Bacon 1st shot

[gregbooras]

After reading all the great posts, I have decided to give bacon a shot. My biggest issues was finding the belly. After a lot of looking and a few calls I found a butcher with a 4lb belly about 50 miles away, which I picked up today.

I am using Pork Belly (Brian) and TheSneakyZebra (postings for the bacon).

Here is my plan, please let me know if I am missing something here.

Rub/Cure
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
2 t #1 cure

Coat belly with rub, in a plastic zip lock add 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup brown sugar and then add the belly. Place in refrigerator and flip every day for 7 days. Remove from refrigerator, rinse and soak for 30 minutes, dry and place on rack and put back in the refrigerator for 1 day.

Remove from refrigerator and place in smoker. Smoke at 180 degrees with 5 oz of wood (mix hickory and maple) until temp hits 150 degrees. Pull let rest and then place in the refrigerator overnight.

Feedback appreciated!

Thanks Greg

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[TmanEater]

When complete, overnight it to my address. I'll inspect for quality and grade you upon results of consumption test.

[coachB]

Greg, you've got it correct.  You can cold smoke at 100 for several additional hours for more smoke flavor, but that is optional.  After however many additional hrs you give it, bump the heat to 180 till it hits 150.  You're gonna love doing bellies. 

From there do up some loins for Canadian Bacon using SuperDave's method.  It's easy and awesome.  I did up 3 loins this weekend and experimented with rub coatings.  #1 was honey-dijon/Famous Dave's, #2 was French's yellow/pork butt rub, and #3 was French's/pastrami rub.  All came out outstanding.  Fast and easy and delicious.

[gregbooras]

Greg, you've got it correct.  You can cold smoke at 100 for several additional hours for more smoke flavor, but that is optional.  After however many additional hrs you give it, bump the heat to 180 till it hits 150.  You're gonna love doing bellies. 

From there do up some loins for Canadian Bacon using SuperDave's method.  It's easy and awesome.  I did up 3 loins this weekend and experimented with rub coatings.  #1 was honey-dijon/Famous Dave's, #2 was French's yellow/pork butt rub, and #3 was French's/pastrami rub.  All came out outstanding.  Fast and easy and delicious.

Hey Bill,

I really interested to see how the bacon turns out. On the Canadian Bacon front, I did that last month and used Dave's info as my model.

Greg

[gregbooras]

Prepped bacon and put it in the refrigerator today. Everyday I will visit my bacon and say "Hello Bacon", then flip






I will post again after smoking!

Greg

[gregbooras]

This is day three of my bacon turning and the belly is starting to firm up. While I was surfing the net this morning I ran across a good video on making bacon. The recipe is similar to what folks are using here and the guy is pretty funny!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEki-wnrVCU

Greg

[gregbooras]

The bacon is ready for the next step, I rinsed and then soaked the bacon for 30 minutes. Dried of the bacon and placed in a rack in the refrigerator until tomorrow or Friday when I smoke it.



Greg

[TmanEater]

You drove 50 miles for this? Wow... that is dedication. How much was a 4lb pork belly if you don't mind me asking? I'm curious if it's worth all the work in the end versus just buying some Sam's club bulk bacon and using that?

[gregbooras]

You drove 50 miles for this? Wow... that is dedication. How much was a 4lb pork belly if you don't mind me asking? I'm curious if it's worth all the work in the end versus just buying some Sam's club bulk bacon and using that?

Tony,

Yes I drove 50 miles for this.....

The cost for 4 lbs. was $14.00 so per lb not bad.....

We live in a small town and we like it that way, but some things you would get in a bigger city are hard to find.

My better half, 37 years and still the love of my life said... Don't they sell bacon at the store

My reply, really......

Hey this is one of my hobbies and in the next day or so I hope to see if at least it is something I would do again!

Greg

[mizzoufan]

I'd guess you will.  I did buckboard bacon (I love belly bacon, but since I was always trying to find packs with more meat in the store, buckboard is just the ticket for me).  Belly bacon still works better for those times when you're wrapping something in bacon, but for breakfast and BLTs...buckboard forever for me.

[gregbooras]

I'd guess you will.  I did buckboard bacon (I love belly bacon, but since I was always trying to find packs with more meat in the store, buckboard is just the ticket for me).  Belly bacon still works better for those times when you're wrapping something in bacon, but for breakfast and BLTs...buckboard forever for me.

I will have to consider the buckboard next time, but it may be hard to find around here

Greg

[mizzoufan]

I'm confused...buckboard bacon is just a deboned boston butt.  I buy boneless, but you could also debone yourself while cutting in half (still a bit thicker than belly, but close to the same thickness). 

[gregbooras]

I'm confused...buckboard bacon is just a deboned boston butt.  I buy boneless, but you could also debone yourself while cutting in half (still a bit thicker than belly, but close to the same thickness).

I guess I need to research this a bit, it was something else I didn't know

Thanks for sharing.

Greg

[gregbooras]

Just put the bacon in the smoker, I went with 3 oz. of apple and 2.5 oz. of wild cherry. I set the smoker to 250 degrees, once smoke started coming out I set the smoker to 100 degrees, opened door until temp of the smoker was 105 degrees. Added a pan that I filled and froze overnight and then added the bacon.

Temp of the bacon was 50 degrees. I plan to follow Pork Belly's recommendation and cold smoke for 2 hours and then crank up the smoker to 200 degrees and pull when it hits 150 degrees.

Greg

[gregbooras]

The bacon was ready for the smoker this morning, so I added 3.5 oz. of apple and 2.5 oz. black cherry. I left the door of the smoker cracked and turned up the heat to 250 degrees, once I had some good smoke opened door and set smoker to 100 degrees. Used my infrared temperature gauge to make sure the smoker had cooled off to 100 degrees and then Placed a frozen water pan on the lowest rack. Put the pork on the top shelf and set smoker to 100 degrees. Smoked for for two hours, then increased heat to 200 degrees. Pulled the bacon when it hit 150 degrees (5 hours and 45 minutes)

Trimmed bacon and cooked up two pieces to see how it was. The salt level was just fine, a bit smokey, but my wife said it tasted good. I have placed the bacon back in the refrigerator and will slice tomorrow.






Greg