SmokinEdge Bacon Doctrine

[I-am-Chorizo]

Just wanted to thank SmokinEdge for his guidance on Bacon. His clear, simple and precise instructions helped me to discover that I can actually make Bacon I Will never come back to supermarket bacon... everyone is happy at Home!

 

[gmc2003]

Your bacon looks great, and Eric SmokinEdge is a pretty good dude.

Point for sure
Chris

 

[JLinza]

Looks great, you can't go wrong if listen to Eric. Nice work

 

[SmokinEdge]

Just wanted to thank SmokinEdge for his guidance on Bacon. His clear, simple and precise instructions helped me to discover that I can actually make Bacon I Will never come back to supermarket bacon... everyone is happy at Home!

Albert, you are to kind. I’ve enjoyed our PM conversations and am always more than willing to help anyone make quality food. I’m very happy you and family enjoy the bacon and sausage. Any time my friend, I’ll be happy to help with meat recipes.

Your bacon looks delicious and all I can say is nice work. It’s been a pleasure.

 

[uncle eddie]

Your bacon looks great!

Bacon is on my list of things to do when I finally come across a meat slicer.

 

[DougE]

Seems like a lifetime ago that Eric SmokinEdge got me going with bacon, and though I was not willing, dragged me, kicking and screaming, into the world of sausage making. All that made me research further into both, and I know more now than I ever would have without some prodding.

 

[Buckeye1]

Great looking bacon
Was that a dry cure or wet cure

 

[I-am-Chorizo]

Great looking bacon
Was that a dry cure or wet cure

That was a Dry cure. Haven't tried the wet cure yet. Are There any meaningful differences in the final product?

 

[JLeonard]

Oh Sir! That is some great looking bacon. And yes, once you do your own, commercial bacon pales in comparison.

Jim

 

[nlife]

I Will never come back to supermarket bacon... everyone is happy at Home!

That's the downside of homemade bacon and this recipe. It's really tough going back to store bought. I had picked up a bunch of commercial bacon when it was on sale since I wanted it for camping. Then I made my own with SmokinEdge 's recipe.

All the store bought bacon is sitting in the freezer destined for some unknown use.

Great job on the bacon. Make sure to get another belly curing ASAP. The stuff you made will go fast and it's a loooong wait for the next batch when you're out.

 

[I-am-Chorizo]

Great job on the bacon. Make sure to get another belly curing ASAP. The stuff you made will go fast and it's a loooong wait for the next batch when you're out.

Already happened...I couldn't foresee the upcoming bacon shortage...But from now I Will be prepared. I think (but it all depends on your very personal bacon needs) that curing a 2k slab every other week Will guarantee a steady bacon supply at Home.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[nlife]

Good planning I I-am-Chorizo ! I gave a few packs out to friends and family and now they want more. One even offered to buy any extra that I may have. My response was, "Extra? Who has extra bacon?!"

I haven't sold anything since I enjoy hearing how people like what I make, so I give out what I can, when I can. Plus I don't really have any interest in the commercial aspects or the associated risks that would come after $$ changes hands.

 

[I-am-Chorizo]

I haven't sold anything since I enjoy hearing how people like what I make, so I give out what I can, when I can. Plus I don't really have any interest in the commercial aspects or the associated risks that would come after $$ changes hands.

Now that you mention it, I fell for the "Selling issue" with the St.Rosano Chorizo and at the beginning it was kind of exciting but, as making sausages is not my business, everytime I get a 200 or 300 chorizos order, it is not fun anymore...it becomes an obligation and somehow loses attractive. I won't do the same with bacon, no matter how tempting it might look...

 

[I-am-Chorizo]

I’ve enjoyed our PM conversations and am always more than willing to help anyone make quality food.

Yeah, me too...that's why I wanted to pay a small homage to you with this thread. Navigating through the site, I've been able to see that you have helped (with great generosity) a lot of fellows to grow their confidence and jump into the pool of making quality meats.

By the way, now that we are talking about bacon...here in Colombia, the "PORK RIB" cut is often found in stores and supermarkets with a "Bacon-like" configuration. I mean (from bottom to top) you find the rib bones and the meat and also some fat-meat-fat-meat layers until you get to the skin. The do not sell it as a whole rib rack as (I assume) you tipically find St.Louis or Baby back ribs in the USA, they cut across the bone and you get kind of like Rib Strips (See attached pics).

