Lugs for bacon curing


 
T

tjkoko

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Tomorrow I begin curing 17+ pounds of pork belly (2 slabs) into bacon. My question is this:

Usually I divide each slab in half, rub it with cure and then place each half slab into its own 2 gallon ziplock bag to cure for the next 7-10 days depending on thickness - 4 half-slabs total. Would it not be recommended to leave the slabs whole, undivided, rubbed with cure and placed one atop the other into a single covered lug (plastic container) for the curing process?
 
if planning to run the slabs on a deli slicer, start there. The widest slice I can get on mine is a little over 1/2 the width of a full slab. With that in mind, I'd don't see much point in keeping my slabs whole.

Have you considered a brine cure? you might be able to get them in a bucket or tub that could accommodate them along with the brine.

bacon brine cure recipe
 
I'm with both Dave and j. I'd far rather cure individually if dry curing because overhauling is easier, and because exuded moisture more easily stays in contact with the belly from which it exudes. Stacked, that ain't happening.

With a brine the situation is different and it doesn't matter how many are cured together.

Still, it doesn't matter if you cut them ahead of time or not. There is no advantage to keeping the belly whole.
 
Will NOT consider brining. Prefer to dry cure and may consider hanging in mid-air in the future.
 
Whatever. Skip the lug. Either keep whole or not (again, it doesn't matter), but much easier to cure no more than to to a bag (you can then stack the bags). Overhauling retains its point, and is easier.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Will NOT consider brining. Prefer to dry cure </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've done the Ruhlman dry cure once and the brine twice. From that limited experience, I prefer the brine as it took half the time and seemed easier to control the final salt level. Currently, I'm not using any adjuncts so I can't say which way is easier to impart additional flavors.

I'm curious why you're opposed to brining.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">...I'm curious why you're opposed to brining. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Seems that most commercially produced bacon is brined so that when cooked, I notice a puddle of water setting atop the grease. That aside, at the supermarket one pays not only for the brined bacon but also one also pays for 'water weight' as opposed to bacon that's dry cured and therefore does not include water that's been 'added'.
 
Actually, it's a little worse than that. Most commercial bacon is pumped with brine, i.e., injected. This dramatically shortens the cure time and, as you note, means the bacon retains water. I also much prefer dry-cured.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Seems that most commercially produced bacon is brined so that when cooked, I notice a puddle of water setting atop the grease. That aside, at the supermarket one pays not only for the brined bacon but also one also pays for 'water weight' as opposed to bacon that's dry cured and therefore does not include water that's been 'added'. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

to ease your fear, nothing like that happens when cooking brine cure bacon. When cooking it reacts exactly like the dry cured stuff.

And I found the brine cured to have a better balance of salt and sweet. My dry cured stuff was harshly salty and burned in the pan from the excessive sugars.

And if you're making bacon at home, you're only paying for the green weight, any pumping you do won't effect the price per pound of your final product. besides I never find brining adds significant gains in water weight, I do it more for quick, deep salt penetration.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">... My dry cured stuff was harshly salty and burned in the pan from the excessive sugars.
... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Depends on the cure used and therefore its sugar content. I use a sugar cure from AlliedKenco and my dry-cured bacon does not burn at all nor does it taste excessively salty.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Depends on the cure used and therefore its sugar content. I use a sugar cure from AlliedKenco and my dry-cured bacon does not burn at all nor does it taste excessively salty. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

cool, I use the maple bacon recipe. it wasn't a big deal because I eased back on the heat the next time I cooked some.

how long do you cure?
 
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