Having gained a lot of confidence after a successful try at back bacon, I decided to give belly bacon a try. Went to the butcher and got 6 pounds of belly cut into 2 pound pieces with skin on.
Got them in the cure and into the refer yesterday. I used a simple cure of 1 TBL MTQ and 2 TBL DBS per pound of belly. I really like the dark coloring the DBS gives bacon. I was thinking a 7 day cure and then into the smoker, but think I will try and go with a 14 day cure. I know some go 21 days but I don't think I can hold out that long.
Here are some pics and I'll update as the time goes by.
SD
Belly in ints natural state
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q12/ducks1166/001-1.jpg)
Better shot of the belly with skin.
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q12/ducks1166/002-1.jpg)
In the vac sealed bags and ready to go in the refer for the sweet 14 day cure period
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q12/ducks1166/008-2.jpg)
It's been real easy to do so far. If you haven't tried doing it, it's really a no brainer as far as I'm concerned. I am a little concerned that the family may not want store bought bacon any longer, but I'm willing to pay that price ;D
More to follow.................
SD
Looks good so far SD. I warned you not to do this because your family is not going to be content with store bought any longer. I figured that out as soon as my wife came to me and said "don't we need to buy another pork belly?". Have a great time and keep us posted. Apple wood smoke is really really good on it. What are you thinking about using?
KyNola
I'm contemplating either maple or apple. Maybe a combination of both? I'm not really sure but I am sure that either would probably be great. Maybe you'll get me leaning towards apple.
SD
Looking good SD, I've got a suggestion for your wood selection! ;D Oh, nevermind!
C
Looks good SD. Either way you go, apple or maple you'll be pleased with the outcome.
Quote from: westexasmoker on June 21, 2008, 01:44:52 PM
Looking good SD, I've got a suggestion for your wood selection! ;D Oh, nevermind!
C
You know, WTS, I was gonna make a disclaimer that there is no way in God's green earth that I was gonna use mesquite on the bacon. However, I didn't want to hurt your feelings so I didn't. I do plan on giving it a try soon (the kids are craving pulled pork) but ain't no way I'm gonna use it on bacon........yet.
SD ;D
Whilst at Summer camp, I came up with the idea to have My sons "Patrol" (about 5 boys) make their own bacon.
We are going to go to the farmer/butcher, pick up the belly, cut it into equal sections, put the cure on it, bag and send a section home with each boy. (they are all at least 15 years old)
Then they will bring them to my place for Smoking.
I think it important that they understand how "it used to be done", since they spent part of their summer camp forging their own knives from a horseshoe, etc...
Some pics:
(http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/flbentrider/T120/DSCN1390.jpg)
(http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/flbentrider/T120/DSCN1342.jpg)
(http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/flbentrider/T120/DSCN1345.jpg)
That's a great...great idea FLBent!!!
Giggles...I did about 8lbs of belly bacon a month or so ago...I used a combo of hickory and maple...came out really good...I was concerned the hickory would over power the maple...but it didn't. Keep us up to date, if you don't mind!!
T.
Will do, T-Bone. Gonna pull it at 10 days now instead of the 14 that I had originally planned. Should be done by the end of the month. I'll post follow up pics.
SD
I did mine for 8 days...and frankly...I could have let it go a leetle longer...so I'll be interested at how yours come out...!
Smokin' Giggling like a girl Duck,
I live in Kentucky where hickory is absolutely the smoking wood of choice for all things smoked and I love it but apple wood is becoming my wood of choice for pretty much everything but pork butt. No choice there, pork butt = hickory. Sorry WTS, no mesquite here. Having said that, I can really see maple on the bacon but for me it will continue to be apple but the combo of apple/maple could be really good.
Keep us posted and you are absolutely going to be giggling like a girl when you fry and eat the first piece of your brown sugar cured ____wood smoked bacon. One other thing you can do is throw about 1/4 cup maple syrup in the bag where you are curing the bacon. I also learned that you may want to lower the heat on the stove when you fry the bacon as it has so much sugar in it that the sugar will begin to "burn" before the bacon is cooked.
KyNola
HeeeHeee....thats funny don't care you are....
Smokin' Giggling like a girl Duck,
OK, enuff crap about the Giggling Girl stuff ;)
UPDATE:
After doing some more reading and taking a look at how MallardWacker does his back bacon, I decided to do something. So, I opened the vac seal bags and added about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of grade A Dark Amber Maple syrup to the belly bacon. Put them back in a bag and will let them go a minimum of 8 more days in the cure/syrup mixture.
SD
Good choice Duck! You are going to have some fine bacon when you are finished.
KyNola
I hope so, KY. Otherwise, it would be difficult to convince my wife again that I need to sit by the refer with a couple of adult beverages to tend to the bacon in the cure ;D
Dang SD,
I hadn't thought about the sitting next to the refer ploy. Now, sitting next to the smoker, I put that into play on the first day. Thanks for the idea!
KyNola
Pulled the bacon out of the cure yesterday and rested in the refer last night. Gonna smoke today and I'll post some pics tomorrow when done.
Quick question: smoke with the skin side up or down?
Thanks!
SD
Verticle. I hang mine. :D
I believe I have put mine in skin side down before getting the hangers. I don't think it makes a difference other than the impression of the rack wires.
SD,
Like Giz, I just bought hangers for the 24 pounds of belly I have in the frig. My first batch I did on the racks and I went skin side up. Don't ask me why, I just did. It seemed to me that as the smoke rises it will penetrate the meat better from the bottom up rather than through the skin side.
