First Bacon

OTB · May 11, 2012, 11:47:55 AM

I have been wanting to make bacon for a while. I finally saw that I would have a free weekend this weekend so I went on the search for pork belly last Friday. I could not find any belly but found side pork which a forum search told me was the same thing. They were pretty small pieces, maybe an inch and half thick at most so I got four pieces that equaled 5lbs in total. I cured following the maple cured bacon recipe from the recipe site, vacuum sealed and into the refrigerator last Friday night. Note, I did remove the skin, which was NOT EASY. I have been turning them over each day. Two of them are really firm the other two are almost there.

My plan is to open and rinse them tonight then on cooling rack over sheet pan in fridge overnight. Smoking begins in morning.

I was going to follow the directions and do two hours of maple and maybe some apple at cabin temp of 140, then raise heat to 160 until IT of 140, probe in thickest piece.

Does this all sound correct? I read a lot of folks crank the cabin temp up to 200 for the cook time but I am afraid to render too much fat.

Biggest question is, what is the average cook time to get these up to 140? I know each piece will be different, but are we looking at 4 hours, or more like 12 hours...just so I can plan my day accordingly.

rexster · May 11, 2012, 03:23:12 PM

If you put them in the freezer to cure, the meat won't take the cure no matter how much you turn them.

OTB · May 11, 2012, 03:27:23 PM

Sorry, that was a typo...they are in the refrigerator...I corrected the post.

rexster · May 11, 2012, 03:44:53 PM

Whew!! I was hoping that was it.
Matter of fact I just picked up 52 lbs of bellies at the grocer's. Still halfway frozen. Gonna skin 'em tonight, then start the cure. Scraps will be turned into salt pork, some will be cured and smoked for my beans and stuff. One of them will be smoked without curing.

OTB · May 11, 2012, 06:04:48 PM

In addition to my original questions about smoking times and temps...I have a question about how to know when they are cured enough. As I was flipping them right now I realized that the two that seem much firmer actually have more fat left on from when I trimmed the skin. Yes the first two I probably took off too much of the top fat. I am now wondering if the other two are ready after a week or if they are not. It is hard to tell what "firm" means.

KyNola · May 11, 2012, 06:24:04 PM

If you followed the recipe, they should all be cured. Don't worry about the two pieces that have more fat on them. That's a good thing! It's bacon!

If those temps seems good to you then go for it as is. My personal method is to smoke at 200 degrees until I reach an IT of 150. It's all what you feel good about. Many folks will disagree with my temps but I'm good with it.

Make it your own and let us know how it turns out!

rexster · May 11, 2012, 07:03:00 PM

When I first started doing bacon, I ran temps of around 170 or so. The more I made the lower I was setting the temp until I settled on 90. It leaves the bacon with more moisture, not rendering any fat out. I'd rather have the fat in the skillet instead of the drip pan of the Bradley. I'll do a smoke of at least 5 hours from start to finish with the cabinet at a steady 90 degrees. JMHO.

mikecorn.1 · May 11, 2012, 08:05:11 PM

Quote from: rexster on May 11, 2012, 07:03:00 PM
When I first started doing bacon, I ran temps of around 170 or so. The more I made the lower I was setting the temp until I settled on 90. It leaves the bacon with more moisture, not rendering any fat out. I'd rather have the fat in the skillet instead of the drip pan of the Bradley. I'll do a smoke of at least 5 hours from start to finish with the cabinet at a steady 90 degrees. JMHO.

Question for ya. Where do you get the bellies to make bacon? Just in case I decide to try it.

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rexster · May 11, 2012, 09:24:48 PM

Mike, I called HEB in Bay City who said sure, they can get them for me. Also called Stewart's in Brazoria at the same time, figuring one of them would come through. Today they both came in. We had business in Bay City today so went over there first. When they brought the box out I knew something was wrong as the box was too small. Turns out they were the SKINS from the bellies all individually wrapped up. After talking to the meat dept manager, they are limited as to what they can order, and the actual pork bellies are NOT on their order list. So we stopped by Brazoria on the way home, picked up 52 pounds of fresh pork bellies and came home. They were slightly higher, but they're some sort of pretty meat. I had ordered them pre-skinned, but somewhere along the order path that was forgotten, so I just now got through skinning 4 full pork sides. I'll start curing them tomorrow, because tomorrow is another day. They're spending the night in my refrigerator tonight.

