"Non Standard" Bacon Flavors

[Buckeye]

Need some advice.

I found a site on the internet that sells "Vanilla-Bourbon" bacon, "Apple-Cinnamon" bacon, and "Blueberry-Cinnamon" bacon.

I want to take a stab at the vanilla-bourbon and the apple-cinnamon.  Should I try to add the flavors during the cure (I do this when I make maple bacon), or after the cure, or both?

Also, for the vanilla-bourbon, I was just planning on reducing some bourbon with some vanilla extract added (maybe throw in a vanilla bean) and adding it to the cure (MTQ).  For the apple-cinnamon, maybe add dry cinnamon to the MTQ and then add some apple concentrate (the frozen concentrate you use to make apple juice).

Anyone have any ideas?  If either of the flavors show promise, I'm sure the recipes will need tweeked a few times.  But I'm interested to find out what any of you local bacon pros might suggest as the best way to make the flavors "stick".

Oh, by the way, I'll be using pork loin instead of belly - not for any reason; just what I have on hand right now.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[azamuner73]

Apple-Cinnamon sounds like a sweet breakfast-type bacon.  As for the Vanilla-Bourbon....well that just sounds crazy good.

I'm sure the pros will be here soon to help ya along....I'll just wait for the food porn pictures and drool.

Hope it turns out great.

[FLBentRider]

Some flavors work better than others.

Flavor makes its way into meat during curing via the osmosis process. The higher salt content of the cure causes water, salt, and anything dissolved in the water to be drawn into the meat.

Flavors that are water soluble work better than those that do not, for example the active ingredient in hot sauce,capsaicin, is not water soluble, so it is difficult to transfer this heat into the meat via a dry or wet cure.

Various sugars, salts, garlic, onion... these work well. I'm not sure about cinnamon, but those other ingredients sound like the will play well.

Bear in mind that I am talking about IN the meat - what you can/will get to stick to the outside is almost limitless.

[Tenpoint5]

Sounds like some good ideas to me!!

[Buckeye]

FBR:

Thanks for the info.  Did not know about the water solubility thing.  I guess that explains why I've tried 5 or 6 times to make a hot pepper bacon with little success.  I've tried tabasco to sriracha to cayenne.  Even tried ghost peppers.  Best I got was a mildly spicy afterbite.

Based on your info, I think the bourbon-vanilla will work quite well.

Maybe mixing the cinnamon in with the apple concentrate is the way to go.

Oh well, fingers crossed . . . . . .

[Habanero Smoker]

For something like this I would go with a wet cure (pickle), and inject with 10% brine solution.

Sometimes I make different flavor liquor's, and I do recall coming across a vanilla-bourbon recipe. You may want to google that.