Home made shoulder bacon (lotsa pics)

JustineCaseyFeldown

This is being cooked, not merely smoked, for purposes of changing the meat in addition to also flavoring it

yes, you could cold smoke. You would have different texture, moisture, and firmness if merely cold smoked though

think hot smoked cured salmon vs cold smoked salmon 

Edit: taking it to only 130 would be ok too. I used to cold smoke large hams because hot smoking followed by a later cook (reheat really) seemed a flirtation with twice-cooking (overcooking, drying it out). For the second 'cook' on Easter day for example, i went to 145-150 or so if i had cold smoked. If i had already hot smoked it, i would only take it to 135-140 or so

in the 1920s, prewar, at least in the 'City', it was very common (perhaps more common) to serve a ham cold. It came fully cooked. It would be unwrapped and sliced and made the center of a cold buffet. Country ham another story. But also can be eaten uncooked. 

blind99

JacksDad said:

Durangler said:

Very nice!! =D>
What was the internal temp after 6 hours when you pulled it from the small??

Bumping this thread. Gonna try this soon! I've made bacon with a Costco belly, want to try a shoulder next...

For all you bacon-making experts out there, why does it matter what the internal temp is when you smoke bacon, if it's already been cured? If the point of the smoking is just to add flavor, why couldn't you just throw it in the egg and let it pick up smoke flavor for a while, and then cool it back down in the fridge? Does the specific temperature matter? I.e. What if I smoked it and only got to 130 degrees? Is this a "danger zone" temperature thing? But if I'm going to slice it up and fry the heck out of it in my cast iron pan, do I need to worry about a little bacteria? 

Thanks, and sorry if I'm hijacking the thread...

JacksDad 

@jacksdad yeesh, down the rabbit hole you go.  yeah, it might be all ok: you've cured it, exposed it to smoke, and will be frying it.  what could go wrong? however, there are bacteria that are salt tolerant and why would you want to let them double like crazy while the meat is between 40 and 140 degrees?  the short answer is that cold smoking at home is not recommended. hot smoking takes it up to 150 where it can be pasteurized.

that said, after doing a lot of reading, i became comfortable with cold smoking.

the other way to look at your question is, why would you take bacon to 130? you're not getting a desireable texture change, and you're not pasteurizing it.  

JacksDad

blind99 said:

JacksDad said:

Durangler said:

Very nice!! =D>
What was the internal temp after 6 hours when you pulled it from the small??

Bumping this thread. Gonna try this soon! I've made bacon with a Costco belly, want to try a shoulder next...

For all you bacon-making experts out there, why does it matter what the internal temp is when you smoke bacon, if it's already been cured? If the point of the smoking is just to add flavor, why couldn't you just throw it in the egg and let it pick up smoke flavor for a while, and then cool it back down in the fridge? Does the specific temperature matter? I.e. What if I smoked it and only got to 130 degrees? Is this a "danger zone" temperature thing? But if I'm going to slice it up and fry the heck out of it in my cast iron pan, do I need to worry about a little bacteria? 

Thanks, and sorry if I'm hijacking the thread...

JacksDad 

@jacksdad yeesh, down the rabbit hole you go.  yeah, it might be all ok: you've cured it, exposed it to smoke, and will be frying it.  what could go wrong? however, there are bacteria that are salt tolerant and why would you want to let them double like crazy while the meat is between 40 and 140 degrees?  the short answer is that cold smoking at home is not recommended. hot smoking takes it up to 150 where it can be pasteurized.

that said, after doing a lot of reading, i became comfortable with cold smoking.

the other way to look at your question is, why would you take bacon to 130? you're not getting a desireable texture change, and you're not pasteurizing it.  

Okay, so the 150 degrees is for a texture change? Texture, flavor, smoke... So many variables! I just want some greasy bacon with my eggs!.

blind99

JacksDad said:

blind99 said:

JacksDad said:

Durangler said:

Very nice!! =D>
What was the internal temp after 6 hours when you pulled it from the small??

Bumping this thread. Gonna try this soon! I've made bacon with a Costco belly, want to try a shoulder next...

For all you bacon-making experts out there, why does it matter what the internal temp is when you smoke bacon, if it's already been cured? If the point of the smoking is just to add flavor, why couldn't you just throw it in the egg and let it pick up smoke flavor for a while, and then cool it back down in the fridge? Does the specific temperature matter? I.e. What if I smoked it and only got to 130 degrees? Is this a "danger zone" temperature thing? But if I'm going to slice it up and fry the heck out of it in my cast iron pan, do I need to worry about a little bacteria? 

Thanks, and sorry if I'm hijacking the thread...

JacksDad 

@jacksdad yeesh, down the rabbit hole you go.  yeah, it might be all ok: you've cured it, exposed it to smoke, and will be frying it.  what could go wrong? however, there are bacteria that are salt tolerant and why would you want to let them double like crazy while the meat is between 40 and 140 degrees?  the short answer is that cold smoking at home is not recommended. hot smoking takes it up to 150 where it can be pasteurized.

that said, after doing a lot of reading, i became comfortable with cold smoking.

the other way to look at your question is, why would you take bacon to 130? you're not getting a desireable texture change, and you're not pasteurizing it.  

Okay, so the 150 degrees is for a texture change? Texture, flavor, smoke... So many variables! I just want some greasy bacon with my eggs!.

The food safety aspect is more important. At 150 you are pasteurizing.  

GrillSgt

Another one to add to the list. 

Focker

If it's cured guys, you could eat it raw.  Taste and texture keeps one from doing this...but it is, completely safe.  The Danger Zone no longer applies.
  
Salt cures.  Pink salt, smoke, also help cure, keep the bugs at bay..while changing both taste, texture.

Sugars, honeys, molasses, corn syrup, etc help cut the salt flavor.

Heat is for texture, taste.  Jeff's salmon example is spot on.  Both are safe.  Both, unique.

Our ancestors were eating salt pork centuries, and centuries, ago.  They didn't have a fridge to toss it in, lived their entire lives in the danger zone, with salt.