I'll be interested to see your finished product.
KyNola
I put it in at 150 for 45 minutes with no smoke....bumped it up to 200 with the smoke rolling. The lowest piece of bacon is at 120 right now. I went with mesquite...................
Psych! Not! Went with maple wood. Will post pics when I get her sliced up.
SD
SD, you scared the crap out of me!! I thought you had gone to the dark side with WTS. That giggling school thing you are famous for? When you bring that bacon in and cook it for the first time, there will be no giggling. You will go straight to OH MY GOD that's good.
Tell us all about it.
KyNola
Heck, me go to mesquite with WTS? That'd be like me becoming a Cowboys fan as a lifelong Steeler fan. I'd just as soon cut my head off than go to the dark side :o ;D
Come to the dark side, young jedi!!! Resistance is futile!!
C
Quote from: Smoking Duck on July 05, 2008, 03:31:04 PM
That'd be like me becoming a Cowboys fan as a lifelong Steeler fan.
Or a Browns fan ?
Go figure I'm a Viking fan.....Gave up on the boys with Landrey retired! ;D
C
Still doing slabs , usually , on the racks. Start out skin up until the unit is at temp - about an hour and them flip them. I too have no idea why but is something to do I guess. :D :D :D
Quote from: FLBentRider on July 05, 2008, 03:42:37 PM
Quote from: Smoking Duck on July 05, 2008, 03:31:04 PM
That'd be like me becoming a Cowboys fan as a lifelong Steeler fan.
Or a Browns fan ?
My computer won't even let me type that word. ;D
SD, you are killing me man. What's the verdict on the bacon?
By the way, I'm a New Orleans Saints fan so I have no room to say a word about one's football team preference.
Now... tell us about the freakin' bacon!!!!!! :D :D :D
KyNola
Funny you should ask, KY. Just sliced it up a minute ago. Gonna have BLTs for dinner. Had to fry a piece up early to taste test. I wish I could say that I was a freeking bacon genius but that would be disingenuous. The bacon came out awesome but not cause of anything I did, just followed directions. Will post pics in a minute once I get em loaded on photobucket.
SD
Let me get this right.... the Cowboys actually have fans? ???
America's Team my hairy a$$. I did not mind them as much till they tried claiming that. I think that one statement turned a lot of people away from the team. :P
I think the only reason anyone watches them is to see the cheerleaders. ;D
Not that theres anything wrong with that! ;)
Anyway back to the subject...... forget the pics SD..... I'm waiting for my package to arrive so I can taste it myself. ;D
OK, here she is:
Out of the cure and after a one day resting period
(http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/msovik/002.jpg)
This is a slab right before going into the smoker:
(http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/msovik/007.jpg)
Here's how they look out of the smoker:
(http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/msovik/009.jpg)
And here is a slab that I cut in half for smaller pieces for BLT sandwiches:
(http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/msovik/011.jpg)
And since I hate not having anything to do, I started a loin for some canadian bacon yesterday as well:
(http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/msovik/004.jpg)
SD
Wow Duck, that looks awesome.
Why, thank you kindly, Deb. They say God looks after fools and drunks......I qualify on both counts ;D
Bacon looks fantastic SD! 8)
Mike
Nice lookin' Bacon, SD!
I bet you have Giggling taste buds! ::)
If Mrs. Duck likes it, the pork loin won't be the only loins smoking tonight ;) ;D 8)
Looks awesome SD.....dang now ya got me giggling, not quite like a school girl, but close! Looks like a very nice mesquite smoke there! :D
C
Looks fabulous Giggles...makes me want to do another one RIGHT NOW!!! :)
Thanks, Q. DO IT! DO IT RIGHT NOW! ;D
Wish I had one of those sittin in the freezer...BUT I DON'T!!! Linguica going in soon...looks pretty good...if I must say so myself!!! Yeah...yeah...I'll takes pics and TRY to post them...:)
Just had by far the best BLT with smoked Habanero cheddar sandwiches I've ever had in my life.
Store bought, no more.
SD
Quote from: Smoking Duck on July 06, 2008, 05:45:50 PMStore bought, no more.
Yeah, Making your own belly bacon has that effect on you.
Welcome to the "No Commercial Bacon" club.
We've been expecting you!
Nice job on the belly.
Nice nice nice SD,
Looks great. After trimming and all, I have 19 pounds of belly curing in the frig. Don't ever let any of your friends taste your bacon. As soon as I mentioned I was going to do bacon again, I had 5 people asking for bacon, including two guys who had never tasted the bacon before.
Your bacon really looks good. Your family must love you right now.
KyNola
Very very nice. The good news is Lipitor prices seem to be coming down...hold tight, will be there shortly SDuck ;)
By the way Duck, I am the guy who told you not to do the bacon as your family would not settle for anything less. ;D
KyNola
Thanks guys! It was a really long 14 day wait. May try to go to the 21 day next time. All are welcome at my house. I'm the white two-story farm house on the west side of CR 7. The lights are always on :) You bring the Lipitor and Niacin and I'll provide the bacon, WCK ;)
Packing Tricor also. That is dandy looking bacon. I think the heat was just perfect...the way i like... 8)
I pulled it at 150. I also fried it at a much lower temp for a longer period of time. Since the only ingredient I used in the cure besides MTQ was DBS, I didn't want it to burn.
SD
I bake bacon...in the oven...on a rack with foil in the bottom sheet pan...makes for way easier clean up. And I agree Giggles...ya gotta do it at a lower temp then comercial bacon.