I just put 18 pounds of belly in the fridge to cure for 7-10 days using the cure in "Mastering the Craft of Smoking Food" by Warren R. Anderson. This isn't my first time making bacon, but it is the first time I got the idea to use my bear claws and make a lot of piercings in the meat. I figured it would help distribute the cure better. After I did that, I realized I may have just screwed up my cure timing.
The slabs were about 1.5" thick and there is a hole every half inch or so on both sides of the slabs. I cut each slab into 3 rectangles. There are 9 pounds of belly in each 2 gallon plastic bag.
Does anyone have any thoughts on how long I should cure these? Do I stick with my 7-10 day plan or do I need to reduce the cure time?
Thanks!
The slabs were about 1.5" thick and there is a hole every half inch or so on both sides of the slabs. I cut each slab into 3 rectangles. There are 9 pounds of belly in each 2 gallon plastic bag.
Does anyone have any thoughts on how long I should cure these? Do I stick with my 7-10 day plan or do I need to reduce the cure time?
Thanks!