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Makin' bacon!

JacksDad
JacksDad Posts: 538
in EggHead Forum
At @blind99's urging, I bought Ruhlman's book on curing and started my first experiment creating bacon. I did two pieces, the first a small heritage breed belly, and then (because I saw how easy it was going to be) I ran out and bought a ridiculously big slab of belly from Costco. I made Ruhlman's dry rub with the pink curing salt, kosher salt, and white sugar. I also discovered I needed yet another kitchen gadget, so bought a small scale. 

First slab. This thing had the skin with hair and nipples and all. I don't think I did a great job terming it, probably lost as little too much fat.




Sat that in the fridge for a week, in a Ziploc bag with the dry rub. Cut a few slices this morning just to taste, was a little chewy, but not salty at all. I will use more curing rub next time:




The Costco belly, I cured with the dry rub and black pepper. Did I mention that I joined KCBS so that I could shop at RD? I bought some huge plastic container that looked perfect for holding the belly in the fridge:


This monster will be cured for 7 days tomorrow, so I was going to smoke it on my LBGE. We shall see what happens! 


Large BGE -- New Jersey

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Comments

  • Darby_Crenshaw
    Darby_Crenshaw Posts: 2,657
    I find you can back off a day to six days typically. You will get a feel for it. 
    Little less salty that way

    good luck
    [social media disclaimer: irony and sarcasm may be used in some or all of user's posts; emoticon usage is intended to indicate moderately jocular social interaction; the comments toward users, their usernames, and the real people (living or dead) that they refer to are not intended to be adversarial in nature; those replying to this user are entering into a tacit agreement that they are real-life or social-media acquaintances and/or have agreed to or tacitly agreed to perpetrate occasional good-natured ribbing between and among themselves and others]

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  • JacksDad
    JacksDad Posts: 538
    Thanks @Darby_Crenshaw! 

    Just put the cured belly on the egg indirect at about 200-225 (will have to work to keep the temp that low without snuffing the fire I think). Ruhlman says smoke to an IT of 150, about 1.5-2 hours. Never done this before so feel free to comment or correct me if I'm wrong, our if there is a better way to do it...



    BLT's for lunch, I hope! 


    Large BGE -- New Jersey

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  • J-dubya
    J-dubya Posts: 173
          Looks good!!!
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  • minniemoh
    minniemoh Posts: 2,145
    Congrats on your first batch!

    For what it's worth, I have done Ruhlman's method quite a few times. It seems like it always takes 4+ hours to get to an IT of 150 for me. I don't mind as I like my bacon pretty smokey. 
    L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....
    eggAddict from MN!
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  • JacksDad
    JacksDad Posts: 538
    Okay, the belly was on the grill and got up to 135. It was taking way longer than two hours, so I pulled it a little early (multiple kid sporting events to attend!). @blind99 reminded me that I probably should have gotten it up to 150 to pasteurize it. Hopefully the week long dry brine killed anything off though.

    I chilled it in the fridge for the afternoon then sliced it up this evening. I fried a few pieces to check the flavor. It was salty but I like salty bacon so I'm happy. My only complaint about the while process is that it's a pain in the butt to slice an 8 lb belly thinly with a knife! My hand and wrist were killing me. Need to buy a deli slicer haha... But I put the foodsaver to good use and ended up with lots of bacon packs for weekend morning breakfasts! Here's some pics of the final process:




    Large BGE -- New Jersey

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  • Ima_good_egg
    Ima_good_egg Posts: 590
    Looks great! I just got the Ruhlman charcuterie book. I can't wait to dive in.
    Wisconsin, lbge, MM, kab, pig tail flippers, bear claws, and more rubs than I will admit to.
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  • JacksDad
    JacksDad Posts: 538
    I just hope I don't die since I didn't get it to 150.  ;)

    Also cooked up some "monkey bread", since the egg was already going... bought this silly mix at BBB for $7, it was delicious, basically sugar and flour and butter, soaked in caramel mix. The bottom stuck to the CI pan so it's not pretty, but it tasted good! 

    Man the egg is versatile! 


    Large BGE -- New Jersey

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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,989
    JacksDad said:
    I just hope I don't die since I didn't get it to 150.  
    Death is imminent  ;)

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,989
    Just kidding above. Great looking grub.  

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • Killit_and_Grillit
    Killit_and_Grillit Posts: 4,326
    SGH said:
    JacksDad said:
    I just hope I don't die since I didn't get it to 150.  
    Death is imminent  ;)
    It's all fun and games until someone dies from your bacon @SGH.  ;).

     One fall my dad and I were slaughtering hogs at my granddads farm and I decided (for whatever weird boyhood reason) I wanted the hides of a few. I started the tanning process on the backside of a pickup and went inside to take a break and didn't wash my hands well. 

    Long story short. Undercooked pork is questionable. Uncooked pork will make you wish you were dead. 

    "Brought to you by bourbon, bacon, and a series of questionable life decisions."

    South of Nashville, TN

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  • BrueggeDad
    BrueggeDad Posts: 112
    I haven't done this yet.  Looks good!
    XL BGE  - Virginia
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  • J-dubya
    J-dubya Posts: 173
    Bacon looks great, nice job. Save the grease and clarify it - stuff is gold. 

      Nice vitamix too, mine starting making a weird noise after 5 years of heavy, heavy use.  Vitamix paid the shipping both ways, no charge for repair, amd the turnaround was super fast - awesome company. 
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  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,974
    Looks great! We ate the last of our bacon, so I put another belly in to cure today. 

    (i doubt enough bacteria survived the salty cure, multiplied enough during the smoking, and produced enough toxin to hurt you after frying up your bacon. I just try to recommend following professional instructions when it's other people's stomachs involved!)
    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 13,784
    Nice, great job of hand slicing.  Don't worry about not smoking to 150, I usually give up when it hits 140, max 145, even that takes forever.  Chilling, vac seal, freeze, fry would take care of any baddies.
    canuckland
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  • JustineCaseyFeldown
    JustineCaseyFeldown Posts: 867
    edited September 2016
    Hot smoking has nothing to do with safety. You do not have to 'pasteurize' the mwat. It is already cured. The reason you cure things is to prevent bacterial spoliage

    ignore for the moment the sweet ingredients you used and focus on the salt (and nitrite). If you cured it the exact same way, and maybe added some savory flavors (for additional flavor), you could simply take it out of the cure and hang it to dry at room temperature

    properly cured, you do not need to pasteurize it with heat 

    you don't pasteurize (with heat) cold smoked salmon, prosciutto, etc

    we need to understand why we do things. It takes away the second guessing and calms the nervous wives
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  • chadpsualum
    chadpsualum Posts: 409
    Agree...hand slicing isn't fun.  But it is certainly worth it.  Good work!
    North Pittsburgh, PA
    1 LGE
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