Makin' Bacon!

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pacanis

Chef Extraordinaire
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
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18,750
Location
NW PA
My first attempt at making my own bacon :pig:
I will start this week long process by showing the pics from last night.

The pork belly.
1.jpg
3.jpg

The rub, or cure.
Sugar- 1/2c + 3TB
Kosher salt- 2TB + 2tsp
Pepper- 1/2tsp
Pink curing salt- 1-1/2tsp
2.jpg

Placed in a lasagna pan and rubbed all over.
4.jpg

And then placed into a ziploc bag and back into the pan.
This will now be cured for seven days in the refrigerator.
During this time it is supposed to prodice liquids which will be "massaged" back into the belly so the cure stays evenly distributed.
5.jpg

To be continued...
 
This will be interesting to follow. Do you massage during the seven days or after?

What will you smoke it with?
 
Andy, I will massage it as the liquids appear, during its seven days in the fridge. I suppose it's like marinating any meat, turn it, flip it, try to keep all parts in the liquid as much as possible. It will be firm when cured.

And I'll be using hickory. The butcher told me to use a lot of smoke at first (which will be like making pastrami). The kicker is; All my internet research said to smoke at normal smoking temps, 225F, until the belly reaches 150F. My butcher told me he smokes his at 128 overnight and the meat is 128 when he pulls it... He said that the higher temps will shrink the belly.
So I plan on doing a hybrid. Maybe 180 until 150 is reached.

Aunt B, funny place to advertise Mothers Day, isn't it? I don't recall if the chicken I bought was also stamped that way on the price tag, but it probably was.
 
This will be an awesome post to follow .. you sure have everyone's attention!
 
Yeah, well don't expect me to set up a web cam in my refrigerator.
I don't want y'all to see how many times a day I'm in there :LOL:
But dang... it's not even 24 hours yet and I have to wait seven days for it to cure :(
 
Hey, this guy sort of looks like my avatar :chef:
 

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Yeah, well don't expect me to set up a web cam in my refrigerator.
I don't want y'all to see how many times a day I'm in there :LOL:
But dang... it's not even 24 hours yet and I have to wait seven days for it to cure :(

Now, Pac, the webcam might be a good idea! That way you won't have to check as much, and maybe refrigerators are like ovens, every time you open the door, you let the cold air out, and it takes time to get it back down to temp.

Cute pup!
 
I think you should install a video camera with a live feed to a website so we can all log on anytime we want and watch the bacon cure.
 
I think you should install a video camera with a live feed to a website so we can all log on anytime we want and watch the bacon cure.

Yes, like the Alcoa Eagle Cam. And we can send you notifications when it produces liquid.
 
I think you should install a video camera with a live feed to a website so we can all log on anytime we want and watch the bacon cure.

Yes, like the Alcoa Eagle Cam. And we can send you notifications when it produces liquid.

Certainly more exciting than watching grass grow... watching bacon cure... but then there's that whole, me with my hand in the fridge thing :rolleyes:

Hey. Thought.
If I buy a pig, massage it and feed it beer... Kobe Bacon? :LOL:
 
Certainly more exciting than watching grass grow... watching bacon cure... but then there's that whole, me with my hand in the fridge thing :rolleyes:

Hey. Thought.
If I buy a pig, massage it and feed it beer... Kobe Bacon? :LOL:

Well holy stuff ... for that I would be the pig !!

:LOL::ROFLMAO:
 
Certainly more exciting than watching grass grow... watching bacon cure... but then there's that whole, me with my hand in the fridge thing :rolleyes:

Hey. Thought.
If I buy a pig, massage it and feed it beer... Kobe Bacon? :LOL:

We've seen the food you cook so it's not a stretch to imagine you open the fridge...
 
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