Wife bought me a Masterbuilt Adventure Series Electric smoker for Xmas.
I plan to christen my new smoker with an attempt at a basic Bacon recipe.
I bought a copy of Ruhlman's "Charcuterie" book as a guide since it seems he's pretty well-respected. His recipe was for a large batch for multiple slabs of bacon, and measured in ounces, whereas other recipes measured by volume, and only made enough cure for a single batch of bacon - however, their ratios/ proportions seemed to coincide with Ruhlman's.
i was hoping to go over my understanding of the process for a basic hot smoked bacon process and get a thumbs up/down from you guys to make sure I am doing things properly. my biggest concern is if i am using too much or too little cure.
cure recipe:
-16 ounces kosher salt
-8 ounces brown sugar
-2 ounces PP#1
1. wash and dry my 3# slab of belly
2. dredge the belly on all sides with about 1/4 cup of cure mix, rubbing thoroughly into all crevices
3. put in 2.5gal bag w/ an additional (is this necessary?) 1/4 cup cure mix and work the extra cure throughout the bag and belly, and place in fridge.
4. flip each day for 7-10 days until firm
5. rinse thoroughly
6. cut off and cook a sample slice to check saltiness.
7. if too salty, soak in cold water for 30-60 minutes to extract excess salt
8. dry belly and rest in fridge overnight
9. smoke on rack at 200*F until internal temp reaches 150*F
10. trim skin (any suggestions with what to do with the skin? )
Now, for some questions:
-approximately how long should it take for a 3# belly to finish?
-Can I use my Taylor instant digital thermometer to monitor temperature, or will the wire interfere with the door closure?
-How much wood chips should i use for a single 3# belly?
I plan to christen my new smoker with an attempt at a basic Bacon recipe.
I bought a copy of Ruhlman's "Charcuterie" book as a guide since it seems he's pretty well-respected. His recipe was for a large batch for multiple slabs of bacon, and measured in ounces, whereas other recipes measured by volume, and only made enough cure for a single batch of bacon - however, their ratios/ proportions seemed to coincide with Ruhlman's.
i was hoping to go over my understanding of the process for a basic hot smoked bacon process and get a thumbs up/down from you guys to make sure I am doing things properly. my biggest concern is if i am using too much or too little cure.
cure recipe:
-16 ounces kosher salt
-8 ounces brown sugar
-2 ounces PP#1
1. wash and dry my 3# slab of belly
2. dredge the belly on all sides with about 1/4 cup of cure mix, rubbing thoroughly into all crevices
3. put in 2.5gal bag w/ an additional (is this necessary?) 1/4 cup cure mix and work the extra cure throughout the bag and belly, and place in fridge.
4. flip each day for 7-10 days until firm
5. rinse thoroughly
6. cut off and cook a sample slice to check saltiness.
7. if too salty, soak in cold water for 30-60 minutes to extract excess salt
8. dry belly and rest in fridge overnight
9. smoke on rack at 200*F until internal temp reaches 150*F
10. trim skin (any suggestions with what to do with the skin? )
Now, for some questions:
-approximately how long should it take for a 3# belly to finish?
-Can I use my Taylor instant digital thermometer to monitor temperature, or will the wire interfere with the door closure?
-How much wood chips should i use for a single 3# belly?
