What's the best bacon flavor you've made?

JacksDad

I need some inspiration. My bacon curing skills are improving, so much so that now all my friends (well, okay, mostly my wife's friends!) are asking for regular deliveries. 

I've got the plain smoked salt and sugar cured down, and I made some whiskey smoked bacon which was okay, and some bloody Mary flavor bacon which I probably won't make again.

So what's the best flavored bacon you've made? And more importantly, how did you do it? 

Thanks! 

bigalsworth

That is like choosing your favorite child.  

gmac

Pork salt and smoke. Simple is best for me. 

Focker

I invest in the best Berkshire pork.  
And focus more on sugar and salt ratios.
Brer Rabbit blackstrap molasses would be my secret ingredient...then keep it simple with white and brown sugar, kosher.
I like my bacon slightly on the salty side.

Longer two day cold smokes.

I do like flavored brats, bacon, not so much.
Nothing wrong with it, just not my thang.

bgebrent

Garlic and rosemary.  Brined a la Ruhlman for 7-10 days.  In addition to his basic cure, with 4# slabs, skin on, goes 4 cloves of minced garlic and 4T of minced fresh rosemary.  Great savory bacon.

Ima_good_egg

I like using Mickey 's coffee rub for flavoring.

setdahook

Chinese 5 spice but didn't measure ammounts

Richard Fl

Maple sugar and black pepper or syrup with the course ground heavy black pepper.

GATraveller

JacksDad

bgebrent said:

Garlic and rosemary.  Brined a la Ruhlman for 7-10 days.  In addition to his basic cure, with 4# slabs, skin on, goes 4 cloves of minced garlic and 4T of minced fresh rosemary.  Great savory bacon.

Thanks all! I think I'll give this flavor a go...

I would love to use fancy heritage breed pork, but since I'm giving it away, I think I'll stick with Costco bellies.

I'll post how it goes in a few weeks...

Killit_and_Grillit

My Bloody Mary bacon came out kinda funky too...

That Rosemary garlic bacon Brent does is my family's favorite. 

Not always best flavor profile for breakfast, but I have done a ton of things with apps, dinners, etc. 

Best was polenta cakes with goat cheese/cream cheese mix, blackberries and a blackberry BBQ sauce with it. It has become a coveted dish (cause it's a PITA to make). 

Biggreenpharmacist

Holy hell that looks good. 

onedbguru

Kosher,br sugar,Pepper (lots of pepper) and hickory or applewood or maple. (may add some real maple syrup to the maple smoke).

JacksDad

So I bought some of this stuff:


Then I cured 9 lbs of Costco pork belly in Ruhlmans cure, with loads of fresh garlic and rosemary, for a week. I fried a few slices last night and it was salty but not too salty, so I didn't soak it in water. Then onto the egg at 225 over the sugar maple, with peach and apple wood for smoke.

And then I was feeling ambitious, and the wife would probably kill me if I spent any more money on egg stuff, (like an adjustable rig), so I built myself a little extra platform from some parts at the local Ace hardware. Then I had room on the egg for a pastrami (hiding in the back), 'cause why not? So here's what's going now:



Excited to try this rosemary garlic bacon! I'll post pics when it's done and sliced...

JacksDad

The rosemary garlic bacon was awesome. Lots of garlic flavor. The rosemary kind of got lost, even though I thought I was pretty generous with it. 

I made another batch, three Costco bellies cured with just Ruhlmans and black pepper. About 25 lbs worth. Smoked it over sugar maple charcoal (which I really like now!), with chunks of peach wood. Delicious. Gonna make the neighbours happy with some deliveries this week...

westernbbq

Im gonna go with bacon flavored bacon....