Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Making bacon question

Options
Dave in Florida
Dave in Florida Posts: 1,157
in EggHead Forum

For those who have made bacon before.  Tomorrow is 7 days in Buckboard cure. I am planning on doing 10 lbs of bacon for the first time tomorrow. 

How much wood chucks (going with hickory) do you use?

Plan of action is 200 dome until bacon hits 150 degrees IT. 

Then into the frig for 24 hours.  Do I wrap in foil, plastic wrap or ziplock bag the bacon or just leave it uncovered in the frig?

Slice it after 24 hour rest and vac seal into 1 lb packs.

Sound right?  Any other suggestions?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Options
    Just my opinion but I would give it a 24 hour soak in several changes of water before drying in the fridge.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Dave in Florida
    Dave in Florida Posts: 1,157
    Options

    Thanks LS.  I forgot that part.  Plan on doing a soak out also.

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Dave in Florida
    Dave in Florida Posts: 1,157
    Options

    That's even better.  It's suppose to storm tomorrow and clear Sunday.  So I can smoke it then.

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BigWader
    BigWader Posts: 673
    Options

    Yeah depending on how much salt in your cure you will want to slice a piece and fry it to taste.  If it seems too salty definitely soak in water for an hour or so, changing the water once or twice.

    Definitely dry the bacon in the fridge to form a pellicule (sticky skin) for the smoke to stick

     

    As far as chunks for hot smoking... I would get a couple palm sized chunks on the coals as soon as you add the bacon.  The first couple hours is when it gets the most smoke impact. 

    I wrap mine tight in foil and into the fridge.  I have even vac sealed and left for several days/froze for a month or so before slicing.  I found the smoke evens out really nice like that.

    Toronto, Canada

    Large BGE, Small BGE

     

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
    Options
    I read someone's thread the first time I made bacon. They were combining about not having enough smoke. Not wanting to be like that, I added plenty of wood. Worst bacon ever! It was only good for seasoning beans and such. I would start conservative and add to your next batch. Especially with that volume. I've been using a couple if chunks 50/50 hickory and apple.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories