Makin' Bacon

[Huhwhat?]

New project! Making my own bacon!


8.4 pounds of nice pork belly ready to be transformed into that pinnacle of meaty comestibles - bacon!

Quartered for easier handling - check the edge of that top slab. Should make nice bacon!

The rub consisting of

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sea salt
2 tsp granulated onion
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp mustard powder
scant 2 tsp Prague powder

Rubbing my meat.

8.4 pounds of pork belly rubbed and headed toward the refrigerator.

To be continued next weekend, when it heads for the smoker...

 

[stevemb]

Fingers crossed for ya !

 

[coach]

Now that's some thick sliced bacon.
One of the tastiest food groups.

 

[gramps]

Not how I envisioned it! I went to a neighbors house bright and early one AM to find him, and his brother in law hanging out at the pen by the barn. I asked " what ya doin"? "Makin bacon" they replied as a Duroc boar covered a sow. 8)
gramps

 

[WendyZXZ]

It is starting out looking great!

 

[ElToro]

Bacon is a gateway meat !

 

[737tdi]

I want to see how this turns out.

Karl

 

[mikewriter]

Of all the feral hogs I've killed, only one had enough "belly" to make bacon. I also used a dry cure, but with some "pink salt" in the mix, as I recall. It came out VERY good, almost as good as the hams we cure and smoke!

 

[Lucky Joe]

Just started smoking meat, first project was side pork for bacon. Came out great, a taste like I haven't had since I was a kid.

 

[skeeter]

I can even make it simpler.. Use pork shoulder, its meatier. cut it in half and take out the bone. Rub it down with salt and maple syrup. Quantity doesn't matter. Let it sit in your fridge for one week and then take it out and rinse all the salt and syrup off it. Then smoke it on the cool side. It turns out great.

 

[Huhwhat?]

Of all the feral hogs I've killed, only one had enough "belly" to make bacon. I also used a dry cure, but with some "pink salt" in the mix, as I recall. It came out VERY good, almost as good as the hams we cure and smoke!

Prague powder is another name for pink salt.

 

[Huhwhat?]

I can even make it simpler.. Use pork shoulder, its meatier. cut it in half and take out the bone. Rub it down with salt and maple syrup. Quantity doesn't matter. Let it sit in your fridge for one week and then take it out and rinse all the salt and syrup off it. Then smoke it on the cool side. It turns out great.

Bacon made from pork shoulder is called cottage bacon. Bacon made from pork loin is Canadian bacon.

 

[Bob Wright]

Not how I envisioned it! I went to a neighbors house bright and early one AM to find him, and his brother in law hanging out at the pen by the barn. I asked " what ya doin"? "Makin bacon" they replied as a Duroc boar covered a sow. 8)
gramps

Yep, Gramps. I avoided it for awhile too, thinking it might be something embarressing!

Bob Wright

 

[Huhwhat?]

Smoke test in new smoker mod. Checking various woods so my wife can approve my choices. We settled on a mix of hickory and apple wood for the smoke tomorrow.

Main smoker hangs around 102 to 104 with it's heat shut off, just getting heat from the small smoke box through the ducting.

Test frying a few slices of the cured, but unsmoked bacon to check for salt level.

Fries like bacon, looks like bacon, tastes a lot like bacon now.

 

[Huhwhat?]

Finished!


Two pounds peppered and ready for some drying

Eight pounds headed back to the refrigerator to dry before smoking

Into the smoke box with hickory and apple smoke

Finished bacon

 

[WendyZXZ]

That does look quite tasty!

 

[tsubaki]

Thanks for starting this thread! Looks great!!
I've yet to get enough from a feral one to attempt it but now I've got more ideas to try.

 

[powder smoke]

Wow the peppered looks outstanding. love peppered anything. ps

 

[gramps]

I love bacon with just about anything.
gramps

 

[Colonialgirl]

I'll take one of those Peppered ones on the right hand side; Just wrap it up and ship it; I'll do my own slicing !!

MMMM drool, Drool, Drool !!!