Who frig drys cured pork belly prior to smoking?

[albinva]

I have a pork belly coming off cure in a day or so that I will smoke for bacon. I have read conflicting articles about smoke adherence to dry vs wet surfaces, but I am not interested in opening up that debate. My question is, who amongst us places belly on racks in the frig prior to smoking to form pellicle crust as a regular method for making bacon?

Thanks

Al

 

[Preacher Man]

I've made bacon once and I put it in the fridge to get a pellicle. It turned out good, so I'll probably do it again just because if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[HalfSmoked]

I think most of us do dry first. I can say if you have 2 bellies do one each way and see what you like best. Again as I say so many times personal preference is what works best for you.

Warren

 

[pushok2018]

Pellicle formation
Before cured foods are smoked, they should be allowed to air-dry long enough to form a tacky skin, known as a pellicle. The pellicle plays a key role in producing excellent smoked items. It acts as a kind of protective barrier for the food, and also plays an important role in capturing the smoke’s flavor and color.
Saying that - I always dry my bacon in the fridge for about 24 hours...

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

I always dry mine in the fridge for a couple days before smoking it. Forms a nice pellicle IMO.

 

[SonnyE]

I do.
I get my meat and usually cut it in half for two 11 X 11" vacuum bags.
Weigh each and write it on the bag for curing. Calculate and weigh my cure #1 (Prague Powder #1), weigh my salt, and weigh my sugar. These I mix well dry in a small bowl, then easiest for me, I sprinkle half the curing mixture on one hall of the bacon into the bag. Turn it over and do the other side with the remaining mixture. It gets every last speck in the bag.
Seal the bag with a little wiggle room left. Write the start date and my end date on each bag. I also write a "1" on one side, and a "2" on the other. (Just so I don't screw up the turning and massaging during the cure.)
I cure for 14 days. Yep, the wide side of curing.
After the curing is done, my slabs get a cold, filtered water rinse, then an hour long iced water plunge in a pot.
When times up, each slab gets patted dry with paper towels and racked for pellical forming. I put them in the house fridge and usually turn them once each day for 5 full days.
At the end of the 5 full days, I hang on bacon hooks and Cold Smoke for 6 hours (68-78 degrees). (Apple Wood)
Then the bacon slabs go in my little "curing" fridge to rest for another 5 days to let the smoke penetrate and mellow out while the bacon's mature (Age).
At the end, the fully finished bacon gets sliced and packaged in 8 ounce packages and vacuum sealed for storage, use, or frozen.

Generally, about 25 days, Start to Packaged.

 

[radioguy]

I use a wet brine for curing. My bacon is very "wet" after curing. I will dry it very well with a paper tower and then let it "air" dry open rack in the refer for at least a day or sometimes more.
I also have set it out on a rack and used a fan on low speed when I'm in a hurry.

RG

 

[albinva]

Awesome,

Easy to determine consensus on this subject.

Thanks

 

[daveomak]

I dry brine/cure my bellies, on wire racks in the refer for 2 weeks, then cold smoke... then back in the refer for another 5-7 days, on wire racks to age again... Pretty intense bacon flavor when I'm done....

Dividers between the slabs....

 

[SonnyE]

Hey Al, meet my Mentor and Friend, Dave.

 

[dernektambura]

I cold smoke bacon only at no more than 18 C (60F) for weeks so for me there is no need to air dry prior smoking...

 

[DPB]

I have dry and wet cured bacon, place in frig for 24hr. then smoke work great for me.

 

[jbellard]

I have simply wiped the slabs dry and once out under a fan to dry more for about an hour.
Really depends on how much time and when you can actually have the time to smoke it.
Try it a few ways and see which one you like because it seems to me that you can smoke it irregardless of whether it dries in the fridge for more time or not.
Let us know what works for you.

 

[indaswamp]

then cold smoke...

Dave, what temp. are you cold smoking your bacon at?

 

[daveomak]

Morning..... I hold the smoker below 70 F... If you haven't tried dust, try it... I like smoking meat with the dust mo-betta than pellets... Lighter smoke flavor...
My last bacon... from October/2018... 36 hours of smoke... using dust...

Dave's cold smoked bacon

 

[unclejhim]

Hey Dave, Good looking bacon, nice color. When do you remove the skin or do you leave it on?

 

[jbellard]

UncleJim,

I actually didn’t realize when I bought my pork belly that it had skin on it and then smoked it with the skin on.
Took it off after it was done smoking and it came out great. I think most will tell you to take it off before you cure so that cure gets down in there better and so that smoke penetrates better.

 

[daveomak]

That's skin off from Costco......

 

[unclejhim]

Yeah I se that now.