Did someone say BACON!

[BAM1]

Went to the locker the week before the holiday and picked me up 2 fresh pork bellies. Here's 1 of 2.



Here's all 20#'s in cure ready for their 7 day vacation.



Ready to go in the Bradley.  As long as I was baby sitting bacon I threw a couple racks of ribs and a brisket on my Traeger.



All smoked and rested.  Sliced one up before I realized I needed some photos



All sliced and ready to go.  That's a whole lot of BLT's and pig candy

[Saber 4]

That is some mighty fine looking pig, I love the batch I just finished last weekend.

[Tenpoint5]

Them 13 or so piles took you all morning? Must have been that new right handed slicer. I think the other one is left handed

[BAM1]

And sealing too

[NePaSmoKer]

Breakfast?

[KyNola]

Nicely done BAM1.

[pz]

Looks fabulous, and you're probably set for a while  ;)  I'd like to try my hand at curing and smoking bacon myself as soon as I get a bit more experience with the Bradley.  I also need to find a good meat supplier in my area; the grocery stores just do not carry a wide enough assortment.  For instance, no brisket, and definitely no pork belly.

[Tenpoint5]

Looks fabulous, and you're probably set for a while  ;)  I'd like to try my hand at curing and smoking bacon myself as soon as I get a bit more experience with the Bradley.  I also need to find a good meat supplier in my area; the grocery stores just do not carry a wide enough assortment.  For instance, no brisket, and definitely no pork belly.

Ask the meat manager if he can order it in for you. you may have to buy the whole case though. There is usually 3 sides in a case. Never hurts to ask! Even better if you butter him up with some of your homemade sticks and sausage!

[pz]

... Even better if you butter him up with some of your homemade sticks and sausage!

;D that's not a bad idea!  Now all I need to do is get enough experience to do sausage!

[beefmann]

great looking bacon

[Saber 4]

Pz, just jump right in to the sausage and bacon. I've done Canadian Bacon, slab bacon and breakfast pan sausage just by surfing the forum, I cheated the first go round with by using the Hi Mountain bacon and breakfast sausage kits and it was so simple I've gotten the real cure #1 so I can start doing my own mix. I'm working on getting a beef belly so I can try to make beef bacon next. A vacuum sealer makes the curing process easier but you probably already have a good one. I would say that you've got the skill from what you've posted so far.

[pz]

Nice of you to say so Saber 4!  I use a Foodsaver that I swear by for long term storage of just about anything I want to save - did not know that it would ease the curing process.  Do you have a good method of using the sealer to cure?

I'm currently on the 3rd day of brining pork loin for Canadian bacon using a method posted by Habanero Smoker on the recipe site.  Can't wait to see how it goes.  :)

[SiFumar]

Nice of you to say so Saber 4!  I use a Foodsaver that I swear by for long term storage of just about anything I want to save - did not know that it would ease the curing process.  Do you have a good method of using the sealer to cure?

I'm currently on the 3rd day of brining pork loin for Canadian bacon using a method posted by Habanero Smoker on the recipe site.  Can't wait to see how it goes.  :)

It will go amazing!  I have made it many times!  You can't go wrong!

[Saber 4]

You can't go wrong with that recipe, I found the vacuum sealer keeps the cure liquid that forms around the meat during the curing process in closer contact with the meat making it easier to flip it daily and massage it if you're so inclined to. I just measure the cure and get it rubbed in real good then ease the rubbed down meat into the vac bag and clean up any cure that got on the area that I will seal, I usually double seal both ends for added leak security.

[pz]

You can't go wrong with that recipe, I found the vacuum sealer keeps the cure liquid that forms around the meat during the curing process in closer contact with the meat making it easier to flip it daily and massage it if you're so inclined to. I just measure the cure and get it rubbed in real good then ease the rubbed down meat into the vac bag and clean up any cure that got on the area that I will seal, I usually double seal both ends for added leak security.

Nice  ;)  I never even thought of using a vacuum bag, but it makes perfect sense.  Right now the loin pieces are in freezer bags, and I'm flipping them daily while giving a gentle massage.  Gotta be careful though, if my wife finds out, she'll say that I treat those loins better than I treat her!