Bacon shrinkage


 
Bob Hunter

Bob Hunter

TVWBB Pro
I just finished making another batch of #bacon, and I was wondering what people normally find their shrinkage is? I started with a 9.2 lbs porkbelly and when I finished packaging it with my Foodserver I found I had 4 x 1.5 lb packages for a total of about 6 lbs. that roughly a 33% shrinkage. Is that what people normally find?
 
Last edited:
I've only cured a couple sides so far, but the last one was a bit over 10 lbs and ended up with 4 stacks of skinless bacon slices, each around 1.75 lbs. Have one pack left weighs 1.8 lbs. I had some irregular pieces left that I've used for seasoning meat, no more than 1/2 lb though. I don't think your results are out of line.
 
That seems about right. I always mean to measure, but by the time I'm slicing all I can think about is eating it.
 
I've read around 10 percent shrinkage should be expected but my experience is significantly more, closer to your 20 to 25 percent. If you start with skin-on belly, I'm guessing that is another 10 percent loss in terms of bacon weight (but a big gain in the Chicharrón category). At least they tell you to reduce the cure by 10 percent of the meat weight if you are curing pork belly with skin on in the government food manual.

I lose even more because I do a warm (150F internal) finish to my bacon so I'm utterly convinced it is okay, really really okay. My wife shares it with her friends and some of the guys in my social set are pushing seventy. So I really want to be sure I am not giving them any buggies. While it may not be necessary, it reassures them to know its been brought to a "safe" temp when being made. (Yeah yeah, I hear all you cold smokers out there!) But that costs me some bacon grease, which is a something of a heart breaker for me. I cook my bacon in the oven so I can catch all the bacon grease for my other culinary adventures. I hate losing it in the making, but so it goes.

The flavor of homemade, smoked bacon is what it is all about. You just don't walk into the grocery store and get that in packaged stuff. If I lost 50 percent weight, I'd still be making it!
 
When I fry or microwave bacon, I sprinkle a little bit of flour on it. It reduces the amount of curling and shrinkage.
 
Steve - I always cook mine to 145-150 on the WSM, smoking it at like 150-175 until it gets there. It doesn't get hot enough to render fat. Since its cured, you could probably do it 150 the whole way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top