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Bacon curing
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Starting to firm up nicely; flipped back with the skin side down. Hope to pull on Thursday.
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you might want to consider skinning it before you smoke. ruhlman leaves it on, and skins after hot smoking. but i think that sends half the smoke into the trash can (unless you make cracklins). it's also too hot to handle right off the smoker (when hot smoking), which means waiting a bit for it to cool.
i now skin the belly raw, then cure, then hot or cold smoke depending on what i feel like and how much time i have
it won't change in appearance really, from here on out.
how come there are smaller chunks, on the left?
ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante -
Thanks stike, I will certainly take that into account. Those were just some older ones I had in the freezer, so I figured I would also just throw those in with it.
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ah. so the square slab is what you started with. cool. that's the size i do them too. cut the whole longer belly into those two squares. fits better on the slicer. though my slicer sucketh...
ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante -
Are pork belly's ever smoked/slow cooked without being cured first?
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Richmond, I did this once just smoking a fresh pork belly (one of the cuts on the left is from a larger cut where I fresh smoked one). It is good, but I didn't think it had an amazing taste. So I am trying this one now to see what I think.
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OK, so here are some pre-smoke pics of the pork belly. I pulled the bacon from the cure after about a week in the fridge and let them sit on a rack uncovered in the fridge for about 24 hours. Will upload final pics when all complete out of the egg. On now with hickory chunks.
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This sucker is stalled at 127, let's git a move on...
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Here is the final product. Smoked at 200 until temp reached 150 or so. I cut some off and fried it up. Tastes great, nothing like store bought bacon at all. More like a hame/bacon combo, but I really enjoy it.
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The morning after final cut. I just fried some up and it came out fantastic. I highly recommend everyone try and make you own bacon. Just some pork belly, a few ingredients, time to soak it in and smoke.Stike, what do I do with the skin? How can I make cracklin?
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Where can you buy the pink curing salt??
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irishdevil: roll it tightly, then slice into thin ribbons. render at 250 or so for a heckuva long time until crispy. a little salt towards the end, maybe some rub too.
makes decent cracklins (though i'm not sure they are technically cracklins)
demo: butcherpacker.com
http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=237_12&zenid=9381e2893591b2372fca670f9a3de1ad
ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante -
Demo - I used butcher-packer as stike states. Good stuff and a little goes a long way. Only needed two teaspoons/tablespoons (can't remember which) for the whole thing. I bought two pounds, but way more than I need. Stike, next time I will do it, I used it to flavor some cabbage for this round.
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Bump...
Hey Devl---
About how long did you end up smoking it for to get to 150 internal? I'm smoking one that I've cured later today. Thanks. -
Is this the Charcuterie book you are refering too?
http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298
I BBQ place by me makes a porkbelly sandwich out of porkbelly that is cured like pastrami. It was pretty awesome.
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It's an awesome book...
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MQ, sorry for the delayed response. I think on for about 5 hours or so at 200 temp.
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Looks great. Did you do anything unique or follow any particular recipe?
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Followed Rulhman's recipe for maple smoked...used maple sugar in the cure and smoked with apple chunks ...Also added crushed black peppercorns to the outside before smoking. I'll definitely be doing again.
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Stike may have the opposite answer, and I would probably go with his , but I read that it still has to be cooked. Not sure why with all the curing and cooking to 150. But I did read still needs cooking. The bacon I made is not to far off store bought (mych better quality) which I would never eat without cooking. Now pancetta, I don't know if additional cooking is needed or you just roll it up and hang it to dry.
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It's safe raw. Before you smoke (except for trich, which is ridiculously rare and virtually iradicated in commercial pork)
Taking it to 150 is for firming and texture
After that, you are cooking it a second time, but dont 'need' to.
Dont even 'need' to cook itat all if you dont want to.
Prosciutto anyone?
ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante -
Definitely trying this soon. I need a food saver too.Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
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If you don't have an electric knife or a meat slicer....will you just ruin the whole thing when you try to cut it up?
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no. you just cut it thicker.
gramma dinnit have no dang meat slicer
i have one (a meat slicer) but it's crap. unless you spend decent cash on a decent slicer, you will be wasting your time like i did.
ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante -
as with a regular chef's knife, it's about maintaining consistent thickness. that might make it easier to cut, just dunno about the thickness issue
ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante -
Thick bacon is awesome. Cook it in the oven at 400 and you will have an unbelievable treatKeepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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That's what I do with mine cen tex...then I cut the really thick pieces left over that I couldn't safely get through my slicer into lardon sized pieces that I'm saving for soups, beans, etc.
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