Bacon Assistance


 
C

Clark Deutscher

TVWBB All-Star
I'm going to make a bunch of bacon tonight. Just wondering what the reprecussions would be if I took off the skin before curing and smoking? Also I was going to try a brine for one of them. Has anyone tried this? Thanks

Clark
 
Clark,

I have done both skin on and skin off bacon. To date I've not regretted either one
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I've get to brine a belly, so I can be of little help.

Good luck and enjoy the bacon!
 
I prefer the flavor and texture of dry-cured bacon. Try it and see what you think though. (You are using a nitrite-cure, right?) I do use wet cures when I'm doing thicker stuff though.

I often remove the skin before but sometimes don't have time and just remove it after.
 
Differentiate between wet and dry cures. Is it just a matter of adding water?

Also does someone know definitely if hog jowl makes for a better bacon?
 
I'll let you know about that jowel when I get around to eating the jowel bacon that I made. Its sitting vacuum packed in the freezer right now.
 
OH:

Dry cure: Just the dry ingredients such as curing salt, salt, suger, etc

Wet Cure: A brine with curing salt, salt, sugar, etc.

The dry cure is what I normally use for bacon as it seems to work really well and haven't felt the need mess with it. The dry cure does become a thick liquid when some of the water is drawn out by the salt.
 
Whether jowl makes better bacon depends on your definition of better. It's quite delicious though. If using quality pastured pork the flavor, to me, is a bit deeper.

If you have the conditions to air dry for a few weeks, jowl makes delicious guanciale, the famous dry-cured air-dried unsmoked jowl of Italy. Very tasty.
 
Yes, for a week in a dry cure: salt, sugar, peppercorns, fresh thyme, and, sometimes, depending on the cook, a little nitrite.
 
Sounds like I may use the Buckboard Bacon Cure for my first jowl/guanciale.

Would there be any reason not to smoke the jowl prior to air drying? Is there another name for that product?
 
Well, did 12 pounds of belly last night. Have yet to try jowl. Did 10 pounds dry and two wet. Did use tender quick on most of them. I took the skin of all of them before curing so we'll see how that goes. I haven't done that in the past! I'll find out in a week or so how it went! thanks for the responses all.

Clark
 
Let us know Clark!

tj-- If you smoke the jowl you'll have jowl bacon, a delicious item; there is no need to air dry after smoking.

The reason not to smoke the jowl after curing would be if you wanted to make guanciale. For that you'll need the right temps and humidity, and a few weeks time.
 
Well the results are in. In my opinion the wet cure is attrocious. I didn't really like the flavor and I personally found the texture very bad. The best of the bunch was a dry cure consisting mostly of ground chipolte peppers and a few other minor spices. Also made a maple one that turned out well and a garlic based. The honey one I tired I would not recomend! Thanks for eveyones assistance.

Clark
 
What did you use in the wet cure?

As mentioned, I only tend to use those for thicker stuff--like fresh hams, e.g.--and I think they work better if the flavoring components aren't over the top. Your wet-cured one is likely salvageable as an ingredient.
 
The plans for the wet cure are to use it in baked beans or something along those lines. I used apple juice, water, and some other small ing, off the top of my head I think it was sugar, molasses, and something else. Obviously salt as well. It just didn't seem right to me, definately wasn't bacon in my head for whatever reason.

The others turned out well though and I will definately take off the skin before curing from now. It's just personal preference but it is definately mine!

Clark
 
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