I saw bacon potential there and what I did was, I carefully removed the bones, peeled the skin off and cured them acording to the book. they have been in the fridge for a week now. can it be considered bacon? what will it be like? Do the 14 days deadline apply to them? has anyone here tried this before?

 

[SmokinEdge]

Yeah, me too...that's why I wanted to pay a small homage to you with this thread. Navigating through the site, I've been able to see that you have helped (with great generosity) a lot of fellows to grow their confidence and jump into the pool of making quality meats.

By the way, now that we are talking about bacon...here in Colombia, the "PORK RIB" cut is often found in stores and supermarkets with a "Bacon-like" configuration. I mean (from bottom to top) you find the rib bones and the meat and also some fat-meat-fat-meat layers until you get to the skin. The do not sell it as a whole rib rack as (I assume) you tipically find St.Louis or Baby back ribs in the USA, they cut across the bone and you get kind of like Rib Strips (See attached pics).

I saw bacon potential there and what I did was, I carefully removed the bones, peeled the skin off and cured them acording to the book. they have been in the fridge for a week now. can it be considered bacon? what will it be like? Do the 14 days deadline apply to them? has anyone here tried this before?

Our English language is very butchered here in the US.
What we use as “bacon” is actually called “fresh side” what this means is that we remove the belly and the guard meat over the ribs as known as “belly bacon” or “fresh side” it is then cured. Most of the bacon we eat here actually is rib meat. So yes it is a major thing here, it’s just our language is very “slang”

 

[SmokinEdge]

Our English language is very butchered here in the US.
What we use as “bacon” is actually called “fresh side” what this means is that we remove the belly and the guard meat over the ribs as known as “belly bacon” or “fresh side” it is then cured. Most of the bacon we eat here actually is rib meat. So yes it is a major thing here, it’s just our language is very “slang”

Some of our fellow SMF members actually cure the spare rib section and smoke that. Calling it “bacon on a stick” because the rib is still attached. But commercially the meat is removed and made into bacon and the ribs sold separately.

 

[I-am-Chorizo]

Our English language is very butchered here in the US.
What we use as “bacon” is actually called “fresh side” what this means is that we remove the belly and the guard meat over the ribs as known as “belly bacon” or “fresh side” it is then cured. Most of the bacon we eat here actually is rib meat. So yes it is a major thing here, it’s just our language is very “slang”

So...what I cured is technically bacon, isn't it? ...aren't 14 days a bit to much of dry cure time for those strips? (see pic)

 

[SmokinEdge]

So...what I cured is technically bacon, isn't it? ...aren't 14 days a bit to much of dry cure time for those strips? (see pic)

10 days is my minimum. Understand that it takes time for flavors to level out and come into balance. So at 10 days it’s good, at 12 days it’s better and at 14 days the flavor is best. Also on whole muscle, like bacon, after smoking, 24 hour rest is minimum but up to 5-7 days is best before slicing to allow the smoke to level out and balance. More time is best but not necessary. If you want the best meats then wait for them to develop, that’s my best advice.

 

[nlife]

Now that you mention it, I fell for the "Selling issue" with the St.Rosano Chorizo and at the beginning it was kind of exciting but, as making sausages is not my business, everytime I get a 200 or 300 chorizos order, it is not fun anymore...it becomes an obligation and somehow loses attractive.

I agree! I do this for the enjoyment of making something for my family. I know that as soon as I start getting paid for it and I'm committed to filling orders, it wouldn't be fun anymore.

Aside from that, when are you going to make Buckboard Bacon? Same process, same cure, just using a pork shoulder rather than pork belly. I have one curing in the fridge that I started on the 13th. Only an eternity to go before I can smoke, slice, fry and enjoy it!

 

[nlife]

10 days is my minimum. Understand that it takes time for flavors to level out and come into balance. So at 10 days it’s good, at 12 days it’s better and at 14 days the flavor is best. Also on whole muscle, like bacon, after smoking, 24 hour rest is minimum but up to 5-7 days is best before slicing to allow the smoke to level out and balance. More time is best but not necessary. If you want the best meats then wait for them to develop, that’s my best advice.

This has been my experience as well. Wait for it to cure. Smoke it and wait some more for best flavor. l noticed this with the belly bacon I've made. The stuff that's smoked, sliced, cooked and eaten before it can balance out tastes different compared to the bacon that's had time to mellow in the fridge.

Don't get me wrong, the short cure/rest time bacon is still good quality bacon, but it can be better simply by giving it some time.