First time curing bacon and a little paranoid

[jimmyb]

Call me paranoid but I am a first timer when it comes to curing anything. I wanted to try bacon so I got a 5.6 # pork belly. Of course I don't want anyone getting sick so I have some questions here.

1. Bought the pork belly Friday morning frozen solid. Kept it in the refrigerator until Monday evening when I could get to curing it. Is this too long in the fridge after frozen.

2. Using Tenpoint5's recipe in the recipes for maple cured bacon. Recipe is for five lb. belly. Followed it with a 5.6 lb. belly. Just want to make sure this extra .6 lbs is ok with the recipe.

3. I kind of expected a cure to be something I would submerge the meat into. Just a little nervous that I didn't get it all over the meat and I had applied enough. I would have felt better with more cure where I could apply it more liberally.

4. Is there any way to tell that the meat is cured and I am safe and did everything right before smoking.

It now sits in a 2 gallon ziplock bag in the refrigerator. Like I said, paranoid rookie here.

[Tenpoint5]

After the 5-7 days of curing (Flipping over every day) the meat should start to stiffen up. That is how you can tell the cure is working. The juices that form in the bag will help distribute the cure. Also there is just a bit extra cure in that recipe to compensate for the cure that would be suspended in the maple syrup. You should be good to go to smoke some bacon next weekend.

[squirtthecat]

I would put that bag in a big casserole dish or other kind of container..   Those ziplock seals can leak.   Don't ask me how I know this.   ::)

[KyNola]

jimmyb, if you followed 10.5's recipe your bacon will turn out fine.  We all have had the "first time curing jitters" so don't feel bad.  Trust me when I say you will be SO proud of that bacon.

[ArnieM]

jimmyb, you'll be good to go.  I'd go for the 7 days and as 10.5 said, keep flipping it.  Also as squirt said, never trust a zip top bag  :-[

[jimmyb]

and again, this is why I love this forum! I am at ease now and anxious to make some bacon!

[Tenpoint5]

How did the Bacon turn out?

[jimmyb]

Getting ready to smoke her up today. I went the full seven days to be safe. I did just post another question about storing the bacon when finished.

[OU812]

Have you sliced off a tester piece and fried it up yet?

Just to see if the bacon isnt to salty.

If it is you can soak in fresh water for an hr to cut down on the saltiness.

Test and repeat till its the way you like.

Try to get the saltiness down (if its to high for you) to were its almost to salty then after the smoke the saltiness will be more balanced as the outer edges will be more salty then the center right now.

[jimmyb]

I have not tested a piece. From what I have been reading, the smoking will cut down on the saltiness and then the rest overnight will cut it down even further. I think I'll just let it ride and see how it turns out. Then next time I can adjust

[ghost9mm]

Partner...be sure to let us know the final result, and a few pictures would be good... :D

[jimmyb]

Got the pics started late but will be sure to post when it's all done.

One last question - After it comes out of the smoker and I cut off the skin, do I wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator before slicing? I guess overnight is ok?

[Tenpoint5]

That will work perfectly

Save that skin and cut it into thin strips and deep fry it. Make you some smoked cracklins!!

[jimmyb]

how long we talking about here for a 5.5 lb belly? This IT temp doesn't seem to want to get off of 73*. Two hours smoke finished and now one hour into cook time at 150*.

[jimmyb]

well, my first bacon was almost a disaster due to a faulty IT reading. As you can see from my previous post in this thread, I was concerned that the IT would not budge from 75 *. After almost four hours I decided to try a different probe. Sure enough I inserted it and it read 116*. I unplugged the Auber probe and plugged it back in and it read correctly. Damn that was a close one.