Bacon Confusion

[Buckeye]

Help! Been reading through some of the various posts on bacon and I'm a bit confused. 

The only cure I could find locally was Morton's Tender Quick.  It calls for 1 TBS per pound of meat.

Questions:

1.  Can I add other ingredients (sugar, maple syrup, etc) to the MTQ? 
2.  If I can add them, when is best - start of cure, part way into cure time, after cure?
3.  Any value in injecting extra flavor before smoke (maybe maple syrup diluted w/ apple juice or something similar)?

Thanks in advance for any advice . . . .

By the way, a little side note:  My friends and family all made fun of me when I bought my OBS.  Now, after being guinee pigs for my steelhead, some pork loins, and last week's duck breasts, I'm receiving phone calls asking "what's in the smoker this weekend?"  Let the sucking-up begin!

Jeff in Ohio

[BigJohnT]

Bacon, Bacon, Bacon which bacon to do... I'm doing the Canadian Bacon from here. You will want to bookmark that place  ;)

John

[Buckeye]

Thanks John!  I thought I'd read through all of the bacon recipes - missed that one.

Any opinion on injecting?

Jeff

[Caribou]

Hi Buckeye,
SmokingDuck has a wonderful pictorial on making bacon on his blog:
http://lacosasmokestra.blogspot.com/2009/02/take-stab-at-slabsmoked-homemade-bacon.html
Hope this helps
Carolyn

[FLBentRider]

Help! Been reading through some of the various posts on bacon and I'm a bit confused. 

The only cure I could find locally was Morton's Tender Quick.  It calls for 1 TBS per pound of meat.

Questions:

1.  Can I add other ingredients (sugar, maple syrup, etc) to the MTQ? 
2.  If I can add them, when is best - start of cure, part way into cure time, after cure?
3.  Any value in injecting extra flavor before smoke (maybe maple syrup diluted w/ apple juice or something similar)?

Thanks in advance for any advice . . . .

By the way, a little side note:  My friends and family all made fun of me when I bought my OBS.  Now, after being guinee pigs for my steelhead, some pork loins, and last week's duck breasts, I'm receiving phone calls asking "what's in the smoker this weekend?"  Let the sucking-up begin!

Jeff in Ohio

1. Yes - as long as you maintain the 1TBS /lb MTQ ratio
2. I add them from the onset.
3. I have never tried that. You should find that the meat will firm up a bit from the curing process. I don't know how well it will take to injecting.

[Buckeye]

Carolyn- that recipe looks perfect.

FBR - never considered the firmness issue - I think you're probably right about the cured bacon not taking up the injection.  Maybe I'll try one slab just to see if there's any difference.

Thanks all!

[Tenpoint5]

Here's a pictorial/tutorial that I did on making bacon that should cover your question. Maple Cured Bacon

[Buckeye]

10.5 - thanks.  I had already seen that post (looks really good btw). 

Just wasn't sure about using the MTQ instead of the Prague powder.

Think (hope) I got it now !

[KyNola]

Buckeye,
I use MTQ to make slab bacon all the time.  It works really well.  I have added brown sugar to it to "cut" the saltiness and added 1/4 cup pure maple syrup to each bag and massaged it in.  Works like a charm everytime!

KyNola

[FLBentRider]

Just wasn't sure about using the MTQ instead of the Prague powder.

Just to clarify - MTQ is a cure MIX. It has cure in it. Prague #1, Cure #1, etc - is the cure itself and is usually a base for a cure MIX - like the basic cure mix in Charcuterie, which I use interchangeably with MTQ

[squirtthecat]

Not to slightly change the subject, but has anyone tried to make turkey bacon?   Results good/bad/indifferent?

[OU812]

Any opinion on injecting?
Jeff

Not slab bacon, but yes with back bacon and ham

[watchdog56]

So if I use Morton tenderquick do I need to add Kosher salt to rub? I see on the recipe Caribou listed it sounds like he just used Morton's tenderquick and brown sugar. He also says he cures it for 10 - 14 days up to 21 and Tenpoint 5 does his for 5-7 days. What would happen if I used 10.5 recipe and cured it for 14 days?
Also usually how long does it take to smoke?

[Habanero Smoker]

So if I use Morton tenderquick do I need to add Kosher salt to rub? I see on the recipe Caribou listed it sounds like he just used Morton's tenderquick and brown sugar. He also says he cures it for 10 - 14 days up to 21 and Tenpoint 5 does his for 5-7 days. What would happen if I used 10.5 recipe and cured it for 14 days?
Also usually how long does it take to smoke?

TQ is a cure mix and has enough salt so that you should not add anymore. It also contain enough sugar, but you can add more if you want a sweeter bacon.

Generally I find for slabs you only need to go about 5 - 7 days if you dry cure. I find curing longer increases the saltiness, but by adding more sugar like Carolyn (Caribou - didn't see the recipe) did it off set the salt taste. That depends on what your finishing temperature will be, whether you smoke/cook until it is 135°F or to 152°F. Use 10.5 recipe as a guideline

[Caribou]

So if I use Morton tenderquick do I need to add Kosher salt to rub? I see on the recipe Caribou listed it sounds like he just used Morton's tenderquick and brown sugar. He also says he cures it for 10 - 14 days up to 21 and Tenpoint 5 does his for 5-7 days. What would happen if I used 10.5 recipe and cured it for 14 days?
Also usually how long does it take to smoke?

TQ is a cure mix and has enough salt so that you should not add anymore. It also contain enough sugar, but you can add more if you want a sweeter bacon.

Generally I find for slabs you only need to go about 5 - 7 days if you dry cure. I find curing longer increases the saltiness, but by adding more sugar like Carolyn (Caribou - didn't see the recipe) did it off set the salt taste. That depends on what your finishing temperature will be, whether you smoke/cook until it is 135°F or to 152°F. Use 10.5 recipe as a guideline

Hi Habs!
It was from SmokingDuck's blog. 
Unfortunately I have no bacon recipe myself but this thread is getting me mighty interested:D
Carolyn