I just discovered a "Cash and Carry" in north Seattle. This is now going to be my "go to" place for meats for the WSM. Not only do they have great looking tenderloins, briskets, ribs, picnics and butts, but they also carry a 10-12 lb box of frozen pork belly for $2.49/pound. Visually, the belly looks great (nice evenness of thickness, good meat to fat ratio, clean skin, etc....).
Some questions:
1. Has anybody else smoked previously frozen bellies? Have you noticed any difference in quality or taste?
2. Assuming they are fine from a quality standpoint, can I thaw the entire belly in the fridge and then re-freeze the portion I don't use for bacon curing?
3. In the alternative, if I cure the entire belly, is it OK to cut it up and freeze (and vacuum seal) the sections for smoking at a later date (or should I just smoke it all at one time)?
One last question, I also found a small oriental store that carries something they called "pork side" which looked a lot like belly. Is this just what it sounds like, the side of the pig instead of the belly underside? Has anybody used this for bacon?
Some questions:
1. Has anybody else smoked previously frozen bellies? Have you noticed any difference in quality or taste?
2. Assuming they are fine from a quality standpoint, can I thaw the entire belly in the fridge and then re-freeze the portion I don't use for bacon curing?
3. In the alternative, if I cure the entire belly, is it OK to cut it up and freeze (and vacuum seal) the sections for smoking at a later date (or should I just smoke it all at one time)?
One last question, I also found a small oriental store that carries something they called "pork side" which looked a lot like belly. Is this just what it sounds like, the side of the pig instead of the belly underside? Has anybody used this for bacon?
