This is Ken and Cyndi from South Carolina. We are long time charcoal "chefs", and have enjoyed it for many years. We decided to step into the world of smoking and have just bought a Bradley smoker. We have done a butt and some baby backs and it seems that impatient patience has prevailed ( something about old dogs and new tricks I guess). We had to finish both in the oven. So we decided to join the forum and let the success and failures of others help us out.
We have already learned some of our mistakes from the forum and hope we can soon make valuable contributions to other "Old Dogs".
So thanks to all past and future posters for taking the time to make us all better smokers.
Hopefully we are fixing to venture to our first success. We just bought a 4 lb. pork belly and are going to try Bradley Honey cure. Any tips to help make it a success is greatly appreciated. We have a great fresh salsa recipe if anyone is interested.
Ken and Cyn
Hi and welcome from the other "South" state, Dakota! You've found a good place, lots of friendly folks eager and able to help with just about any question you care to ask. Oh, we like pictures. I can't be of much help with your belly, but would suggest you cure a pork loin and make canadian bacon very soon, it's easy and delicious. I like Mallardwacker's maple canadian bacon recipe from this site, which has lots of great recipes specific to Bradley smokers along with a wealth of other useful info. Good luck and happy smoking!
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?180-Our-Time-Tested-and-Proven-Recipes
Hi topguntransfer;
Welcome to the forum.
I've never used the Bradley cures, but those that have used them have gave good reports. Follow the package instructions, and you should be alright. If you are going to use the dry brine method, make sure you turn the bacon over each day. If you are using the wet brine method, on a daily basis; remove the bacon from the brine, stir, and reposition the meat when you return it to the brine.
There are few ways to smoke belly bacon in the Bradley. You can cold smoke it, or hot smoke and cook the bacon to any internal temperature you like. Many members are using the hot smoking/cooking method in Maple Cured Bacon (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?542-Maple-Cured-Bacon&p=861#post861). You don't have to strictly stay with the internal temperature in the recipe. I've seen may members use internal temperatures form 129°F - 150°F; all which are safe (any temperatures less than 140°F will require further cooking).
Thanks for the welcome tailfeathers. S.D. is on our bucket list of places to visit. I did a commerce report on S.D. in grade school and have always wanted to visit. Look forward to more discussions.
And Thank You Habanero. We read the curing post before we checked here this morning. Great advise and greatly appreciated. Hopefully it want be long and we can contribute some thing exciting about smoking.
Have a great week end all.
Ken & Cyn
I am a little slow on computers some time, but I am trying to add picture to a post. When I click Insert image, I get [Img] where my cursor is. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Sorry but I can't help you with this. I take my pictures with my smart phone and use the tapatalk app to post them. That's why any time you see a post from me that includes photos it will always say "sent from my Iphone using tapatalk"! If I don't want to post pics I use a laptop because I can type faster with a keyboard. I don't get how my kids can text so fast, it takes me forever to type anything on them.
Quote from: topguntransfer on June 09, 2014, 08:15:21 AM
I am a little slow on computers some time, but I am trying to add picture to a post. When I click Insert image, I get [Img] where my cursor is. Any help is greatly appreciated.
You need to have an account with a photo hosting site such as Photobucket. Once you upload your photo's on that site or similar site, you can then link them into your message.
The below link is a pictorial, that shows how to setup an account on Photobucket, and link those photo into your message. Note: Photobucket often makes changes on their site, so some steps may be slightly different. If you already have a Photobucket account, skip down to section #4; "Selecting a Photo To Post On A Forum"
Posting Photo On A Forum (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?488-Answers-To-Bradley-Smoker-FAQ-s&p=768#post768)
Thanks tailfeathers, Habanero. I'll try that.
(http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a544/kencyn1opguntransfer/Bacon1_zps46b4b879.jpg) (http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/kencyn1opguntransfer/media/Bacon1_zps46b4b879.jpg.html)
(http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a544/kencyn1opguntransfer/Bacon4_zpsa936a89f.jpg) (http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/kencyn1opguntransfer/media/Bacon4_zpsa936a89f.jpg.html)
(http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a544/kencyn1opguntransfer/Bacon14_zpsf53e9b1c.jpg) (http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/kencyn1opguntransfer/media/Bacon14_zpsf53e9b1c.jpg.html)
(http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a544/kencyn1opguntransfer/Bacon13_zpsafdabf1a.jpg) (http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/kencyn1opguntransfer/media/Bacon13_zpsafdabf1a.jpg.html)
Got the pictures to work. Habanero, cu do's on the math and the pic downloads.
Thanks tailfeathers, I can't type on that phone either. I think my daughter can do 70 words a minute.
I will keep every one posted on progress
Thanks again.
Welcome from Texas, that's a pretty belly ya got yourself there. ;)
Thanks Saber. I rubbed it and turned it last night. My wife said I massaged it better than I do Her!!!
If I paid as much attention to my wife as I do my smoker she'd think I had something to hide!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk