New To Smoking

[SJekel]

Hi, I just wanted to introduce myself.  I just smoked my first bacon today!  Thanks for all the adivce I received from your posts.  The bacon is beautiful, but quite salty... :o  I cured it for 10 days in a salt/sugar cure with some pink salt and spices.  I soaked it for about a half an hour in cold water after rinsing well, dried it and smoked it with apple and pecan wood for about 2 hours at 200 degrees till it was 140.  I cut some of the edges off and fried them up..uck.  Nice flavor, but waaay too salty.  I'm hoping the inside stuff is better.  I keep hearing about Morton's Tender Cure.  Where do you get it?  Nice to meet you all.

[icerat4]

Hi sjekel welcome here.Sorry on the bacon deal .But i am very good with ribs and etc.And there are plenty of pros here to help ya achive what ya want.Just stick arournd and watch the smoke around here.2ND 3rd efforts have way better results.Some times the trial and error deal comes into play here but when ya hit it .Its a home RUN ;D

[Oldman]

Greetins' SJekel, and welcome to this place.

Morton Tender Quick. I believe if you do a google on it you wil find it cheaper than listed here from Morton.

We have a list of Member Approved Vendors Here. You might want to check with some of them first.

I use from time to time Hi Mountain's BuckBoard Bacon Mix on a Boston Butt for a type of Bacon.

We have some really good bacon makers here and I'm sure they will be able to shed more light on this than I can.
Olds

[SJekel]

Thanks, sounds like a nice group. I am a real Slow Foodie...had great results with hot and cold smoked salmon and steelhead, wild boar sausage too.  Went on a trip to Italy for 2 weeks and it really lit my fire to try preserving and smoking.  Had a farm raised boar slaughtered and am excited about making sausage as well.  Thanks for the imput. 

[BigSmoker]

Sounds like you needed a longer soak 1hr? and say a 5-10 minute rinse then repeat again for a less salty product.  I would try it again same procedure but with the above soak and rinse.  Not sure what cut of pork you used either.  I really like the loin or tenderloin myself :P :P :P.

[Phone Guy]

I have tried a couple way of curing bacon and I prefer using 1/2 cup Morton's Tender quick and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Coat the meat and refer for 7 days, draining and flipping on day 3 or 4. I soak for 2 hours, pat dry and coat with honey before smoking my bacon.  There are others here with more experience than me I have only made about 70 pounds or so.

[MallardWacker]

I concur with Big Smoker,...you godda soak that stuff.

I will always scrub it down REAL well then soak for at least two hours and about every hour I pour off the water and add fresh THEN after the two hours of soaking I wash it down again.  Don't worry you will not wash down the flavoring.  There is nothing worse than having salty bacon...

ALSO does anyone know how to place a sticky?  I will re-post my list of preparation, times and cures if someone will let me know.

EDIT: I found it way back in the stack, I edited it out the old HTML stuff to make it look better.  Here is the post. http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=409.msg4825#msg4825

[SJekel]

Thanks, I do think I rushed the soaking.  I used a fresh side of belly bacon.  Lucky to get it, I bought the whole pig and had the meat cutter make bacon with the other half just in case something like this happened I would at least get some good stuff.  I also had him cure the jowls to make some Italian style bacon.

[Oldman]

DuckMan you will have to get a hold of Martin for the sticky.  Until then bumb the thread to keep it towards the top.  If you wish to added to the recipe site then post it on the open forum.
Olds

[Ded Leg]

Sjekel,

You should also be able to find Morton Tender Quick at your local market in the spice section. (that is where I get mine)  I agree with Mallard and Big Smoker, so have to soak it to get the salt content down.  I haved used two hours with a water change after 1 hour and it turned out okay.

Ded Leg