i have seen the light!!! maple cured bacon

[monty]

hey everyone.

i picked up some Bradley Maple Cure the other day and tried my hand at curing. thanks to Tenpoint5 for his great pictorial, it definitely helped me along. also big thanks to everyone who has contributed to this topic in the Curing forum - there is a wealth of information here!

anyhow here's the 5lb belly. along with the Bradley cure, i rubbed in some Onion Powder/Garlic Powder/Maple Syrup/Brown Sugar.

cured 10 days, soaked for 1 1/2 - 2 hours after curing, then hit it with 2 hours of Maple. it's been pretty cold up here in Ottawa so i pulled it once the IT hit 138F.

let's just say i'm never buying bacon at the grocery store ever again. WOW  :)

my girlfriend didn't want to try any. i think she was traumatized to see the belly soaking in our sink (see pic #3  :D)

-monty

[3rensho]

Beautiful job Monty.  That looks food enough to eat  ;D ;D  I pull my bacon at an IT of 135 so no worries.

[Bavind]

Where did you get the cure??

[Tenpoint5]

Now that is just perfect looking bacon Monty!! Looks like you got yourself one of them premium slabs with more meat than normal. NOW you know why I start salivating when I hear the word BACON. I aint thinking about no store bought stuff. When is the next slab going in the cure?

[ExpatCanadian]

my girlfriend didn't want to try any. i think she was traumatized to see the belly soaking in our sink (see pic #3  :D)

Anybody else thinkin' "Time to get a new girlfriend...."  :D :D :D :D

Only joking of course!!!  That looks AMAZING....  if mine turns out half as good, I'll be happy.

[FLBentRider]

That is some nice looking bacon monty!

[Piker]

Great looking stuff. I just wish I could get that good of a belly out here in Ab. The best I have done is probably 50/50. The problem is I think there is not much call for it and we take what we get. Piker

[oakville smoker]

Once you make it yourself, you cannot eat the store bought stuff anymore
tell her about the Argentenian announcement of the wonders of pork as an aphrodisiac
I bet she changes her mind ::)

[Halifax Aussie]

Well done mate ! gotta love that !

[RAF128]

Went to a butcher shop yesterday and bought a 5 lb piece of fresh side bacon.    Not going to make it for a couple of weeks as my wife got a buy on bacon last week and we've got a months supply right now and she doesn't want any more for a while.    We're also still working on the back bacon I made last month.

[Tenpoint5]

RAF it does freeze well.

[RAF128]

Oh I know that but you can't argue with a wife, if you know what's good for you ;)

[monty]

thanks everyone. 10.5 i'm thinking of starting another one this week. my dad was over last night and made away with a 1lb  ;D

Where did you get the cure??

are you in Canada? they sell the Bradley cures at Le Baron. they have a store here in Ottawa. pretty sure they do mailorder too.

Anybody else thinkin' "Time to get a new girlfriend...."  :D :D :D :D

lol  :D

Great looking stuff. I just wish I could get that good of a belly out here in Ab. The best I have done is probably 50/50. The problem is I think there is not much call for it and we take what we get. Piker

hey Piker where are you in AB? if you have a local Chinese market, try there. it's always on hand (along with pig hoof!)

[OU812]

Thats some damn fine lookin bacon monty, nice and meaty too.

Mmmmmmmmmm BACON.

[seemore]

Excellent work, Monty!  You will NEVER go back to the store-bought stuff!
Mrs