The Texas BBQ Forum

Picked up an 11# belly at Costco a few weeks back for $3 lb. All cured, smoked and sliced!

Nothing better than your own bacon. I have a bunch coming out tomorrow.

That is awesome, is it hard to do? anyone willing to share their recipe/technique?

Love me some Bacon

Ric G.

TwoGuysBBQ wrote:That is awesome, is it hard to do? anyone willing to share their recipe/technique?
Ric G.

No, not hard at all. I have several recipes.

A good standby recipe:

Home Cured Brown Sugar and Black Pepper Bacon

Ingredients

4-5 pound belly
¼ cup salt
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon ground thyme
2 teaspoons of pink salt (Cure #1)

Method

Mix the salt, brown sugar, black pepper, bay leaves, garlic, onion, thyme and the pink salt (Cure #1) and mix well. Apply the curing mix all over your pork belly, making sure it is well covered. Place in a 2-gallon zip lock bag and place in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. You can under cure bacon but you cannot over cure bacon. Turn every day or two.

Rinse under cold water, washing off as much of the cure as possible and pat dry. Let it sit overnight to form the pellicle.

Cold smoke for two hours, smoke at 160F for two hours, then smoke at 200F until an internal temperature of 145F. The three temperature allow more smoke flavor to the bacon. Remove the skin, chill well, then slice and package.

Okie Sawbones wrote:

TwoGuysBBQ wrote:That is awesome, is it hard to do? anyone willing to share their recipe/technique?
Ric G.

No, not hard at all. I have several recipes.

A good standby recipe:

Home Cured Brown Sugar and Black Pepper Bacon

Ingredients

4-5 pound belly
¼ cup salt
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon ground thyme
2 teaspoons of pink salt (Cure #1)

Method

Mix the salt, brown sugar, black pepper, bay leaves, garlic, onion, thyme and the pink salt (Cure #1) and mix well. Apply the curing mix all over your pork belly, making sure it is well covered. Place in a 2-gallon zip lock bag and place in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. You can under cure bacon but you cannot over cure bacon. Turn every day or two.

Rinse under cold water, washing off as much of the cure as possible and pat dry. Let it sit overnight to form the pellicle.

Cold smoke for two hours, smoke at 160F for two hours, then smoke at 200F until an internal temperature of 145F. The three temperature allow more smoke flavor to the bacon. Remove the skin, chill well, then slice and package.

That right there will do it!

Guys. On the pork belly skin do you find it better to remove the skin before you cure/smoke it? I've seen it done both ways. Some say you get more flavor (both from the brine & smoke) if you remove the skin before hand.

Sure looks good.

Finatic wrote:Guys. On the pork belly skin do you find it better to remove the skin before you cure/smoke it? I've seen it done both ways. Some say you get more flavor (both from the brine & smoke) if you remove the skin before hand.

I find it too hard to skin with a knife until smoked. I have plenty of flavor. If you are skilled with a long knife, you might skin one and leave one skin on -- try them side by side.

Okie Sawbones wrote:

Finatic wrote:Guys. On the pork belly skin do you find it better to remove the skin before you cure/smoke it? I've seen it done both ways. Some say you get more flavor (both from the brine & smoke) if you remove the skin before hand.

I find it too hard to skin with a knife until smoked. I have plenty of flavor. If you are skilled with a long knife, you might skin one and leave one skin on -- try them side by side.

Costco sells them with the skin on but my local Restaurant Depot sells them with the skin already removed. Both are really close in price.

The only place anywhere near me that sells them is a Mexican market. Good prices though.

Okie Sawbones wrote:

TwoGuysBBQ wrote:That is awesome, is it hard to do? anyone willing to share their recipe/technique?
Ric G.

No, not hard at all. I have several recipes.

A good standby recipe:

Home Cured Brown Sugar and Black Pepper Bacon

Ingredients

4-5 pound belly
¼ cup salt
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon ground thyme
2 teaspoons of pink salt (Cure #1)

Method

Mix the salt, brown sugar, black pepper, bay leaves, garlic, onion, thyme and the pink salt (Cure #1) and mix well. Apply the curing mix all over your pork belly, making sure it is well covered. Place in a 2-gallon zip lock bag and place in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. You can under cure bacon but you cannot over cure bacon. Turn every day or two.

Rinse under cold water, washing off as much of the cure as possible and pat dry. Let it sit overnight to form the pellicle.

Cold smoke for two hours, smoke at 160F for two hours, then smoke at 200F until an internal temperature of 145F. The three temperature allow more smoke flavor to the bacon. Remove the skin, chill well, then slice and package.

This is a perfect starter to get you into bacon. Once you get the hang of it, then you can mix it up and add otha flava!

Finatic wrote:Guys. On the pork belly skin do you find it better to remove the skin before you cure/smoke it? I've seen it done both ways. Some say you get more flavor (both from the brine & smoke) if you remove the skin before hand.

I prefer with the skin on because I use the skin afterwards to flavor my beans and such. As far as skin removal pre/post smoke; I find it much easier after smoke.