Bacon: temperature at removal from smoker


 
T

tjkoko

TVWBB All-Star
So I've smoked bacon several times, following the instructions provided here: placed in the smoker and coals lit (minion method). Up to now the bacon has been removed from the smoker once it has reached a temperature of 145F. A caterer from Chicago mentioned that she removes her bacon once it's reached a temperature of 165-175F because it allows more fat to render, allows the smoke ring to deepen and allows the flavor to intensify.

Has anyone out there had this kind of experience and if so what were the results?
 
Glad you're happy. IMHO, your method is better. That's because when I fry, I save the rendered smoky lard for other uses. i.e. unsmoked cured loin(pea-meal bacon). However, if she wants apparent leaner looks, then her method works.
 
Sounds to me that she is cooking bacon, not smoking it.
I've made a lot of bacon, but have never noticed a smoke ring on any of it.
Not sure that a SR on fat is even possible.

Bacon is mainly fat, so to try and render it out seems silly to me.
JMO

Some of my best bacon was years ago when I cold smoked it, and the slab never got above 100.
I now take it to 130 to 145 before bagging and plunging into ice water to stop the cooking/rendering process.
 
I agree with Bob, since you're going to cook the bacon anyway to an internal temperature of 200+ eventually, there's no point in pre-rendering fat or pre-cooking it.

If you want the flavor to intensify (I assume she means the smoke flavor) then the best way to do that is to smoke longer at cooler temps. I recently made some cold-smoked bacon and it was head and shoulders above any hot smoked bacon I've ever made. YMMV.
 
I agree.
i would consider the bacon described in post number one as "leftovers" after it is cooled down and re- heated.

Also, Dave is spot on. Here in Norway hot smoked bacon as you make it, is almost unheard of. Everything we can buy in the store is cold- smoked. I do not think it is better, but it is dfferent.

I made a slab both ways once, to compare. Take a look, if you want to:

http://tvwbb.com/eve/forums/a/...701041506#7701041506
 
Maybe there's a reason, but I never quite understood the need to get the belly up to a certain temperature during the smoking process if the end result was going to be turned around and cooked - like with bacon. I did some 'warm' smoked bacon last weekend smoking it around 125-140 for about 8 hours.I was noticing when I was doing them hotter, around 200, they'd curl a bit and begin to render. It's bacon, so I think it should render in the pan when you actually cook to eat it - Internally, they never got over 106, but being cured, plus the fact that it's going to fried at some point I didn't see that as an issue (i hope!)

I think Geir is right that you get good results either way, just with the longer times you get more concentrated smoke and maybe a little more color. I like Geir's side by side post. That petty much sums up the differences.
 
cooking it to temp is part of the preservation process. Belly that is not cooked above 135* should be handled as if it's fresh pork, rather than as bacon.

Kevin has mentioned in the past that he does take his bacon above 145* for flavor development. I've been meaning to ask him about it, maybe he'll get in on this thread and provide some insight.

IMO, cold smoking is preferred for laying down lots of smoke flavor, but after a couple of hours, I'll bring the belly to temp.

I don't worry about rendering the bacon during the process because of how much rendering occurs during final cooking. Like Bob mentioned above, belly is mostly fat so you have plenty to render out at either stage and I don't think it matters when most renders out. I could see how a professional would want a leaner product to work with. It will cook faster and she'll be left with less fat to dispose of during service.

And I'm with Bob and Dave regarding the smoke ring. Bacon turns pink because of the cure and would do so even in a smokeless oven. Smoke ring development shuts down at high temps, so if SR was your goal, there wouldn't be much point in taking the belly over 140* let alone to 175*
 
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