True Dry Cured Bacon.

[DougE]

The sodium nitrite initially applied to the meat is converted to nitric oxide and gassed out during the process of curing. There really isn't much left in the finished product.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I love bacon, but do prefer to severely limit intake of concentrated nitrites. Since salt is not an issue with us, I'd like to know how to do the same preservation with salt, if anyone has that info.

Not possible without nitrite.

 

[LoveMyBGE]

Slicing day on the last batch.

View attachment 698479

What do you slice with? I don’t have a butcher’s meat slicer, so just cut my 5-6 lb slabs in four pieces, vacuum pack them and as I take them out to use them I can easily use a slicing knife to cut uniform half slices.

 

[Dave Rowell]

OK. Thanks!

 

[Dave Rowell]

The sodium nitrite initially applied to the meat is converted to nitric oxide and gassed out during the process of curing. There really isn't much left in the finished product.

OK. Cool!

 

[SmokinEdge]

What do you slice with? I don’t have a butcher’s meat slicer, so just cut my 5-6 lb slabs in four pieces, vacuum pack them and as I take them out to use them I can easily use a slicing knife to cut uniform half slices.

LEM 10” electric slicer. Nothing wrong with a knife and a steady hand though. I’ve cut a lot of bacon that way.

 

[Fueling Around]

I love bacon, but do prefer to severely limit intake of concentrated nitrites. Since salt is not an issue with us, I'd like to know how to do the same preservation with salt, if anyone has that info.

If nitrites is your concern then commercial produced bacon is your best bet for peace of mind. They inject at a lower nitrite level along with sodium erythorbate to mostly deplete the nitrites after the curing process.
BUT
Dry or wet cured pork belly that follow the guidelines posted here will give you a belly with mostly depleted nitrites

 

[Faster]

Hers is the final product of this process.
I will be slicing on Monday at work.
Here is a few hand cuts and test fry.
Bellies I had were a little on the thin side but overall it’s a good recipe.
Smoked for 6 hours to get to that color but I would go for the full 8. (I cold smoke)
I’ll tweak a few things for the next round.
I will be doing this again for sure.

Hi @hondabbq , what temperatures did you smoke?
Between 15⁰C-35⁰C? (59-95⁰F?)
Thanks

 

[hondabbq]

Hi @hondabbq , what temperatures did you smoke?
Between 15⁰C-35⁰C? (59-95⁰F?)
Thanks

I think the ambient temp outside that day was 18c.
I only cold smoke in the shoulder seasons when the temps are down enough to cold smoke.

 

[Faster]

I think the ambient temp outside that day was 18c.
I only cold smoke in the shoulder seasons when the temps are down enough to cold smoke.

With cold smoke, how do you know that your bacon is "ready", or safe to eat? Do you fry it anyway?
I am curious, because I thought cold smoking takes much longer time to eat it as is.

 

[hondabbq]

With cold smoke, how do you know that your bacon is "ready", or safe to eat? Do you fry it anyway?
I am curious, because I thought cold smoking takes much longer time to eat it as is.

I go until I have the desired color I want.
I have normally wet brined my bellies and to get that color usually takes me 2 days of smoking for 8 hours with a rest overnight.
Both hot smoked and cold smoked need to still be fried to cook it.
These dried bellies cut my smoking time down to just 1 session.

 

[DougE]

With cold smoke, how do you know that your bacon is "ready", or safe to eat? Do you fry it anyway?

Smoke until you get the color you want. With cold smoked bacon, it is not taken to a temp considered ready to eat, so yes, fry it.

With hot smoked bacon taken to 145°F, it is safe to be eaten as is, but better fried first.

 

[hondabbq]

Forgot to snap a pic of it all sliced up in an insert that I did at work.
Second best is a pic of them all packaged up.

 

[frankie007]

Very nice that, good work....

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

Wow! I thought I was done making bacon but might have to change my mind. That is perfection!

 

[bill ace 350]

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. This extracts the moisture and concentrates the flavors. The end result is delicious. Fries better in a pan too. Sorry for the low quality pictures, from my phone and not buying a fancy camera just for this stuff.

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View attachment 688286
Btw, this goes on the rack meat side down. See you in 14-ish days.

Old post but I'm using this method shortly. Will post mr results. Thank you