon Tender Quick per pound followed by 1tablespoon brown sugar works best. I soak for half hour then fry test. I always do a fry test before  smoking I had a few rough (salty) ones when I first started home curing. But as with all hobbies I got better with practice. I got a butt curing as we speak, will be smoking sometime next week I will try to get some pics.

Jerry

That is my method too Jerry. And it works great for me. Never had one cured with TQ become too salty that way. I do the belly bacon the same way, with the same result. I still do the fry test every time, just in case, because once you smoke it, it's too late.

Bear