Owen's BBQ Ground Formed Bacon

[chopsaw]

Do you by chance have a link to that bacon mix, I cant find it.

It's hard to find . There's a link in post # 11 .

 

[indaswamp]

How in the hell did I miss this thread? Well done Chop! One I have not made yet....formed bacon. Looks great!

 

[chopsaw]

One I have not made yet....formed bacon. Looks great!

Thanks . I like it best as a snack . I further cook it down . Eats like jerky .

 

[pc farmer]

Thanks . I like it best as a snack . I further cook it down . Eats like jerky .

I make this. Haven't tried to cook it down like jerky. That sounds good

 

[chopsaw]

Haven't tried to cook it down like jerky.

I would just fry it up , then eat it cold out of the fridge . Sometimes I put some slices on a sheet pan and dry them in the oven .
I do the same with pastrami and dried beef when I make it .

 

[tbern]

so a crazy question: if a person used ground beef instead of pork and did everything else the same, would this resemble in any way beef bacon?

 

[chopsaw]

so a crazy question: if a person used ground beef instead of pork and did everything else the same, would this resemble in any way beef bacon?

I've never had beef bacon , so I'm not sure . I used to make ground beef jerky with just salt , black pepper and cure . It was rolled into strips , but you could do it in a pan . Smoke cool and slice .
Give it a shot and let us know .

 

[Sven Svensson]

I’m very glad this post was resurrected. This is a very intriguing concept.

 

[chopsaw]

intriguing concept.

You could buy the mix , but you know enough about hams , bacon and sausage that you can just make one up yourself . The mix comes with maple sugar cure , but ways around that too .

 

[Sven Svensson]

You could buy the mix , but you know enough about hams , bacon and sausage that you can just make one up yourself . The mix comes with maple sugar cure , but ways around that too .

This is exactly why it’s intriguing. My neighbor wants heat in his bacon and I’ve not had success in doing that. Same with maple or honey flavors. It all gets lost. Even the all-elusive bourbon flavor comes to mind. This method would mean it goes into the mix. Ground pork butt with some added pork fat trimmings might work great. And, if formed in a bread loaf pan it could be cut into larger slices for BLTs. Now you’ve really got me thinking…

 

[chopsaw]

Yup . Sausage strips you see at the store . Same thing .
I just took a run at some spam . Just basic spice since I was going for regular spam , but could be whatever you like .
I wrapped it in saran wrap , then stuffed it in an old butter tub for a mold . Held overnight in the fridge .

Vac'd and poach at 175 for an hour .

 

[Dave in AZ]

chopsaw There you go! Everyone is saying "formed bacon", and I'm thinking, "Spam or Taylor Pork Roll!"
Your spam version looks great! I make pork roll a good bit, experimenting with encapsulated LACTIC acid now vs. Ferment vs. ECA. Just using salt, sugar, white pepper, cure1... it's an accurate rendition, but turns out I like a bit more flavor than straight Taylor Ham.

What did you use for your spices, or thinking about? I'm about to make some, and leaning towards a tiny bit of mace, ginger, black pepper, paprika... just like 0.1%, so it has slightest hint of breakfast sausage or WI brat flavor?

 

[chopsaw]

What did you use for your spices,

The spam was just a test run with some grind I saved from making sausage last week .
It was cured with Tender Quick and just a bit of brown sugar . Key ingredient was potato starch . I was trying to get as close to Spam as I could . It's pretty close . Texture is spot on .

White pepper and ginger is always good . I did some German bologna one time that I used a pound of ground bacon in the mix . If I had used a starter culture it would have been pretty close to Taylor's ham .

 

[Dave in AZ]

chopsaw thx. I can see potato starch for that gel texture for spam, just got a 5gal bucket of it last month... my son loves spam, maybe I should be targeting that vs pork roll lol!

I just finished and sliced up 9 lbs of buckboard bacon with a heavy cherry hickory smoke, and will be using the ends and odd slices to grind up and add to my pork roll today also. You can see the container off odd shapes in bottom picture...sooo hard not to just fry up and eat!

 

[Bearcarver]

so a crazy question: if a person used ground beef instead of pork and did everything else the same, would this resemble in any way beef bacon?

If you take Beef, in any form, and treat it like you treat Pork with cure, salt, sugar, etc, it would taste like "Dried Beef".
Beef turns into "Dried Beef".
Pork turns into "Bacon".

Bear

 

[Sven Svensson]

If you take Beef, in any form, and treat it like you treat Pork with cure, salt, sugar, etc, it would taste like "Dried Beef".
Beef turns into "Dried Beef".
Pork turns into "Bacon".

Bear

I think I’ve seen that in a can at the grocery store but I’ve never tried it. Is that what you’re referring to, Bear?

 

[Bearcarver]

I think I’ve seen that in a can at the grocery store but I’ve never tried it. Is that what you’re referring to, Bear?

Here is some Dried Beef, from Beef or Venison: They both taste the same:
Dried Beef (Best Ever)
Smoked Venison Dried Beef

Bear

 

[Dave in AZ]

Here is some Dried Beef, from Beef or Venison: They both taste the same:
Dried Beef (Best Ever)
Smoked Venison Dried Beef

Bear

Thanks for this link and great post, Bear! I hadn't seen it, and have bookmarked it, will for sure try!

 

[bacon_crazy510]

Wow, I'm just seeing this thread for the first time too. I've been on a SPAM kick, and this is right along those lines.

I'm going to try this, as the slices sound great in sandwiches.

 

[chopsaw]

It's good and a fun cook to do . You can season it up however you like .