My first try at bacon / it worked

[Monty House]

Found pork belly at an Asian market. $3.49/lb. Not a screaming deal, but in my price range.

Used this recipe

8 days curing. Washed off and day to dry in refrig. Smoked a total of six hours between 175-200. Left the skin on. It was very easy to cut off while it was warm out of the smoker. Saved the smoked rind to use in soups, etc. (Threw a 1/4 of the skin in a beanpot, and it was great.) Cooked until 150 internal. I chose to shock mine in an ice bath (wrapped in plastic) then I chilled before slicing with a knife. Slices were somewhat thick, but the flavor was great.

Drying

My version of the "mini-Minion." 25 unlit + 15 lit. Add additional lit or unlit coals to sustain. (PS If using unlit coals, place them on somewhat freshly lit coals. Feed them in fairly constantly.) Applewood for smoke, and started with cold tap water in the pan.

Lid at 175, grill about 200 (per my ET-732). Seemed to work perfectly. No fat rendering to speak of.

Pulled after reaching 150 internal.

Only had a knife to slice (10" serrated carving Victorinox that worked pretty well)

Homemade bacon.

 

[JimK]

Looks about perfect from where I'm sitting.

 

[Michael G. (Canada Mike)]

Looks nice. It took six hours to get to 150, eh? Interesting.

 

[Monty House]

Originally posted by Michael G. (Canada Mike):
Looks nice. It took six hours to get to 150, eh? Interesting.

I was surprised. I finally took my Thermapen out to double check the ET-732 probe, and they were simpatico.

Had a friend run his WSM slightly hotter on a similarly sized pork belly and it was 5 hours.

 

[Michael G. (Canada Mike)]

I think I tend to under estimate how long it will take. Have to remember.

 

[Dave from Denver]

The longer the better, bacon needs lots of smoke flavor IMO.

Nice looking rasher.

 

[r benash]

Looks fantastic Monty - thanks for posting all the details.

Bacon is something that has been on my list for a good long time.

 

[Rex]

To all in S.Ont. Fortino's has legs and shoulders this week @.99 and bellies @1.29. Pleasant pickling all.

 

[Chandler J]

I did a dry cure bacon rub including some pink curing powder for 1 week in the fridge, flipped a few times, and then I just washed off the cure and fried up some slices. Amazing.

I am going to smoke the next one once it's done curing. However, I intend to use only a few pieces of charcoal and a hunk of wood and trying to cold smoke it in the WSM for 5-6 hours.

Have you guys done any cold smoking in an unmodified weber?

 

[Monty House]

Originally posted by Chandler J:
Have you guys done any cold smoking in an unmodified weber?

No and I don't think it'd work.

 

[Dave from Denver]

I cold smoke in my WSM using a soldering iron, old pot and wood chips. It works fine but you have to agitate the chips every couple hours as they get used up near the element.

 

[Russ Sylvester]

I cold smoke in my 18 all the time. I put the Pro-Q smoke generator on the charcoal rack and all my 'stuff' on the top rack. Works great. Next time I run a batch I'll take some pics. If it's a small batch that doesn't get fussy about a little bit of heat, then I'll use my SJS.

So far, smoked garlic has been the very best. I even smoked a peeled onion and it was delicious!

Russ

 

[Benny]

Awesome looking bacon!

I have some pork bellies curing right now, day 3. One of them follows a very similar recipe to this. Can't wait to taste it.

I noticed the recipe you followed leaves out pink salt. I left out sodium nitrite too, but am second guessing myself a little right now. I have cured bacon once before and did not use nitrites that time either. I am still standing, but am not really clear on sort of risk botulism really poses.

Just hoping to get someone else's opinion on curing pork bellies without sodium nitrite.

Again, beauty bacon!

Ben
Vancouver, BC

 

[Wolgast]

Lokks like you nailed that Belly!

 

[Matt McGrogan]

Originally posted by Benny:
Awesome looking bacon!

I have some pork bellies curing right now, day 3. One of them follows a very similar recipe to this. Can't wait to taste it.

I noticed the recipe you followed leaves out pink salt. I left out sodium nitrite too, but am second guessing myself a little right now. I have cured bacon once before and did not use nitrites that time either. I am still standing, but am not really clear on sort of risk botulism really poses.

Just hoping to get someone else's opinion on curing pork bellies without sodium nitrite.

Again, beauty bacon!

Ben
Vancouver, BC

Pink Salt according to Ruhlman:

—Its fundamental property from a health standpoint is that it kills bacteria that cause botulism in smoked and ground meat.

—The great advantage of using sodium nitrite is flavor: it’s what makes bacon taste like bacon and not spare ribs, what makes ham taste like ham and not a pork roast, and corned beef like corned beef and not pot roast.

 

[Dave from Denver]

Matt, welcome to the board and I agree with what you write. Pink salt is what gives bacon its characteristic cured flavor and pink color. Even "uncured" bacon at health food stores will use a pink salt substitute such as celery juice containing nitrites and/or nitrates.

There's little risk of clostridium botulinum outgrowth or sporulation in bacon since it is a solid muscle - the interior may be presumed to be sterile and the exterior is exposed to air which will kill this harmful organism. Also, if hot smoking it as ruhlman suggests there is little danger of spoilage bacteria in general.

If you were to cold smoke bacon in the British tradition curing salts would be advisable to prevent spoilage.