Pork belly bacon curing starts today

2Fategghead

Yesterday we purchased a pork belly. It weighed almost 10 pounds. Cost was almost $17.00









I cut it in half and started curing one with Hi Mountain Buck board Bacon Cure. I put it in a food saver bag and sealed it up making sure not to draw very much vacuum.

The other half got a tender quick cure in place of the pink salt and kosher salt from Michael Ruhlmans recipe for bacon.

Mix the following together in a small bowl:
(Keep in mind this is for 5 pounds of bacon)

2 ounces (1/4 cup Morton or Diamond Crystal coarse kosher) salt

2 teaspoons pink curing salt #1 (I use this DQ Cure from Butcher-Packer, $2)

Substitute the above with:

5 tablespoons of tender quick

plus

4 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

4 bay leaves, crumbled (left out)

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (substitute with 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg)

1/4 cup brown sugar or honey or maple syrup (used the dark brown sugar)

5 cloves of garlic, smashed with the flat side of a chef’s knife (substitute with 2 1/2 minced garlic in a jar)

2 tablespoons juniper berries, lightly crushed (optional)(left out)

5 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)(substitute 1/4 tsp chopped thyme)

Here is the actual write up by Michael Ruhlman

http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/home-cured-bacon-2.html

Here is the other half with Michael Ruhlman recipe changed a little.



Here they are getting happy in food saver bags in my fridge in the garage.

Firetruck

I went by my butcher yesterday to check once again to see if they had any. They looked at me like a calf lookin at a new gate. If they don't ever have it, I wish they would just say it, instead of saying check back with us on friday

thechief96

Looking good so far Tim. How long does this process take? Keep us tuned in on the process.

Gator Bait

"like a calf lookin at a new gate" ??? I don't think I ever notice how a calf looked at an old one. :huh:

:laugh:

Blair

Gator Bait

Looking mighty good Tim!


Blair

Ross in Ventura

Great start Tim,I can't waite to see some cooked up!

Ross

2Fategghead

Dern. :unsure: It sounds to me like you may need to look in other places. I asked Roy the butcher how long he will butcher hogs and he told me all year round as long as he keeps selling the meat. I asked if he could get me a whole shoulder and he said he could. Come to find out he is butchering his own hogs and meeting government standards. I'm all over this as much as a two person family can be on it. I hope he stays successful.

2Fategghead

:laugh: :laugh:

Firetruck

I gotta start a new search I think.

2Fategghead

Thanks Dave, Tender quick is supposed to go 7 days per inch of meat thickness. The bacon is 2 1/2 inches thick in the thickest place. Hi Mountain is for 10 days. I plan to ask around to be sure.

2Fategghead

Thanks Gator. I hope this pork butcher (Roy) stays in business. He is reasonably priced and give him time and he will custom cut the hog at your request.

2Fategghead

Thanks Ross. I can't wait either. I hope to make more as I go along and try different cures and recipes and methods.

CG

Need to find out where you bought your pork belly. Haven't found a source in Bowling Green. Maybe looking in the wrong places. Keep us posted on your progress.

2Fategghead

CG, I would have thought the fatted calve could get that for you. Look for an email through the forum. I will send it after this post. If you don't get it let me know. Be sure to check your spam folder. Tim

cookn biker

Looks good Tim. That'll be good eats.

2Fategghead

Thanks Molly. I can't wait. :P I am on my last pack of BBB and I'm starting to jones already. :laugh:

stike

7 days per inch of thickness, with a two inch piece, means 7 days. think about it

tenderquick assumes you are doing buckboard bacon or a ham, a piece of meat that takes 7 days per inch of meat TO THE CENTER.

anyway, you have the same amount of nitrite in that cure as in the pink salts mixture. should take the same amount of time, 7 days.

belly shouldn't take more than a week.

Hoss

I AGREE! :( :blink:

2Fategghead

Thanks Jeff. I was hoping you would chime in. I will let them both go 7 days then rinse them off and pat dry.

Would you go 180F dome smoke for 140F IT?

Tender Quick says to go to 160F IT.

Michael Ruhlman says to go to 150F IT.

Pork Butt Mike

It's worth all the work for the product you will so enjoy. Just don't fall asleep like I did and over smoke it. LOL Was not so pretty, So I had to throw that batch away. :( But if I did not make mistakes I would not be here. So enjoy and waithing to see what the results are. Good Eats

2Fategghead

Thanks Mike I will post them for sure.

stike

I prefer cold smoking it, but if hot smoked I wouldnt go over 150. You're cooking it, fwiw.

Mr Holloway

Looking forward to seeing how it turns out for ya,Tim
Thanks for the post

Shane

eenie meenie

You're in for some good eats Tim!

2Fategghead

I have read past posts where different ones have said to do it over again they would colds smoke. I will look in to the setup and temps. thanks

I don't remember reading any one soaking out the salt for any amount of time. Do some do that?

2Fategghead

Thanks Shane. Looking forward to the finished product myself. I just finished my BBB so I need to get a move on. :laugh:

2Fategghead

Thanks Rebecca. I can't wait. It's going to be great. :P

Doug in Eggmonton

The best ones I have made were soaked for a couple hours, then air dried for a couple hours then I cold smoked them for 3 hours.

Doug

2Fategghead

Is there a dome temp you tried to stay close to?

Was there an internal temp you stoped at?

Thanks

Did you use a coffee can setup with wood chips and a sodering iron meat up high in the dome?

did you post it? :huh:

Doug in Eggmonton

I used the coffee tin with chips and a soldering iron. It's cold smoke so internal temperature should not be a concern. The egg stays roughly ambient air temperature. I didn't post it sorry.

Doug

2Fategghead

Hey Doug, Thanks for the reply back. I am trying to understand this cold smoke process. I have been looking over many past post...I did find a past post reply by you...here it is.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=874626&catid=1

I think I will take my bacon after 7 days of curing and rinse them off and soak them for a period of time and dry and rest or equalize for a period of time and begin my cold smoke process.

In the above post you and AZRP contribute to a post by Zinger. I may go with AZRP and cold smoke for 4 hours. I over think everything I know but, I am OK if I am learning from past posts. From what I have read everyone would cold smoke if they had to do it over verses 180f - 200f dome and take it to 140f - 160f IT. Tim