First Time Bacon Question...Nitrate Free

lowandslow

So, I am making bacon for the fist time, nitrate free.  Scored an 11lb pork belly from Cosctco.  It has been curing in a mixture of 3/4 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup pure maple syrup for 8 days now.  There is a fair amount of liquid in each bag, but the belly still seems soft and pliable.  Should that be the case or should it be firm?  

Once the belly is out of the cure, rinsed and put in in the fridge uncovered for 24 hours, I was planning to cold smoke this beast with my amazin' tube smoker and some apple pellets for 4 hours.  

Should I be OK cold smoking?  Temp to be low 40's, so figured I could add bowl of ice to keep temp below 40.
or
Should I go the route of bringing the internal temp to 150?

Lastly, how long to I let the bacon rest after smoking?  (Let the smokiness settle)

This bacon will pair nicely with the 10 gallons of Brooklyn Summer Ale clone I have fermenting in my basement.  One science project after the other!

JustineCaseyFeldown

you could hang it from your ceiling without refrigeration if you properly salt-cured it, even without nitrite. but you may not be using enough salt for tha.  would taste too salty.


i would hot smoke anyway

i don't understand the nitrite free idea behind bacon, to be honest.  the "uncured" stuff in the upscale supermarkets is actually cured, and cured with nitrite too.  they dodge the spirit of the regulation by adhering to the letter of it.

fat and salt isn't very healthy to begin with.  nitrite ain't hurtin' much more (if at all).

just don't eat spinach with it.  worse for you than bacon or hotdogs, if nitrite is off the menu 

nolaegghead

You'll get a much tastier and pinker bacon if you add celery powder or celery extract to your rub cure. 

scdaf

nolaegghead said:

You'll get a much tastier and pinker bacon if you add celery powder or celery extract to your rub cure. 

Which, of course, is another form of nitrite...

JustineCaseyFeldown

which is of course why nola saidit, because it's one of my peeves. 

Carolina Q

JustineCaseyFeldown said:

just don't eat spinach with it.  worse for you than bacon or hotdogs, if nitrite is off the menu 

what?

JustineCaseyFeldown

you can eat case of hotdogs before the nitrite in a spinach or arugula salad is surpassed

Carolina Q

ah, gotcha. thx.

Focker

Each belly is different.  Going by feel is a poor indicator, like finishing a brisket to temp. 

Companies should be held accountable for this food marketing and label deceit....pi$$es me off.

Sad thing, soccer mama is reaching for that high dollar uncured bacon every time, thinking she is doing her family good.  Little does she know, it's cured with celery.

"Nitrateless" bacon will appear anemic when cooked.  It isn't sexy like nitrate bacon.

KiterTodd

I occasionally buy nitrite free hot dogs, and they taste okay, but
I bought nitrate free bacon once...   awful stuff.  I'll never buy it again.

onedbguru

I buy my pork belly direct from a butcher - fresh, uncured, unadulterated pork belly. I cure mine with kosher salt, br sugar and pepper, let it cure for 2-3 weeks. It will get wet in the bag. I then rinse the belly, add more br sugar/pepper and air dry on a rack in the fridge for 2-3 days. Then hot smoke (like my grandfathers did) for 3-4 hrs w/dome temp < 180. I smoke bacon by time not temp.  And it has not failed me yet.