OTB · May 11, 2012, 11:16:54 PM

Quote from: rexster on May 11, 2012, 07:03:00 PM
When I first started doing bacon, I ran temps of around 170 or so. The more I made the lower I was setting the temp until I settled on 90. It leaves the bacon with more moisture, not rendering any fat out. I'd rather have the fat in the skillet instead of the drip pan of the Bradley. I'll do a smoke of at least 5 hours from start to finish with the cabinet at a steady 90 degrees. JMHO.

When you say 90 is that the meat IT or the cabin temp...I am assuming that is the meat IT.

Quote from: KyNola on May 11, 2012, 06:24:04 PM
If you followed the recipe, they should all be cured. Don't worry about the two pieces that have more fat on them. That's a good thing! It's bacon!

If those temps seems good to you then go for it as is. My personal method is to smoke at 200 degrees until I reach an IT of 150. It's all what you feel good about. Many folks will disagree with my temps but I'm good with it.

Make it your own and let us know how it turns out!

Thanks for the advice. My saturday just got busy, so I will leave them until sunday. Pull them out and rinse (do you soak also?) and then on baking rack in fridge overnight. I am planning on 2 hours smoke...is 6 hours to get to temp about right?

OTB · May 11, 2012, 11:41:40 PM

I finally got a chance to upload photos....

Here is the side pork before trimming skin off

After Trimming skin off....this was not easy to do. first couple I lost a lot of the fat.

Rubbed down with cure and ready to bag

Foodsaver bagged up....ready for fridge

Other side...the meat side before going in fridge

KyNola · May 12, 2012, 01:48:00 AM

Quote from: OTB on May 11, 2012, 11:16:54 PM
Quote from: rexster on May 11, 2012, 07:03:00 PM
Quote from: KyNola on May 11, 2012, 06:24:04 PM
If those temps seems good to you then go for it as is. My personal method is to smoke at 200 degrees until I reach an IT of 150. It's all what you feel good about. Many folks will disagree with my temps but I'm good with it.
Thanks for the advice. My saturday just got busy, so I will leave them until sunday. Pull them out and rinse (do you soak also?) and then on baking rack in fridge overnight. I am planning on 2 hours smoke...is 6 hours to get to temp about right?

I don't soak as I have never found a need to do so but here's a trick you can try. Cut off a small slice and fry it up. Granted there will be no smoke taste but it will let you know if it is too salty for your taste. If it is, soak them for a half hour or so. If it is not, you're good to go. You will want to fry at a lower temp as the recipe has a lot of sugars in it and sugar will burn. Your smoke time looks OK to me. Not sure if it will take 6 hours or not. That's somewhat dependent on the bellies. Pork fat renders at 152F so as long as your IT of the meat remains under 152F you're in good shape. I would try to not put any of the belly on the lowest rack if you can keep from doing so.

Good luck, you've got this.

mikecorn.1 · May 12, 2012, 05:19:59 AM

Quote from: rexster on May 11, 2012, 09:24:48 PM
Mike, I called HEB in Bay City who said sure, they can get them for me. Also called Stewart's in Brazoria at the same time, figuring one of them would come through. Today they both came in. We had business in Bay City today so went over there first. When they brought the box out I knew something was wrong as the box was too small. Turns out they were the SKINS from the bellies all individually wrapped up. After talking to the meat dept manager, they are limited as to what they can order, and the actual pork bellies are NOT on their order list. So we stopped by Brazoria on the way home, picked up 52 pounds of fresh pork bellies and came home. They were slightly higher, but they're some sort of pretty meat. I had ordered them pre-skinned, but somewhere along the order path that was forgotten, so I just now got through skinning 4 full pork sides. I'll start curing them tomorrow, because tomorrow is another day. They're spending the night in my refrigerator tonight.

Got it. Thanks.

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OTB · May 13, 2012, 03:38:58 PM

Bacon was rinsed last night. Rinsed once, then a second time, then dried with paper towels and into fridge on a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Had a nice skin this morning. I put them in the smoker at noon. 140 for two hours of smoke, maple and apple, then raised up to 160 for the rest of the cook. Currently one is at 143 and the two other probes are reading 135. I am targeting 150.

OTB · May 13, 2012, 04:30:40 PM

Typical unpredictable pork. I had the PID Probe in the thickest piece of the four, and it hit 150 so I pulled it out. I then placed that probe in the thinest of the pieces and it reads 127. The other two are now hovering at 134 (temp dropped after I opened door to pull first one).