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Cure for the winter blues bacon now with pics

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Retired RailRoader
Retired RailRoader Posts: 976
in EggHead Forum
With all the cold and snow we've had here in the Northeast I needed to do something make my insides go happy happy joy joy. What better way to do that them make some bacon. Here is the 5lb. Pork belly getting ready to be rubbed in with the cure. image Pork belly all rubbed and ready for a 7 day rest in the fridge. image After a 7day cure, a cold rinse and a day drying in the fridge she is looking sweet! image I cut the belly in half so it fits nicely on the egg. Now it's time for a apple/hickory smoke bath on the egg at 180. image 7 hours later and a internal temp of 150 she is looking mighty fine. image All sliced and vacuumed sealed. imageimage Time to eat and get ready to shovel some more snow.
Everyday is Saturday and tomorrow is always Sunday.
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,824
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    Wow.  that looks amazing.  I really want to try doing bacon.

    A couple of things I wonder about:

    Where does one get pork belly at a price that makes this project reasonable?  I see it at some gourmet butchers and charcuterie places here, but it's expensive enough to make making bacon regularly prohibitive.

    Is it practical to attempt this without a slicer?  I don't think SWMBO will let me have a slicer just yet.
    NOLA
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  • Retired RailRoader
    Retired RailRoader Posts: 976
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    When I picked up the belly the cost per lb. was $3.99. I bought a 10 lb. belly and wound up with 6 lbs. of finished product after I cut off the piece of rib meat and the skin. I figure the total cost per lb. ran me about $8.50 not cheap but no comparison to store bought. The big difference between home cured bacon and store bough is when it's cooked the home cured bacon has very little shrinkage so it goes a long way.
    Everyday is Saturday and tomorrow is always Sunday.
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  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
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    That bacon looks great. I would love to try that!


    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
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  • corey24
    corey24 Posts: 386
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    One word....WOW!

    XL Egg Owner Since Dec 2013 - Louisiana

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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
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    I usually see it cold smoked. ..
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,431
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    Looks Great.  I have only cold smoked but your step by step guide has inspired me to try hot smoked too.
    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
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  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,431
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    Did you slice those by hand?  If so . . . bravo!
    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
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  • Wolfpack
    Wolfpack Posts: 3,551
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    Anyone tried both hot and cold smoking? What are the flavor differences, texture, etc?
    Greensboro, NC
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  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
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    What cure did you use?
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

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  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583
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    @buzd504 Bacon is one of those things I will pay up for.  If you've not had any local artisan bacon ( runs me 7.99 to 10.99 per packages of maybe 16oz) what you make yourself will truly change your mind about commercial bacon.  Even if the belly is running you 7.99/lb the rest of the materials are pretty cheap.

    I pay 3.99-4.99/lb for belly at my local grocer and I know I pay more than most per pound on all my meats.  Get to know the butcher at your local grocer a little.  He can get you almost anything. 

    If belly is just straight up priced out of the budget, try buckboard bacon from a boneless boston butt. My kids 2 and 3.5 seem to even prefer it.
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  • Retired RailRoader
    Retired RailRoader Posts: 976
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    NDG, I have an old electric slicer I used to slice the pork belly. I wish I had the knife skills to slice that by hand. GREGE345, the cure I used is from Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298#
    Everyday is Saturday and tomorrow is always Sunday.
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