BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Recipe Discussions => Meat => Topic started by: oakville smoker on December 05, 2009, 12:07:51 PM

Title: Side Bacon
Post by: oakville smoker on December 05, 2009, 12:07:51 PM
Hee haa
Found a great source for bellies today
For you Ontario guys, Highland Farms outside of Hamilton

Anyways i think I am going to do a dry cure for 7 days with Bradley Maple cure and add some maple concentrate
Vac seal and cure for about or 6 days

Sound reasonable?

This is my virgin plunge into side bacon and I dont want to screw it up
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: FLBentRider on December 05, 2009, 12:31:07 PM
Sounds like a plan.

I would check the belly for firmness after 7 days, if there are soft spots I would cure longer, maybe 3 more days.
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: smokeitall on December 05, 2009, 12:34:03 PM
Bacon....yummy, I am out of bellies and ate that last few packs of bacon from the freezer at hunting camp.  :(  I need to find a good supplier since Iowa is so dang far away.
SIA
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: oakville smoker on December 05, 2009, 05:31:55 PM
Well pork bellies have been vac pac'd with Bradley Maple cure and some maple concentrate
They will keep the loing being turned into more peameal bacon
I am going to hang a sign at the end of driveway:  Oakville Smoked Bacon ...   LOL 
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: oakville smoker on December 09, 2009, 04:46:17 AM
Just a little update on my side bacon project

Have been in cure, vac packed and refrigerated since Sunday
Every morning before I leave for work, I make love to my side bacon and flip it
Every evening when I come home, I once again make slow passionate love to the side bacon
I have some peameal bacon on top of the sides, there does not seem to be any cross breeding going on, no infighting or anything like that.

But my wife is getting jealous, she wants to know why a pork belly is getting more attention than she is .....  Twice a day she says.  I swear she thinks I am still in my 20s

I have started to notice already that the meat is firming up.  Now that the ski season starts here on Saturday, I wont be
smoking these babies until at least Sunday which I am hoping is OK.  Looking good though as they used to say on Good Times way back when
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: ExpatCanadian on December 09, 2009, 07:46:44 AM
Dude...  so wrong in so many ways :-\  ...  hope it turns out ok in spite of your strange habits  ;)

I've a got a couple of Costco bellies in my freezer that I'm going to be starting on soon... I'll be really interested in your results, as I bought a tub of Bradley maple cure a while back that has yet to be used, as well as a small bottle of Maple flavour.
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: hal4uk on December 09, 2009, 08:06:55 AM
Good to hear your.. uh... partner.. is uhhh.. firming up...
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: bullhead on December 09, 2009, 09:07:42 AM
Hey oakville what I do is add brown sugar when curing. It gives a real sweat taste.
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: Tenpoint5 on December 09, 2009, 10:55:37 AM
Quote from: bullhead on December 09, 2009, 09:07:42 AM
Hey oakville what I do is add brown sugar when curing. It gives a real sweat taste.
or pure Maple syrup
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: oakville smoker on December 09, 2009, 04:23:05 PM
We are going to see what happens here
maybe the maple sugar and maple concentrate will make a difference
I just flipped them over and gave them a kiss good nite
Wife is working tonight so just me and my bacon
Makes me wonder if Tiger is sleeping alone tonight ?
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: oakville smoker on December 15, 2009, 08:45:11 AM
STATUS UPDATE

Well my side bacon is finished
I used the Bradley Maple cure and added some maple concentrate in with the cure as well as some brown sugar
Cure time ended up being 8 days as my buddy broke his leg skiing with me Saturday and between hospital visits, it wasn't going to happen

Belly made it into the smoker yesterday, had to finish it in the oven at 180 as I had a meeting I had to run to
Sliced it this morning, freaking unbelievable

I WILL NEVER EAT STORE BOUGHT BACON AGAIN !!!!!!!!!

if you have not done this, you need to do it !

And yes I will posy some pics later today
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: 3rensho on December 15, 2009, 08:56:02 AM
QuoteI WILL NEVER EAT STORE BOUGHT BACON AGAIN !!!!!!!!!

Precisely my sentiments after making my own.  Looking forward to your pics.  Your cure sounds delicious with the extra maple.
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: FLBentRider on December 15, 2009, 09:44:15 AM
Quote from: oakville smoker on December 15, 2009, 08:45:11 AM
Sliced it this morning, freaking unbelievable

I WILL NEVER EAT STORE BOUGHT BACON AGAIN !!!!!!!!!

if you have not done this, you need to do it !

Welcome to the Club!
Title: Re: Side Bacon
Post by: oakville smoker on December 15, 2009, 01:35:12 PM
OK....  food porn for the masses
just thinking about this cooked gets me excited !

(http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab19/rickrick949/th_HPIM0088.jpg) (http://s845.photobucket.com/albums/ab19/rickrick949/?action=view&current=HPIM0088.jpg)



(http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab19/rickrick949/th_HPIM0089.jpg) (http://s845.photobucket.com/albums/ab19/rickrick949/?action=view&current=HPIM0089.jpg)

URL=http://s845.photobucket.com/albums/ab19/rickrick949/?action=view&current=HPIM0090.jpg](http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab19/rickrick949/th_HPIM0090.jpg)[/URL]

(http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab19/rickrick949/th_HPIM0091.jpg) (http://s845.photobucket.com/albums/ab19/rickrick949/?action=view&current=HPIM0091.jpg)