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Bacon, a love story (pic heavy)
Jeffersonian
Posts: 4,244
After a week of curing, turning, drying and smoking, my first foray into the world of charcuterie is complete. Here's a photo essay of what was done.
Pork belly prep
Bought a frozen pork belly from a local butcher shop, thawed and trimmed it square:
It was then rubbed down with a curing mix of 1/4 cup kosher salt, 2 tsp pink salt (Prague powder #1), 1/4 cup brown sugar and 2 tsp ground black pepper, put into a plastic bag and put into a refrigerator for seven days, flipping and redistributing the cure every other day:
Smoking
I pulled the cured belly out after seven days, then returned to the fridge for a day to dry, uncovered on a rack. It then went onto my LBGE around noon today for what Ruhlman calls a "hot smoke." I put the belly on as soon as the fire got going to put as much cold smoke onto it as possible. It was just RO lump with maybe 5-6 chunks of sugar maple for smoke.
It took a while for the Egg to reach 200* dome, but the smoke was dense and sweet:
I had three thermometers working, the DigiQ:
An AccuRite on the grate:
And another in the thick end of the belly itself (not shown). I was aiming for about 180* at the grate, which I was able to reach in about an hour with the dome set at 200*. Eventually, the grate and dome temperatures began to converge, so I gradually dropped the dome to 185* and the grate temp held right at 180-181* for the remainder of the smoke.
The smoke lasted maybe 70-80 minutes, after which it was just lump and very little smoke coming from the Egg. Overall, the cook lasted right at six (6) hours to get the internal temperture of the bacon to 150*. I pulled and let cool:
I had to cut it to get it into the Ziplock, so here's a section of the finished product:
We just couldn't resist trying it out, so I put it into a frying pan at low temperature to render the fat and brown the bacon nicely:
Verdict: Very good, and a trifle salty. I definitely need a good slicer if I'm going to do this again...these were little bacon steaks. Not that anyone was complaining.
Thanks to Stripsteak for inspiration, guidance and patience.
Pork belly prep
Bought a frozen pork belly from a local butcher shop, thawed and trimmed it square:
It was then rubbed down with a curing mix of 1/4 cup kosher salt, 2 tsp pink salt (Prague powder #1), 1/4 cup brown sugar and 2 tsp ground black pepper, put into a plastic bag and put into a refrigerator for seven days, flipping and redistributing the cure every other day:
Smoking
I pulled the cured belly out after seven days, then returned to the fridge for a day to dry, uncovered on a rack. It then went onto my LBGE around noon today for what Ruhlman calls a "hot smoke." I put the belly on as soon as the fire got going to put as much cold smoke onto it as possible. It was just RO lump with maybe 5-6 chunks of sugar maple for smoke.
It took a while for the Egg to reach 200* dome, but the smoke was dense and sweet:
I had three thermometers working, the DigiQ:
An AccuRite on the grate:
And another in the thick end of the belly itself (not shown). I was aiming for about 180* at the grate, which I was able to reach in about an hour with the dome set at 200*. Eventually, the grate and dome temperatures began to converge, so I gradually dropped the dome to 185* and the grate temp held right at 180-181* for the remainder of the smoke.
The smoke lasted maybe 70-80 minutes, after which it was just lump and very little smoke coming from the Egg. Overall, the cook lasted right at six (6) hours to get the internal temperture of the bacon to 150*. I pulled and let cool:
I had to cut it to get it into the Ziplock, so here's a section of the finished product:
We just couldn't resist trying it out, so I put it into a frying pan at low temperature to render the fat and brown the bacon nicely:
Verdict: Very good, and a trifle salty. I definitely need a good slicer if I'm going to do this again...these were little bacon steaks. Not that anyone was complaining.
Thanks to Stripsteak for inspiration, guidance and patience.
Comments
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Thanks for posting Jeffersonian, your bacon looks divine.
I've been intriqued by the recent curing posts and am awaiting my book Charcuterie: THe Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing. I've placed an order for a pork belly when a coworkers pig is butchered, which should be soon. I am looking forward to giving it a try. If your post is any indication, I hope to be well rewarded. -
Thanks for posting, I think :blink:
Last thing I need is another toy (slicer), and the next to last thing I need is the fat from bacon.
Drooling, anyway. :P
Thanks a pantload! :S -
Very nice.
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WOW! Nothing better than bacon than home made bacon! Outstanding job, write up and pics! When you want me to show for breakfast?! :woohoo:
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Any time you want, JL, but you better get here before my arteries close off for good :laugh:
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That's the book I'm using...an excellent resource. Pastrami's next, I can hardly wait.
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Fantastic post!!! Great looking bacon, great photos and wonderful write up. Great job!!! Thanks for sharing.
Gator
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It's a given: We all need more apparatus and more pork fat. Thanks, Bash.
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Thanks, 'Bama. Congrats on the championship, BTW.
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Thanks, Gator, I think this is going to be a definite "do again."
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Beautiful - great color
Thanks for sharing Brad -
Great write-ups and photos. I feel like I could follow this on my own from what you've posted. It looks delish! What kind of slicer would you get?
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Thanks, Frank, and it wasn't that hard. Hardest part was getting the fire to stay lit at the outset. Once I had that, it was a fairly easy smoke. I recommend it.
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Thanks, DM. I have no idea about a slicer...got a recommendation?
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Looks FANTASTIC, I like salty bacon so just send it on to me if your not happy LOL.
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Looks FANTASTIC, I like salty bacon so just send it on to me if your not happy LOL.
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I'm afraid this slab isn't long for the world, BGD, but you're welcome to stop on by if you're ever in St. Louis for some.
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Thanks for the pictorial looks fantastic.
Kent -
Thanks, Kent, I'm really liking the Ruhlman book. After the pastrami, I'm thinking of investing in some good grinding and stuffing equipment for sausage.
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That looks amazing
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I think the saltiness could have been cured (pardon the pun) with a soak out before the rest.
You know what??... I just took another look at the recipe and there is no mention of a soak out in the one from Charcuterie. I guess I never noticed that before, because I do it automatically on Buckboard and belly bacon.Happy Trails~thirdeye~Barbecue is not rocket surgery -
Thanks for sharing!! Great job on your post! You just got me one step closer to trying this!Molly
Colorado Springs
"Loney Queen"
"Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE -
Hey Jeff..., sweet! Great lookin' pics and essay. A slicer was a good add to my kitchen.
PS thank goodness for Wikipedia:Charcuterie (pronounced /ʃɑrˌkuːtəˈriː, ʃɑrˈkuːtəri/; French: [ʃaʁkyˈtʁi], from chair 'flesh' and cuit 'cooked') is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork. :laugh: -
Excellent idea, Thirdeye. I was thinking of shortening the cure next time, but was worried that would affect the depth of the cure and not just the flavor. A day-long soak is just the ticket, I think. Many thanks.
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It was pretty darn good, and it feels good doing something the way it's been done for eons. Well, aside from the electronics, that is. :P
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It was so simple, really, other than wrestling with keeping the Egg cool enough at lighting. Once you have a reliable, low fire, you're on rails.
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Great job and wonderful documentation. I'll be try that soon. Congrats!
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Do you have a recommendation for a slicer? I'm looking at a Chef's Choice consumer-grade unit right now, but if it's going to gag on the cold fat of bacon, I'll step it up a notch.
BTW: Don't do Wiki, do AMAZON and get the book half the forum has ordered since Stripsteak's "Bacon and Scotch" post, amigo. -
Loved it.....the frying pic is a keeper....
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Thanks, Big'un, and I have to get some of that sauce everyone's raving about.
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