Smoked Applewood Bacon Recipe?

azamuner73 · March 30, 2010, 07:24:57 AM

I did a little searching and had no success in finding a recipe for smoked applewood bacon. I did however see some nice ones for maple.
Is it as simple as using the maple recipe and then applying applewood smoke instead of maple or other?

I'm not going to attempt this yet but I'd like to give it a go in the future.

ArnieM · March 30, 2010, 08:14:37 AM

Canadian or belly?

RAF128 · March 30, 2010, 08:16:12 AM

I think it's like anything else, almost. Use your favorite smoke flavor.

azamuner73 · March 30, 2010, 08:39:46 AM

bellies, when I finally try it.

It's just that I noticed that some recipes/brines call for maple syrup. I was hoping someone might have a decent recipe but I guess half of the fun will be experimenting. :)

ArnieM · March 30, 2010, 09:43:02 AM

I'm not much on recipes so I'll just throw out a couple of ideas.

My butcher does hickory but the smoke doesn't matter at this point. He does a 'cure' in salt for three days (rind removed), dumping off the liquid once or twice a day and adding more salt. His goal is to remove a lot of the water content prior to a 24 hour dry out in the fridge and then a smoke. I don't believe three days in salt is sufficient to actually cure the bacon. But, after a rinse and a dry out, pretty much any type of smoke could be added because the bacon will have a fairly neutral flavor.

I've done maple, syrup and smoke with cure #1. It came out good. I'd leave the maple syrup or crystals out if you're doing apple smoke. If you want it sweet, I'd go for some white or brown sugar - less flavor (and cheaper) than the maple syrup. If you want it more savory, add some garlic and onion powder to the cure.

Also, you could try curing a couple of hunks with different flavoring. Then, smoke 'em both with apple and see what you think.

Don't forget the slice/fry/taste test prior to smoking. If it's too salty, soak in cold water for a few hours with a water change every half hour or so.

I'd also plastic-wrap 'em and let 'em sit in the fridge for a couple of days.

Good luck

KyNola · March 30, 2010, 10:04:37 AM

I've done the maple syrup in with the cure and then smoked with applewood many times. Turns out just fine.

azamuner73 · March 30, 2010, 10:23:25 AM

I'm going to do my first smoke this weekend so I'm going for pork butt on that one. But I love bacon, so I don't think it will take too long for the smoke bug to hit.

wally22 · March 30, 2010, 01:28:28 PM

azamuner73, if you are looking for a bacon recipe I found this one on the forum a year ago that I use and it's great.
This is for 50 pounds of bellies and I cut then in half.

wally22 · March 30, 2010, 01:35:29 PM

Sorry hit the post botton.
Again this is for 50 pounds of bellies.
8 ounces sugar
1 pound kosher salt
2 ounces pink salt

apply cure to bellies and place in two gallon zip lock bags and place in refrigerator for 5-7 days turning every other day. rinse air dry in refrigerator over night then place on racks in smoker at 210, IT to 160. good luck lets us know. I place on racks with fat side down and smoke with 6 apple per load. I also rotate the racks top to bottom, bottom to top then bottom to second rack.

OU812 · March 31, 2010, 07:39:10 AM

azamuner, if you want some apple flavor in your bacon mix up a dry cure apply to your belly then cover each side of the belly with apple sauce.

You could take that maple recipe and replace the maple syrup with apple sauce then smoke with apple wood.

Let us know how your Applewood Bacon comes out.

azamuner73 · March 31, 2010, 07:47:49 AM

I'd like to try it out soon but I believe you have to cold smoke bacon....also I need to find a place to get pork bellies.

When I do though, I will definitely post pics.

Gonna use my smoker for the 1st time this weekend but I am going with the recommendations of pork butts.

KyNola · March 31, 2010, 07:57:33 AM

Aza,
You absolutely do not have to cold smoke bacon. Stickbowcrafter posted a great recipe for bacon complete with the curing process and then hot smoking it. I have made it many times using that recipe and it is great. Don't have time to search the link for you but look up Stickbowcrafter in the search. Wish he were still hanging around here. He posted some great stuff.

KyNola

OU812 · March 31, 2010, 08:05:58 AM

KyNola beat me to it.

You dont have to cold smoke your bacon.

I smoke mine at 140 F for 3 to 4 hr with hickory then bump the temp up to 160 F till the IT of the belly is 150 F.

Make sure your probe is in meat and not fat when you stick the probe in.