What have done towards your prep?

[CharlesHarris]

(19 December 2018, 19:53)MaryN Wrote: I used to make our own bacon when we lived in France. The French do not understand bacon. Do you use a salting method or a sweetcure?

Here is a recipe from The Southerner’s Cookbook :

https://gardenandgun.com/recipe/home-cur...hum-bacon/

Honey, maple or sorghum syrup lends a sweet nuance to the salt and grease of freshly crisped pork. You’ll need some curing salt and—ideally—a smoker, although you can get by without one. This recipe does take a bit more time than just frying a skillet full of strips. But you know what comes to those who wait? Really good bacon.

INGREDIENTS
2½ pounds pork belly, skin removed
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup kosher salt
1½ teaspoons pink curing salt (See Note)
½ cup sorghum or maple syrup
Applewood chips

PREPARATION
Rinse the pork belly and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Mix the brown sugar, kosher salt, pepper, and curing salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly on both sides of the pork belly, pressing with heel of your hand to help the salt mixture adhere.

Place a piece of plastic wrap twice the length of the pork belly on the countertop. Drizzle ¼ cup of the syrup evenly on top of the fatty side of the pork belly, then place the pork belly in the center of the plastic wrap syrup-side down. Drizzle the meaty side of the pork belly with the remaining ¼ syrup and bring the sides of the plastic wrap up and over the pork belly to wrap it tightly. Place in a zip-topbag and refrigerate for a week, turning halfway through the week.

When you’re ready to smoke, remove the pork belly from the bag and rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of the salt mixture. Pat dry with paper towels, place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, and return to the refrigerator unwrapped to air-dry for 24 hours.

Remove the pork belly from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Prepare a smoker with wood chips according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the pork belly directly on the rack of the prepared smoked and smoke for 1½ to 2 hours, until the pork registers 150° F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the smoker and let cool. Refrigerate overnight before slicing lengthwise into strips. The bacon will keep, tightly wrapped, for 1 week in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.

Note: Pink curing salt is available at Williams-Sonoma stores and online from retailers like Weston Products. It is indeed pink and contains sodium nitrite and/or nitrate, which helps preserve the meat’s color as it cures.

Tip: This recipe works without a smoker, although the result will skew more on the Canadian side of bacon—deliciously porky but lacking that depth of woodsy flavor true Southern smoked bacon delivers. Unwrap the cured pork belly, rinse and dry it, and place it on a wire rack set over a baking pan and bake at 175° F for 2 to 2½ hours, until it registers 150° F on an instant-read thermometer.

Another recipe:

https://jesspryles.com/recipe/how-to-make-bacon/

Firstly, curing salt (aka Prague powder) which can be bought at better grocery and specialty food stores or ordered online. Second, you’ll need a smoker of some kind (because that’s where the smokey flavor comes from, duh!) I used a Pit Barrel Cooker because it’s fabulously easy to use, and their unique hanging system is perfect for this type of cooking. I prefer fruit woods like Apple or Cherry to pair with pork, but of course you can go for something stronger like Hickory. Finally, you may want to consider investing in a great quality thermometer. I use and recommend the Thermapen, and also used a Dot to monitor the temp of the PBC.

As with anything, the better quality raw product you start with, the tastier your final result will be. So using something like Kurobuta or Berkshire pork is going to result in some seriously amazing bacon. Having said that, this recipe (and the fact that you made it yourself) will yield delicious bacon no matter what type of pork you use.

INGREDIENTS
3lb skinless, boneless pork belly
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon pink curing salt (aka Prague Powder #1)
apple or cherry wood chunks/chips

INSTRUCTIONS
Start by curing the belly: In a small bowl, combine the pepper, sugar, paprika, salt & curing salt. Place belly on a foil lined tray and pat dry with paper towels. Using half of the cure mix, sprinkle evenly over the surface of the belly, and rub in gently. Turn over and repeat on other side with remaining mix. Place the entire belly and curing mix into a large zip top bag and place in refrigerator for 7 days. Each day the belly should be flipped onto the other side, and the contents (which will transform to a liquid) should be massaged around.

After 7 days, remove from the bag and rinse under water. Pat dry with paper towels, and place back in fridge uncovered (on a rack over a pan to catch any drips) for 24 hours.

Smoke the now cured belly using the apple or cherry wood for three hours at 200f, or until internal temperature reaches 150f.

Store bacon in an airtight plastic bag or container in refrigerator for up to a week, cutting and cooking as required (if you don't eat it all at once!).