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Pork Belly Skin Removal

QDude
QDude Posts: 1,052
in EggHead Forum
I am planning on curing and cold smoking some pork bellies.  Should I remove the skin before the curing process?  Thanks.

Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

XL BGE and a KBQ.

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Comments

  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,669
    When hot smoking, I remove the skin after smoking while it is hot (easier to remove). I never cold smoked but I would be tempted to remove it before to keep as much smoke as possible. The only possible benefit I can see of removing the skin after curing is that *maybe* it could be a little less salty.

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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  • RV10Flyer
    RV10Flyer Posts: 140
    I would remove it to get an even smoke coverage.

    North Texas

    XL and Small BGE

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  • billyray
    billyray Posts: 1,275
    Remove it if you are cold smoking.
    Felton, Ca. 2-LBGE, 1-Small, PBC, PK360, Genesis Summit, Camp Chef Flattop, Smokefire 24, Traeger Pro Series 22 Pellet with a Smoke Daddy insert, Gateway 55 Gal. drum, SNS Kettle w/acc.
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  • Charlesmaneri
    Charlesmaneri Posts: 1,295
    I cold smoked a belly with skin on and removed after the smoke and saved skin to flavor other cooks down the road and the bacon was the best I have eaten
    2 Large Eggs and a Mini 2 Pit Bulls and a Pork shoulder or butt nearby and 100% SICILIAN
    Long Island N.Y.
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    Its weird when they have nipples.
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  • laserdoc85
    laserdoc85 Posts: 577
    Have your butcher remove it . He will do it faster cause he is used to working on them. How ever you can also do it. I always remove before a cold xmoke
    Jefferson .GA.  
    Been egging since 1985 on a medium egg
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  • Hibby
    Hibby Posts: 606
    I also leave skin on for cold smoke or hot.
    I cook. I eat. I repeat. Thornville, Ohio
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  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
    How long on the cold smoke?  I am breaking down a pork belly tomorrow and will be smoking it in 2 weeks.  Planning to do a hot smoke, but maybe set a piece aside and cold smoke.
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
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  • Hibby
    Hibby Posts: 606
    I cold smoked two pieces each about 5.5 lbs with skin on for 7.5 hours using hickory pellets in an amaze-n-smoker and feel I got just the right amount of smoke. Temps outside were just below freezing and the internal temp of my Large egg never broke above 50°
    I cook. I eat. I repeat. Thornville, Ohio
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  • laserdoc85
    laserdoc85 Posts: 577
    Load that amaze to the gills and let her smoke away. Usually get about 10 hours of smoke out of it depending on the pellets you use. I'm curing some vanilla Bourbon (makers mark) bacon right know and will be cold smoking 5 pounds next Sunday :)
    Jefferson .GA.  
    Been egging since 1985 on a medium egg
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  • Hibby
    Hibby Posts: 606
    Just for note, I loaded mine to the top with LumberJack 100% Hickory and after 7.5 hours it had not quite consumed 1/3 of the pellets.
    I cook. I eat. I repeat. Thornville, Ohio
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  • QDude
    QDude Posts: 1,052
    Charlesmaneri said:
    I cold smoked a belly with skin on and removed after the smoke and saved skin to flavor other cooks down the road and the bacon was the best I have eaten
    How hard was it to remove the skin after the cold smoke?

    Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

    XL BGE and a KBQ.

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  • laserdoc85
    laserdoc85 Posts: 577
    Remove it before you smoke them. That way the smoke gets all sides. Remember the smoke only gets in about a 1/16 of and inch so you want to get all sides
    Jefferson .GA.  
    Been egging since 1985 on a medium egg
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