So i'm thinking about smoking bacon for the first time.

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If you use the Scrap Iron Chef's Bacon recipe and you don't use cure, you should ignore the following part of the directions and hot smoke the bacon.
As written, the bacon is in the danger zone for far too long.

"Lay on a rack over a sheet pan and place in front of a fan for 1 hour to form a pellicle. Lay the pork in the protein box of a cold smoker and smoke for 4 to 6 hours."



~Martin
 
If you use the Scrap Iron Chef's Bacon recipe and you don't use cure, you should ignore the following part of the directions and hot smoke the bacon.
As written, the bacon is in the danger zone for far too long.

"Lay on a rack over a sheet pan and place in front of a fan for 1 hour to form a pellicle. Lay the pork in the protein box of a cold smoker and smoke for 4 to 6 hours."



~Martin
I was thinking that would be a bit dangerous. Thanks for the tip.
 
If you want it to taste like bacon, you really should wait and get the Cure #1....which is essential if you're going to cold smoke,
I recommend keeping it simple.
Pop's brine is an easy way to do it and most folks like it.


~Martin
 
If you want it to taste like bacon, you really should wait and get the Cure #1....which is essential if you're going to cold smoke,
I recommend keeping it simple.
Pop's brine is an easy way to do it and most folks like it.


~Martin
I was looking at Pop's brine and i'm just a bit... reticent to use it as I have no curing salt, also it says "for every 1 gallon of water, add etc. etc. etc."

I don't know how many gallons of water I would use.
 
Is there a Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops, Gander Mountain, etc. near you?
They often have Cure #1.


~Martin
The closest thing to a sporting goods store near me is Sports Authority. Tried Whole Foods and the local supermarkets, no luck there for Curing Salt/Cure #1/Pink Salt
 
You could try a local butcher - there is one near me that sells cure #1...

Edit: Too slow again
smile.gif
 
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Here the local butcher shop will sell cure #!. Then their is ebay. Their is also the tender quick option. Not as simple as Pop's brine/cure.

Or if need be I can buy some here and send you some cure #1

Happy smoken

David
I went to the closest butcher shop to me yesterday - it was more of a fancy deli than a butcher shop. I have no idea why they advertise as a butcher shop.
 
After I bought my Cure #1, Morton's smoked sugar cure, and Morton's readi quick from "Butchers and Packers" website, I found that the little local country independent grocery store had them on the shelf. But I ordered online from "Butcher and Packers".

I also first try ed curing with Salt Peter, I wasted a load of good meat. I would suggest for your first time you follow either Pop's brine cure or Bears dry rub, then you'll have a better feel for whats going on. Then you can venture out and try different ideas for spices. That way you have a guaranteed good bar to judge your future endeavors upon.

Oh and good afternoon all..... you guys been busy little beavers this AM....LOL
 
After I bought my Cure #1, Morton's smoked sugar cure, and Morton's readi quick from "Butchers and Packers" website, I found that the little local country independent grocery store had them on the shelf. But I ordered online from "Butcher and Packers".

I also first try ed curing with Salt Peter, I wasted a load of good meat. I would suggest for your first time you follow either Pop's brine cure or Bears dry rub, then you'll have a better feel for whats going on. Then you can venture out and try different ideas for spices. That way you have a guaranteed good bar to judge your future endeavors upon.

Oh and good afternoon all..... you guys been busy little beavers this AM....LOL
yeahthat.gif


Afternoon Foam

happy smoken.

David
 
Hello Bros. You have been given some excellent advice here on your bacon makin.

Just thought I would throw my 2 cents worth in. I have made bacon approx 12 times now since I got into the smoking craze and here is what I do.

First off, I mix up a 1 gallon batch of Pops Brine exactly as he post it, Put my bellie meat in and make sure that it is submerged in the brine completely. I put it all in my meat fridge and leave it set for no less than 12 days at between 36 and 38 degrees.

After the 12 days of soaking have gone by, I pull the meat, rense in cold water, slice a couple slices and fry for a tatste test, which I have never found my bacon to be to salty.

Then I place the meat in the frifge over night to form the pellicle, take out the next morning, put it on my bacon hooks and hang it in my smoker. I only cold smoke and I usually use hickory (matter of taste) I smoke the meat at 100 degrees or a little less for the upwards of 12 to 16 hours.

I put the smoked bacon in the fridge to get real cold for firming up, then slice and package it.

I have had nothing bu raves about my bacon.

Rich-
 
Thanks for the tips.

So as far as I understand it, the difference between warm and cold smoking is that warm smoking cooks it while cold smoking simply imbues the smoky flavor.

Cold smoking seems like it might be a bit too much of a pain for my first time making bacon, to be honest.

The recipe I am planning on using requires three days of refrigeration - I am wondering if this sounds par for the course, above average, elow average, what? I mostly want to avoid trichinosis :P

So since the recipe requires cold smoking, I am curious as to how long I would warm smoke it for, another recipe I saw that did warm smoking suggested 2-3 hours at 200 degrees, how does that sound?
Get a regular pack of bacon

Put the smoker on smoke or around 220ish and let it warm up

Put the bacon on

2.5-3 hours later enjoy some of the best bacon out there.

I do this on Saturday mornings right when I wake up. About an hour after my kids get up the bacon is done. They love me for it.

I let others, like Farmland create the bacon, I just cook it. :)
 
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The picture of the smoke I showed on page one was 10 hours at 100 degrees. But that was the smoker setting. Due to the amps the temp actually ran 110 to 137 degrees. It could have easily been pulled at 6 to 8 hours, 10 was too much.
 
Okay.

Got some pork belly last Friday, put it in the Pop's Brine.

Checked it today and it was... slimy feeling.

Rinsed a slice off, patted it dry, tossed it in the pan, and it didn't act like bacon.

Maybe it needs to be smoked to be proper bacon?

Any suggestions for how long I smoke it in my hot smoker/what temp?
 
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