So, what is your opinion chef jimmyj ? I trust in your judgement. And I'm betting many others trust you as well. Using a vacsealer to seal the bag without creating a vacuum I think is smart so it doesn't leak. But with actually vacuuming and sealing. I'm still curious how the juices will be able to distribute evenly.
It's no different than a store bought But, Chicken or Pork Tenderloins. They all get Vac-Packed to remove air. But, when you buy them days or weeks later, the meat is surrounded but several ounce of leached out juices. The plastic Vac-Bags Stretch slightly as the Juices come out of the meat.
Bearcarver , I can't speak for TQ as I don't use it. But I have never had Bellies get more than Damp in the time it takes for me to Rub 3-4 pieces with a mix of Cure #1, Salt and Sugar then Vac-Seal them. Of course I'm a lot Younger than you too! LOL...JJ
John. I can totally see how you get liquid before sealing with the detailed steps you take rubbing each ingredient separately.
I make a separate Rub of my ingredients for the weight of each piece. I rub each portion, one at a time, on a flexible cutting mat. I bag the piece and dump any rub that didn't stick in the bag. I repeat until the 3 to 4 pieces are bagged then seal. I only purchase one belly, 11-12 pounds, so there in never more than 4 pieces to deal with. Lots of ways to our goal of great Bacon...JJ