Trick to removing rind????? with Q-View-PG13

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teeznuts

Master of the Pit
Original poster
Jun 18, 2011
1,065
21
Central Cali
I decided I want to remove the rind on my first belly that I'll be curing for bacon. I made an attempt last night but found it to be a PITA so I wanted to ask you bacon vets if there was a trick to it. I tried getting a knife under it and ended up taking out a nice chunk of my bacon fat that I don't want to lose. I read an older thread on here where someone mentioned his rind still had nipples and I thought he was making a joke.

Nope, there's actually NIPPLES!   WEIRD! Any advice on easily removing the rind and the nips would be appreciated.

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I've never cured a bellie, so all I can tell you is what I hear from the other guys. Some remove it ahead of time, some don't. The one's who don't say it comes off easier after it's smoked. I haven't heard anyone say there is an easy way to get it off before curing. Like you said it's a PITA. Some of the guys buy them already skinned. One of the bacon guys will be along to give you proper answers, and I will be very interested in what they say as well.
 
Yup, the easiest way is to buy them without the rind, but I know many times you can't.

I guess my way is kinda primitive, but I just use one of my very sharp fish fillet knives.

I get it started, and pull the rind away as I slice between the Rind & the fat, much like you skin a deer, or fillet a large fish.

Kinda hard to explain in writing.

Bear
 
As I recall, some of the best bacon I had was with the hide on... Of course that was in the "olden" days of yore... Then you had the smoked hide to put into beans and stuff that was really good....  Or fry into cracklins... or use for fish bait...

Youngsters won't remember this...

http://www.deltablues.net/cracklin.html
 
The only way I remove the rind is after smoking using the procedure the Bear said to do.  After it smokes the fat is a bit firmer and the rind is like shoe leather so you can skin it pretty close and not lose all the fat. Remove the rind just like you would remove the scales of a fish fillet.  Rind side down on a flat cutting board or surface, Grab the edge of the rind with you finger tips and gradually work your knife between the rind and fat pressing down firmly on the flexible knife blade.  It isn't the end of the world if you leave a bit of rind on the bacon when you get finished.   Remember if smoking the bacon with the rind on you may want to let it go a while longer in the smoke to get the best smoke penetration you can.    Also remember that smoked rind is a good seasoning.

Hope this helps,  maybe we will get to do so Qview of the process at SELA.
 
Thanks guys. I'm tempted to smoke with rind on and remove after but I'm concerned about the cure penetration sice this rind is thick and skin-like. I'm dreading the removal process and worried I'll lose some good bacon/bacon fat.
I remember eating bacon with the rind on, you eat the bacon and chew on the rind till lunch 
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For some reason smoked pig nipple just doesn't sound appetizing.
 
DaveOmak

I need to come up and share a campfire with you for a couple of days.  I think we have a lot of similar stories!
 
Thanks guys. I'm tempted to smoke with rind on and remove after but I'm concerned about the cure penetration sice this rind is thick and skin-like. I'm dreading the removal process and worried I'll lose some good bacon/bacon fat.

For some reason smoked pig nipple just doesn't sound appetizing.
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Thanks guys. I'm tempted to smoke with rind on and remove after but I'm concerned about the cure penetration sice this rind is thick and skin-like. I'm dreading the removal process and worried I'll lose some good bacon/bacon fat.

For some reason smoked pig nipple just doesn't sound appetizing.
Teez,

I think you already had a thread asking about keeping it on or off (could have been someone else---it comes up often).

Don't let the difficulty scare you away from removing it before curing it & smoking it.

Even if it's not pretty your first time, you won't see that once it is sliced.

Also don't let me scare you into cutting it off before curing it & smoking it.

I don't leave it on because I don't want to cure & smoke something I'm not going to eat.

In my opinion, it may block some smoke color & flavor, but I'm sure the amount is very very small, and not enough to bother most people.

As for losing fat, just keep your knife angled toward the rind.  There's plenty of fat there.

Be careful too,

Bear
 
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