Bacon

[Piker]

Just took 3 pieces of belly bacon out of the smoker and I thought I would use the electric knife to cut the rind off. Worked great it was as easy as filletng a fish. Took about i minute per piece and only took the rind. Has anyone else tried this? Thks Piker

[Habanero Smoker]

I haven't tried your method.

I usually skin my bellies prior to smoking, on occasion I will smoke with the skin on. The times I leave the skin on I just grasp a corner, and it will peel right off. With this method you need to do this shortly after it comes out of the smoker, while it is still warm.

[Piker]

I actually tried that and it did not work. The bacon was about 140F or less and too much fat and meat started coming too. Thats when I tried the electic knife. Thks Piker

[Sailor]

I have read where guys have just been able to peel the skin off after a smoke.  I have done at least 6 slabs and I have never been able to peel it right off.  I pull and yank and it does not just come right off.  I have to pull and skin it out.  Perhaps I am doing it wrong.  I have tried right of the smoker.  I have tried when it has cooled down a bit.  I have tried after it is at room temp and still find it hard to peel.  Wish I could find a source that sells skinless bellies  :o

[MidKnightRider]

I've made belly bacon around 6 times now and all but 1 time I've been able to pull the skin off right out of the smoker.
I pull it back at over the top of itself and it comes right off.
But I did have that one time where I had to use a knife.

[Habanero Smoker]

If you only take it to 140°F, that would make it difficult to just peel off.

[Sailor]

I had my PID set at 160 and I let the IT get to 140 and pulled them.  I needed the smoker to get my brisket on. 

Just so I know for the next time what IT should bacon be taken to?  Should the cabinet temp be taken to 170 or 175?  I was afraid of rendering fat if I got it up too high.   I love making bacon but I hate the skinning part.  Any advice is welcome.

[Habanero Smoker]

I generally skin prior to curing; which is not easy to do. After the bacon has been smoked I would try Piker's method or a skinning knife should also work.

I don't like to use a cabinet temperature higher then 160°F, and for sweet bacon I will bring the internal temperature to 150°F - at that temperature the skin should be easy to pull off. I like to take sweet bacon to 150°F,  because when frying it crisps better without the sugars burning. When I used a cabinet temperature higher then 160°F, some of the fat began to render. I don't like any of my bacon fat to render.

[SiFumar]

I've had both skinned and not skinned.  Just depends on where you get them.  I did skin my own and I actually didn't think it was that bad.  I just prefer to have it skinnless while smoking for more penetration of the smoke.  Sounds like the electric knife worked for you.

[Piker]

I had my smoker temp. at 155f and pulled the bacon at 144f. There was no fat rendered off but after being in the frig overnite it was not as firm as before. Had a little trouble slicing. I do not have a very good slicer its a deni and I brought in a hurry after my other one died after 15 yrs. But all in all the bacon was great. Piker

[OU812]

Whats an electric knife?   ;D

Sorry,,,,,,,,,,,,I'll go back to my corner now.

[KyNola]

When I smoke bacon I regularly have the tower at 200F.  I take the bacon IT no higher than 150.  Stay under an IT of 152 and you won't render the fat.  Some folks stop at an IT of 140.

Don't know what sweet bacon is so I will yield to Habs on his recommendations of smoking and IT temps.

[NePaSmoKer]

Thats skinless yuppy bacon  :o

[Habanero Smoker]

An example of a sweet bacon would be 10.5's bacon recipe. One that has a lot of sugar and/or sweetener in the cure or brine. When I make bacon that contains less sugar or a more savory bacon, I will take the internal temperature to 140°F. When I pan fry these types of bacon I don't have to be as careful, there is very less sugars to burn, while I cook it to my ideal crispness.

The rendering I am referring to is not from the IT, but from too high of a cabinet temperature that will render the fat (generally around the outer edges), before the bacon reaches 150°F. Once I did use a cabinet temperature of 185°F and got rendering around the edges, before the bacon was at 150°F.

[KyNola]

Thanks for the explanation Habs.