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Recipe suggestions for belly bacon brine?

Ricklesss
Ricklesss Posts: 391
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I just picked up an 11 lb pork belly, fresh with skin on. This is only my second one, the last one came out quite good, maybe a little bit too salty, but good though.
I used Tenderquick, maple syrup, brown sugar, and a little bit of pepper, 10 days, a day drying and then used apple wood to cold smoke to about 128* or so.
This time I would like to divide the belly into 3 smaller slabs, and spice them all differently. (but not sure how. :blush: )
If one was "cracked pepper", that might be nice..
Any suggestions I can try later today?
I am awaiting my copy of "Charcuterie" by Ruhlman, which should arrive any day!
I am dissapointed with the lack of spice recipes in my Morton Salt, Meat Curing book I just bought
Thank you very much, for any advice!!

Comments

  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    I have some bacon curing right now. Look at my post and after the 4th pic you will see I took a Michael Ruhlman bacon recipe and sub pink salt and kosher salt with tender quick. ;)

    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1046671&catid=1
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Ruhlman's sweet savory and pancetta recipes are easy

    Savory gets nothing but applause and the pancetta cannot be beat.
    For the sweet I would jack up the sugar and add maple syrup.

    7 days is more than enough. You do these as a dry cure right, not really a brine?
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • i use hi mountain buckboard bacon cure ,, the instructions give you the amt to use per pound .. i follow that and given the shape of belly i go five days cure .. rinse off and let dry then egg to 150 with hickory,,
  • 2Fateegghead,
    Man, thanks for that! I don't know how I missed your post! I'm usually ALLLLL over any post that even has the word "bacon" or "buckboard" in it.. :laugh:
    I ended up cutting the 11 lb slab into thirds, but used the same dry cure (Stike, yes you are correct, not a brine)in all of them.
    I used your Ruhlman recipe 2fate, but didn't have (or know what :blush: ) Juniper berries are.
    I am still looking to collect "significantly differing dry cure recipes, so I can experiment with different flavors of bacon.
    Maybe it makes more of a difference with different types of smoking woods, though.
    I plan on using apple ((like last time) for one, and hickory and I don't know what else for the other 2.
    Thanks again!
  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    I'm looking around for other options as well. I don't have much else. I did get a pdf file from thirdeye I could forward to you of a bacon recipe. Send me your email if you want it. ;)

    The butcher (Roy) i'm getting belly from says he uses plain salt. Keep in mind you have Tender Quick and Hi Mountain as well as pink salts with kosher salt. Then you have sugars and syrups herbs and spices during the cure or during the smoking process. Flavor woods...cold smoke verses 180F-200F dome to 140F-160F... :)
  • Roy might be right....I'm prolly trying to get too fancy! Can't help foolin' with it though! I don't know no better!
    Shure is fun, though!
    Hey, 2Fateegghead, I did end up sending you an e-mail... :laugh:
  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    I'll forward it to you when I go downstairs to the desktop. ;)
  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    You should have got my email with an attachment. Tim
  • lowercasebill wrote:
    i use hi mountain buckboard bacon cure ,, the instructions give you the amt to use per pound .. i follow that and given the shape of belly i go five days cure .. rinse off and let dry then egg to 150 with hickory,,

    lowercasebill, Are you able to compare the difference in taste between the Hi-mountain BB cure and your typical tenderquick recipe with either maple syrup or brown sugar?
    What's that H.M.BB cure taste like?
    I like doing BB, as I don't have to wait as long!

    *edit: I mean with pork loin (canadian bacon) not butt..