Pepper Bacon Recipe

[SIOUXGUY]

Hey all, the wife and I have gone through about 30 pounds of tenpoints maple bacon. Can't get enough of the stuff. I've searched the site but can't find a comparable recipe for black pepper bacon. (Or any other bacon besides the triple smoked)  Can someone point me towards a recipe or two? Thx

[Ka Honu]

I make Buckboard Pepper Bacon (butt rather than belly) as follows:

Sprinkle the meat with cracked pepper and press in. Add the cure (13.61 grams salt, 4.54 grams sugar - brown or maple or mixed - and 1.13 grams cure #1 per pound of meat) and make sure the meat is totally covered (as best you can).

Cure in Zip-Loc bag in fridge for 7-10 days (depending on thickness of meat), turning daily. Liquid will accumulate in the bag - don't pour it out; it's brine. Make sure all parts of the meat have their turn to be in contact with the liquid (thus the daily flip).

Soak cured meat in fresh cold water for 6-8 hours (in fridge is good - change water midway if you're really salt-sensitive).

If you've washed off some of the pepper, add some back.

Put on racks in fridge (uncovered) for several hours to overnight (longer is better). This "equalizes" the cure and forms a pellicle so the smoke adheres better.

Smoke (I go to 145^oF IT), rest (again uncovered in fridge for at least a couple of hours), slice and cook (or freeze) as you normally would.

Not really a full-on "recipe" but except for the amount of salt & cure per pound, everything is pretty much to taste (and it tastes great).

[Habanero Smoker]

Here is another recipe. Follow the instructions on how to cure and smoke in 10.5's pictorial.

Change the recipe to
2 oz. Kosher salt (about 1/4 cup)
2 tsp. Cure #1 (aka pink salt, InstaCure #1, Prague Powder #1)
4 Tbsp. sugar (white or brown or honey)
4 Tbsp. cracked black peppercorns
2 tsp. garlic powder, or 5 cloves of garlic made into a paste (garlic is optional)

Mix well and apply cure evenly.

Just before air drying cover with freshly coarse ground peppercorns and firmly press into the flesh.

[SIOUXGUY]

Thanks, exactly what I'm looking for.

[rexster]

I add cracked black pepper when I put out the bellies to form the pellicle. Pellicle gets sticky, pepper stays on the meat better. After slicing I'll sprinkle more pepper on because some of it comes off on the slicer tray

[SIOUXGUY]

When do you "put out the bellies to form the particle?" I assume this is after the rinse and when they are air drying? Thanks

[rexster]

Correct

[SIOUXGUY]

So do I give this a good rinse like the maple bacon and risk washing off all the pepper?

If so, just add more before air drying I assume?

[rexster]

That's why I put my pepper on while the meat's forming a pellicle.

[Ka Honu]

So do I give this a good rinse like the maple bacon and risk washing off all the pepper?

If so, just add more before air drying I assume?

I soak (not scrub) for about 8 hours and the pepper pretty much stays where it's supposed to. I occasionally add a bit more but it's not usually necessary.

[Habanero Smoker]

The pepper in cure mixture is to add flavor during the curing process. That is part of the cure mixture and needs to be rinsed off. Get off as much as possible. After rinsing, (soaking if needed but with this recipe I don't find soaking is necessary); pat dried with paper towel. After it has been pat dry, then I add additional coarse pepper, and/or other dried seasonings. I firmly press it into the meat; it will stick. As the pellicle forms the pepper will adhere better.

2 oz. Kosher salt (about 1/4 cup)
2 tsp. Cure #1 (aka pink salt, InstaCure #1, Prague Powder #1)
4 Tbsp. sugar (white or brown or honey)
4 Tbsp. cracked black peppercorns
2 tsp. garlic powder, or 5 cloves of garlic made into a paste (garlic is optional)

Mix well and apply cure evenly.

Just before air drying cover with freshly coarse ground peppercorns and firmly press into the flesh.