Sugar in bacon curing

[curmudgeonly]

I didn’t see a cold smoking forum, so I hope this is the acceptable place for this.

I’ve been researching and studying bacon cures, and I have a question I haven’t seen addressed. When using sugar, spices, syrup, etc in a dry cure, isn’t that flavor washed away if you rinse the belly to reduce the salt content?

And if not rinsed, doesn’t the sugar content tend to make it easy to burn when the bacon is fried?

I’ve made bacon a few times but have never added anything other than different woods for flavor.

Thank you!

 

[mr_whipple]

There's a cold smoking forum... I think? Anyway, I've never rinsed my bellies before smoking so I can't answer that. Now the salt is the driver for the cure, so rinsing isn't going to do much to reduce salt. Sugar is too large to be absorbed like salt, and yes when used in too high percentages will cause burning when cooked. I stay at 1% sugar content as that is my preference.

To spices, yes they'll be washed away for the most part, but after a good 14 day cure they'll have imparted a touch of flavor on the outer edge of the belly, so adding a fresh grind of pepper or whatever your flavor of choice is doesn't hurt a bit. I'm sure other bacon makers will be along. There are quite a few here.

Also, good timing, I just smoked this yesterday.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I didn’t see a cold smoking forum, so I hope this is the acceptable place for this.

I’ve been researching and studying bacon cures, and I have a question I haven’t seen addressed. When using sugar, spices, syrup, etc in a dry cure, isn’t that flavor washed away if you rinse the belly to reduce the salt content?

And if not rinsed, doesn’t the sugar content tend to make it easy to burn when the bacon is fried?

I’ve made bacon a few times but have never added anything other than different woods for flavor.

Thank you!

There is a bacon forum that has both hot and cold smoking threads...

Bacon

www.smokingmeatforums.com

I use a stick burner and hot smoke my bacon usually with hickory. As to your questions, I don't rinse and my sugar preference is .75%. Yes it can burn a little when fried, but I keep a close eye on it to minimize that or bake it in the oven.

And dry curing is my favorite method...

True Dry Cured Bacon.

This is our favorite bacon. Here is a 6.5# slab of belly that I dry rubbed with my usual 1.5% salt, .75% sugar and .25% cure #1. I finish with eyeball amounts of white pepper and gran garlic. This will go on a stainless grate into the fridge with a catch pan underneath. 14 days naked no bag...

www.smokingmeatforums.com