Pecan smoked bacon

[Bob Correll]

Hickory is my main go to wood for bacon, thought I'd try straight pecan this time.
I made foil packets of pecan wood chips for the top of a one row snake.
Cured with Morton's Tender Quick and a little maple sugar, nothing added after the rinse.

3.5 hours later.

This morning's McBob.

Good bacon, good smoke flavor, but I personally can't tell a difference from hickory.

I've been shooting hummingbirds lately.
A flash would freeze frame the little buggers, but I don't like flash pics.
Both of these are cropped, first one with a 1/3000 shutter speed, second one at 1/4000.
Like my bbq, it's a work in progress and fun to do even if the results aren't yet up to my expectations.

As always, thanks for taking the time to view my post.

 

[ChuckO]

Some day I'm going to make bacon that looks like that. Amazing bacon and photos Bob!

 

[Dan C. FL]

Nice bacon, Bob!! Never thought about using pecan before. Sounds pretty good to me. The hummingbird photos are great. They're such amazing little birds.

 

[Rich Dahl]

I don't know if it's I'm getting older but I can't really taste much difference in the milder woods anymore. Now mesquite and some of the stronger woods I can tell a difference. Anyways the McBob looks great as always and the hummer pictures are outstanding.
Still going through the 165 page owners manual on my newly acquired camera, but so much different than film. Ugh!

 

[Rich G]

Bacon looks great, Bob! Love the hummingbird pics. I need to get off my butt and go shoot some of those, too. They are loving all our new foliage in the backyard (when my cats aren't hunting them.....unsuccessfully.)

R

 

[Cliff Bartlett]

That bacon looks fabulous Bob! Pecan is my favorite smoke wood. Couple of questions... Is there a limit on hummingbirds? Now a comment and a serious question. I'm not sure where your disappointment lies with these shots. They look absolutely stunning to me. Now, are these taken with a tripod?. Probably a stupid question but that's how I learn. Those shutter speeds certainly wouldn't make one necessary, but they are so perfectly framed and centered.....absolutely remarkable.

 

[Bob Correll]

Thanks everyone!

Cliff,
These were handheld using my 300mm (450mm on a crop sensor) lens.



Here's what the one looked like before cropping. 3200 ISO

 

[Cliff Bartlett]

Damn, that's impressive Bob. Well, this isn't a photography forum so I'll lay off the questions. Keep those photos coming.

 

[Rusty James]

I don't which is best - the bacon or the bird.

Speaking of humming birds, during my last trip to northern Mississippi, the mimosa trees were full of humming birds. I thought they were bees at first, but it was the birds humming around the flowers.

It was an incredible sight.

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

That bacon looks amazing. The pictures are incredible. Supposedly pecan is a type of hickory so they are closely related. Pecan is generally my go-to.

 

[Jim Lampe]

Your bacon looks sensational, Bob.
i have about 7 lbs of cured ready for tomorrow ...

and thank you again for your "Bacon Made Easy" thread for everyone to enjoy!

 

[JeffG]

Wow, great bacon and pictures.

 

[Barb D]

WOW!!! Bob that bacon is to die for looks fantastic. Your humming birds pics are beautiful.

 

[Michael Iron]

Another Pentaxian

All of your pictures look great! I have jerky on the WSM right now with the ATC holding low temps, almost done. Then have a 11.5 pound belly to cut in half and start curing. I had 2 cures that I was going to use but now I just have to go find this "Bacon Made Easy" thread and might have to rethink things and start over. Because I shoot hummers with a Pentax camera (K-3) and 300mm lens also. And there aren't many of us that do...

Off camera flash and remote does help a lot but still need to shoot a lot to get a keeper. Well done, awesome looking bacon and hope mine turns as well next weekend when it finishes curing.

Now to find this bacon thread and pretty sure I have already read it at one time IIRC. LONG time lurker, first time poster.

 

[Bob Correll]

Thanks again everyone!

Welcome aboard Michael, always happy to see another Pentaxian member, guess that makes two of us here.
Excellent hummer shot!
I'm just an old jpeg shooter that's still getting use to my KP, been using Pentax cameras since the 1980's.

Here's a guide for bacon made easy with a link to the original post.
http://virtualweberbullet.com/making-bacon-using-pork-belly.html
Looking forward to pics of your cooks.

 

[Cliff Bartlett]

You guys are killing me!

 

[Michael Iron]

Thank you for the warm welcome Bob, I'm going to have to up my game in both pictures and cooking now

And for the link, I've read it several times over the years. And quite a ways into it once again. I have always wet brined and have a life time supply of #1 pink salt and no MTQ, never have used it not even for jerky. But wish I did have some now to compare the two methods. Guess that means I will have to eat this batch of bacon up as fast as I can and order some MTQ to do a comparison soon! Can never have too much bacon on hand IMO.

 

[Pat G]

Thanks for posting Bob, someday soon I will be trying to make bacon for the first time. Great pics of the hummingbirds. I put up a hummingbird feeder but could not get them to come to it. They were more interested in the natural plants in my yard.

 

[Rusty James]

Wow, great shot, Michael! You and Bob are tough competition!

I rarely see humming birds in these parts, but the ones that do appear tend to hover around my magnolia tree. I guess they like the magnolia flower nectar.