Tenpoint5

[terry08]

I am curing 18 lbs. of Boston butt for hillbilly bacon at this time. Will start the smoke Sat. Tomorrow I will pick up 15 lbs of pork belly, and will use your cure recipe. I was just wondering if you have ever tried adding a little Rum to the mix ? My grandfather used to smoke bacon using maple syrup, and added Rum to the mix. Just not sure how much but, it was the finest bacon I ever tasted. He passed away back in the sixties. I never figured back then that I would be smoking my own so never got his recipe. After all, I only cared about eating his and never thought about a day that he would not be around to smoke it. 

[Tenpoint5]

I have never added Rum to the cure when making bacon. Although it does sound like it would add an interesting flavor to the process depending on which rum you added. Maybe start with a half of a shot mixed in with the maple syrup as a starting point and adjust from there.

[terry08]

Thanks for the response Tenpoint5, think I will just stick with yours for the first time. Then later try adding the Rum and see if I can duplicate what he made. I know it was not Rum Extract. Cause my Grandmother would always say Frank, don't be sipping the ingredients.  ;D ;D

[classicrockgriller]

That would be a kewl deal if you can recreate Grandpa's recipe.

Have you tried checking with other relatives to see if possible some one remembers?

Good luck on your quest and remember .....terry08, don't be sipping the ingredients. ;D ;D 

[Tenpoint5]

Since you asked about this, it has intrigued me. I keep wondering how some Cpt. Morgan Spiced Rum would affect the flavor.

[Habanero Smoker]

I have added cognac when making Canadian bacon. I added chilies and was hoping that the alcohol in the cognac would carry some of the flavor of the chilies into the meat. It was not a complete success, but work to a small degree. What I did was add enough cognac to make a thick paste.

What you can do is double the amount of maple sugar (or brown sugar if you don't have maple sugar), and replace the 1/4 cup of syrup with 1/4 cup of rum. If the cure is too thick to spread, add more rum until you have a thick paste that you can easily spread evenly over the bellies.

[terry08]

I just know that Rum and Maple, marry well together. When we make sweet potato caserole with maple syrup we add a little Rum and it gives it a nutty flavor. That is exactly how I remember my grandfathers bacon tasting. Of course they slaughtered their own hogs back then and wasted nothing off of it. He always said you eat everything from the rooter to the tooter and use the hair to make paint brushes.
This was in the Mississippi Delta, and they had to make due with what they had. As far as realitives they are all gone home, including my Dad and Mom. I am pushing 60 and grandad was 101, when he passed back in the late sixties. I will experiment with it, just don't think it takes much of the Rum, to give it that nutty flavor. I figure you guys are the pros. so if you try it before I do let me know how it come out.
Been smoking meat all my life, but never thought of curing. I have missed a great deal by not doing it.

[Habanero Smoker]

If you try it let us know. The flavors sound interesting. Maybe after the smoke has been applied you can also apply a maple/rum glaze.

[Caneyscud]

If you have any furniture or know of any still around that used to be in Granddad's house, you might look under the drawers.  We found my long deceased FIL's recipe for making country hams hand written in pencil on the bottom of his bureau drawer.