Bacon made easy


 
Sorry for not checking in sooner, I haven't been on the site much recently.

Phil, happy to hear your bacon turned out so well!

Taylor,
Welcome to the forum!
You should be good to go, smoke it up to 145-150 internal, fast chill, fry and enjoy!
I'd freeze any not being cooked and eaten within maybe 3-4 weeks.

Tommy,
There's no danger as long as it gets fully cooked, but unfrozen the keeping time will be shorter.
Some folks like it uncured, it's called side pork around here.
 
From what I read, curing is a mix of both amount of cure and time. Since insufficient rinsing of the the excess cure seems to be a common complaint, I figured that 1 TBS per pound was erring on the side of caution.

I immediately froze what we didn't cook in small packages and will thaw as necessary. I don't completely trust home cure as much as I do commercially cured meat.
 
Followed all of the steps, but I have a few concerns. After six days of cure, there was a spot on the belly that must not have been cured, because it was softer than the rest, and looked pinker. I diligently turned it every 24 hrs. Anyway, I went ahead and used a fuse with apple wood chunks, and my wsm 22 never got higher than 160 deg. I pulled the bacon after about 6 hours and foiled it and threw it in the oven to get it to 150. It was immediately chilled thereafter. I am concerned about safety. Do any of you have advice?
 
Scott,
I would liked to have seen a pic of the spot.
If concerned, then I'd cut out that portion, but I don't see a problem.
Raw pork only needs cooked to 140, this is cured, and some folks cold smoke with the internal never getting above 100.
I'm currently cold smoking a 3 lb piece, when it gets near the color I want I may bump up the heat until the internal is 120 to 140.

Please know, I'm no expert on this subject, and can only offer advice as I see it.
 
Hey Bob, thanks for replying. I plan on cutting it into smaller portions and freezing it. I must say, this is my first bacon cook, and I got a chance to cook one of the smaller portions that I did earlier today. It was so good! Even my far better half was impressed.

For future reference, when you have a big portion, do you break it down before the cure, the cook, or after the cook?
 
Glad you and your best half liked it Scott! :)

There's just the two of us now, so I usually cut a full slab into thirds, freeze two, and cure one right away. (it freezes well before and after)
Even when doing a whole side at once I always cut it in half, it's much easier for me to deal with, plus I might want to add different seasonings to each half right before smoking, but I usually go plain.
 
Wow. Can't remember the last time I read a thread this long in one sitting. Surprisingly, I sure could go for a bacon sandwich. I need to hunt down a pork belly and some TQ this weekend. I've always wanted to make bacon, but wasn't sure how to go about it. Great thread.
 
Welcome to the forum Ted!
If you can't find Morton's Tender Quick, you can use pink salt, aka Prague Powder #1, plus regular salt.
Good luck on your quest for a pork belly.
 
Bob Correll said:
I'm not knocking any posts/recipes on bacon making, but if you want to try your hand at curing/smoking bacon, here is an easy way to start.

Buy some Morton's Tender Quick, locally if available, or online.

For slab bacon, buy a pork belly.
For Canadian bacon, buy a pork loin.

Add 1 Tablespoon of TQ for each pound of meat.
Rub it on the meat.
Add brown sugar, and/or spices, if you would like.
Place it in a plastic bag.
Put it in the fridge for 7 days, turning each day.
Day 7, rinse very well in cool water, pat dry, put on a cookie cooling rack, place in the fridge for a day, or at least several hours.
Cool smoke to around 145/F degrees internal.
Slice, fry, and enjoy!

I've made bacon several ways, for many years, and this is still my preferred method.

Edit to add:
After removing from the smoker or grill, bag it air tight and place in ice water to rapidly cool.
Click to expand...
Finally getting in on the home made bacon. Got a couple pork belly from the Hanson Family Farms, Brentwood CA

http://www.hansonfamilyfarms.com/

My question is: At 8.225 LBS, will seven days be long enough? I know that checking it for firmness is the "cure all" but I was just wondering if seven days is still a good ball park cure?

C6432466-CDEA-4CC7-B4D1-0CED7DAAE69C_zpslhoe2hbf.jpg

B8FE630C-0F8E-45C0-BA07-032F9A4566D5_zpstwehcyn2.jpg
 
Chuck,
Shouldn't be a problem with 7 days, but you can go 7, 8, or more if you want.
I usually go 7 or 8, but I also cut each slab into thirds for easier handling, bagging and smoking.
The last one I did was 10 lbs. cut into thirds.
If you do cut them down, just weigh each piece to add the correct amount of MTQ.

Good luck, hope it turns out to your liking.
 
This is my first time makin’-bacon.

A 3lb slab of back pork loin. No skin.

3 x ¼ teaspoon of Prague Powder No.1.
2.25 x tablespoon of sea salt.
1 x 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

Covered the meat in the cure, double bagged & into the fridge. Be back in a week. :)

14njo5d.jpg
 
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Whoa there Tony!!
Is this a recipe for the amount of pink salt to use??
I think it's way too much, hope you're not confusing the amount with MTQ.
I'm currently trying to find the amount you should have used.
The link I posted above for the Rhulman recipe calls for 2 teaspoons pink salt for 5 pounds of meat.
BUT, several other places I've checked call for 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds.

to be clear, you used 2.25 Tablespoons of PP #1 on 3 pounds of meat ??

edited to correct previous info
 
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Bob. THANKS for that!!!!

I've removed it from the fridge. Gave it a very good rinse with cold water for 10 minutes.

I got the measurements COMPLETELY wrong! I have now used ¼ tsp/lb of meat. (¾ tsp total).

I think I may have rescued it. It was only in the fridge for about 1hr 45 mins. We'll see.

My original post has been edited.
 
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You're very welcome Tony, glad you posted the amount of cure used.
Hope it turns out well for you.

Back when the Rhulman maple bacon recipe was a hot topic there were discussions about how much of this and that to add, so I decided to show how I've made it for years using MTQ.
It was nothing new, members before me have made and posted the same, I just wanted folks to see how easy it can be.
 
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