CaseT
TVWBB Platinum Member
A while back I picked up 4 bellies from Costco. All averaging right around 10 pounds ea @ $2.29/#. I cut the slabs in half and weighed each half. Put each slab into a 2 gallon ziplock bag and labeled the weight on the bag.
I mixed up my normal dry rub bacon cure using the following calculator:
http://diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html
Prague #1 cure (amount weighed per ea. slab weight)
Salt and sugar added per weight ratio.
Mix cure, salt and sugar together. with slab in bag apply even coat to both sides.
Then add the following:
1 teaspoon white pepper per slab, garlic and ground pepper applied to coat.
Seal bag and place in refer. Flip and massage bags daily. Cure rate at a 1/4" meat thickness per day minimum. These went 8 days.
Air dry prior to smoking to form pellicle. I cold smoke all of my bacon. I use an AMNTS tube smoker from Amaze N Smokers, this is also where I get my cob pellets.
https://www.amazenproducts.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=12
I cold smoke for 18-24 hours, over a period of 3-4 days with a rest overnight between smoking. This batch went for 18 hours. After I got the smoke I wanted I let these dry age in the fridge for 7 days prior to packaging for the freezer. Crazy long process but well worth it in the end. A far superior product.
I like to cut each half slab into thirds for packaging rather than slicing. I like to use the bacon for other things besides breakfast. So I can dice, chop or slice if I want. I left one half slab whole for another project I have brewing in the back of my head! More on that later.
I mixed up my normal dry rub bacon cure using the following calculator:
http://diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html
Prague #1 cure (amount weighed per ea. slab weight)
Salt and sugar added per weight ratio.
Mix cure, salt and sugar together. with slab in bag apply even coat to both sides.
Then add the following:
1 teaspoon white pepper per slab, garlic and ground pepper applied to coat.
Seal bag and place in refer. Flip and massage bags daily. Cure rate at a 1/4" meat thickness per day minimum. These went 8 days.
Air dry prior to smoking to form pellicle. I cold smoke all of my bacon. I use an AMNTS tube smoker from Amaze N Smokers, this is also where I get my cob pellets.
https://www.amazenproducts.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=12
I cold smoke for 18-24 hours, over a period of 3-4 days with a rest overnight between smoking. This batch went for 18 hours. After I got the smoke I wanted I let these dry age in the fridge for 7 days prior to packaging for the freezer. Crazy long process but well worth it in the end. A far superior product.
I like to cut each half slab into thirds for packaging rather than slicing. I like to use the bacon for other things besides breakfast. So I can dice, chop or slice if I want. I left one half slab whole for another project I have brewing in the back of my head! More on that later.
