Any Bacon Makers Here?

[Brett_Bellmore]

Just started a batch yesterday. Unfortunately, the local Mexican market sells their pork belly already sliced at about 1.5" thick, which is great for curing, but a pain when you try to slice it by hand. I might have a connection for some heritage breed free range pork belly soon, though..

Trying some recipes from Bill Gillespie's "The Smoking Bacon & Hog Cookbook"; A half batch of his pepper bacon, and a half batch of his coffee/molasses bacon. I'm looking forward to seeing how that tastes.

Bacon

• Brett_Bellmore
• Oct 27, 2019

Skinned and ready to cure.

 

[bleme]

I keep checking the pork section at my local grocery but haven't had any luck lately. At the beginning of summer they had it for $6/lb (which is just ridiculous!) but they haven't had it at any price since.

 

[brewbama]

I get pork belly at Costco. The local grocery will order it but there’s is $$.

 

[ericbw]

Any grocery store with a meat department should be able to get belly for you. If they have a decent butcher operation (cutting and packaging stuff), then they might get you a better price. I think it should be cheaper per pound to get a 5lb piece than it is to get a 1 or 2 lb piece. But sometimes it's not.

 

[brewbama]

Just got back from Costco with a pork belly. Cut it in half to make two slabs. In seven days I’ll rinse off the cure and dry it. Two days later I’ll hang it in the smoker. Cheers!

 

[rossi46]

Tried my hand at bacon. Dry cured. Cold smoked. Now to wait a couple more days before slicing.

 

[brewbama]

 

[rossi46]

I did a hot smoked bacon today. I think I like it better than the cold smoked I did.

 

[Jaybird]

I LOVE making me some bacon! Nice long cure! I can't remember exactly what I did but IT WAS GOOD! I have found that a place in my town called Cash N Carry has a killer deal on belly!

Cheers
Jay

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I have ~3# of frozen unused pork belly left over from my Super Bowl pork belly burnt ends project, and just ordered some pink salt #1 from Amazon (due tomorrow).

Time to make some bacon!

2 questions:

1. Is there any problem with using previously-frozen pork belly for this application?
2. Do I actually need to thaw the pork belly? Would it be acceptable to apply the salt, sugar, curing salt to the frozen meat, vacuum seal it, and then throw it in the fridge and just plan for an extra day to cure to account for thawing?

Thanks!

 

[9Kegs]

https://www.barbecue-smoker-recipes.com/can-i-thaw-and-smoke-frozen-meat.html

 

[Buck*49]

I have ~3# of frozen unused pork belly left over from my Super Bowl pork belly burnt ends project, and just ordered some pink salt #1 from Amazon (due tomorrow).

Time to make some bacon!

2 questions:

1. Is there any problem with using previously-frozen pork belly for this application?
2. Do I actually need to thaw the pork belly? Would it be acceptable to apply the salt, sugar, curing salt to the frozen meat, vacuum seal it, and then throw it in the fridge and just plan for an extra day to cure to account for thawing?

Thanks!

https://www.mortonsalt.com/article/meat-curing-methods/
Pay special attention to item 4 under tricks. https://www.mortonsalt.com/article/meat-curing-methods/

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

https://www.mortonsalt.com/article/meat-curing-methods/
Pay special attention to item 4 under tricks.

Thanks. To be clear, I was not planning on curing frozen meat. I was suggesting applying the cure while still frozen, but then putting it into the fridge where it would defrost and it would spend its week+ curing at appropriate fridge temps.

But in the end, I just defrosted it in advance and applied the cure, and then got it back into a food saver bag and into the fridge.

Using the EQ cure method and will let it go ~13 days (doing the project with my son and I only have him alternating weekends) before smoking.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Got the bacon in the smoker with apple chunks, shooting for 155 degrees. Then will chill and vacuum seal and save for 2 weekends from now again.

 

[rossi46]

Did another 11 lbs. Dry cured, hot smoked with a little less hickory. I preferred the one with more, the rest of the family likes this one better. Next one is just for me and its getting some roasted jalapenos in the cure.

 

[rossi46]

Finished my jalapeno bacon, didn't roast them, just sliced and put all over the belly. Worked pretty good, you get the flavor, but no heat. Next time I'll add some chili flakes too.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Any recommendations on meat slicers?

The bacon was a hit, so I'm planning on doing another (bigger) batch. And quite frankly, I'd love to start making things like pastrami, corned beef, roast beef, etc.

I'm hoping to get enough use out of the thing to make it worth it rather than trying to cut things by hand, but at the same time probably won't use it enough that I want to spend a ton of cash.

So "midrange" is the target.

 

[rossi46]

Any recommendations on meat slicers?

The bacon was a hit, so I'm planning on doing another (bigger) batch. And quite frankly, I'd love to start making things like pastrami, corned beef, roast beef, etc.

I'm hoping to get enough use out of the thing to make it worth it rather than trying to cut things by hand, but at the same time probably won't use it enough that I want to spend a ton of cash.

So "midrange" is the target.

I just ordered a LEM 1240, I'll report back after I use it.

 

[rossi46]

So I got the LEM 1240, I cuts great, but you have to bend the slab to feed it in part way before you can get it on the sliding tray. It works but its not ideal. Pretty sure you would have to step up to a big commercial slicer to get a slab to fit on the tray.

 

[Buck*49]

Cured a 10 lb Costco pork belly using Morton Sugar Cure, brown sugar, and pepper for about ten days. Rinsed and soaked in cold water for an hour, put in frig for 5 days to dry out. Smoked it with 1/3 apple and 2/3 oak mix, put it in frig for 4 days. Put slabs in deep freeze for 90 mins to make it easier to slice. Vac packed and put in freezer. Mmm good

 

[OleBrewing]

bacon is next on the list. they had belly on sale at my local grocery and am kicking my self for not buying. after doing pepper stick and summer sausage in homemade cabinet smoker fish and bacon will be a breeze.

 

[Hanglow]

I've only done bacon a few times , collar and back bacon. Want to do middle bacon next. So satisfying when it comes to eating it. I ve only used easycure with some added spices, not bothered smoking it yet.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Cured another batch of bacon; going on the smoker today.

6# is just salt/sugar/cure#2 and then covered with some cracked black pepper
3# is this recipe: Homemade Maple-Espresso Cured Bacon Recipe

Gonna have to try some of this on 4th of July weekend...

 

[betarhoalphadelta]