BACON: List of curing , smoking times & temps...

[Smalls]

I have a question for you bacon experts.  I recently purchased a pork belly for bacon.  The butcher asked if I wanted the skin on or off.  I told him that I wasn't sure and asked what he recommended.  He said it would be better with it off.  When I picked it up on Friday he charged me $22.75.  I asked how much it weighed and he said 7 1/2 lbs.  Anyway I thought this was a bit high but paid anyway.  When I got home, it appears that the skin is still on.  The white layer on one side of the belly appears to be too thick and tough to be a layer of fat.  I had already cut it into two pieces and could not return it, so I rubbed the cure in and placed in fridge.  My question is, will the cure be able to penetrate the skin side?  Also is $3.00/lb a lot to pay for skin-on pork belly?  Kind of feel cheated. - Bill

[MallardWacker]

Bill,

Man I am sooo sorry to hear about you butcher experiance.  He sounds like the soup kitchen nazi.  To me(I admit that I don't do belly) it sounds like he is pretty proud of his meat.  I get loin for 2.00 +/- lb.  But I have done picnic cuts for pulled pork with the skin on, again I haven't seen a belly but on the picnic you sure can tell what was skin and what was not.  From this point I must let the belly folks chime in here, I know there is a few around here.  Let us know how everything turns out.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...

[jaeger]

Bill,
It sounds like your butcher left the skin on. I would take the belly out of the cure, use a kind of long knife and trim off the skin. You should be able to kind of peel it off by lifting the skin as you slide the knife underneath. Try to take only as thin as you can as you can always trim off more of the fat if needed after you have the skin off. Rub this side with cure and put back down. Maybe give an extra day or two of cure time.[][][]
Tell the butcher his mistake and maybe he will give you a deal to make up for it.........or find another market to shop in.
He may have had to special order a belly reflecting a higher price though he should have followed your request to remove the rind.
Let us know what you do!!!
Doug

[capt.mike]

I got my fresh pork belly from my butcher today, I paid $1.65 Lb and he did skin it. I am going to use high mountain cure for this first time bacon smoking and use the cure and smoke times from this post.
One question I have is should I lay the belly on my racks or should I get a couple of bacon hangers and let them hang.
Thanks, mike

[MallardWacker]

C. Mike,

IMHO, I really don't think you will have to hang it.  If it was me, I would just lay it flat on the BS racks.  To me I don't think it will make much of a differance.  I must say, I haven't done any belly, but there is plenty of folks around here that has.  Hope they chime in.  Also, the price you paid seems to be abit more reasonable.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...

[Cold Smoke]

Capt. Mike- I've done a few bellies and they've turned out fairly good just laying them flat on the racks. I've had to lean the racks a bit during the smoke to let any fluid accumulations drip down off the tops of the bellies- or just flip them every now and then. Remember though- every time you open that door adds more time until it's done. I have purchased the bacon hangers but would have to hook them onto some wooden/aluminum dowels- they don't hook right through the rack mesh.

Make sure bellies are nice and dry before smoking so that they take on a nice color.

Good luck- let me know how that Buckboard works on bellies- haven't yet tried that.


Cold Smoke

[capt.mike]

Thanks for the information. I do have a few weeks until I put them in the BS so I will probably get a couple bacon hangers I saw them for about $7.50 ea.
Mike

[Cold Smoke]

Hey Cap, see this link- might save you a couple of bucks. FYI.
http://www.butcher-packer.com/pg_hooks_bacon.htm

Later!

Cold Smoke

[MallardWacker]

<u><b><font color="blue">Butcher-Packer</font id="blue"></b></u>, one of my favorites!

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...

[capt.mike]

They are a lot cheaper I am glad looked at this post before I ordered them. I will cut a dowel rod and notch the top to use the hangers.
Thanks, Mike

[capt.mike]

Well my bacon has been curing for about a week. One question I have is there is no liquid coming off. Is this normal?
Thanks, mike

[jaeger]

Mike,
No Problem! Some bellies are thicker, some have more meat, they will cure and absorb the cure differently. Let it cure and Smoke On!!! []

[MallardWacker]

Mike,

My last pork loin I did (Jalepeno), I hardly got any fluid. Typically I get a good amount.  When I smoked it, it came out nice and pink and had that nice iridescent shine to it.  This loin I have in the fridge now (Maple) it's giving off alot of fluid.  This is just a thought, I wonder how much of my loins are "altered" before I start with them, some more or less with injected fluid, some may take more than others??  I have heard of folks that do bellies that get A LOT of fluid.  <font color="blue"><b>I would not fear,</b></font id="blue"> also let youre nose tell you if something is wrong.  When you cure, it's amazing on how much there is NO Smell even after 21 days of curing.  My wife can smell a mouse fart, she would be the first to tell me if something is wrong.  She is always the first in line to try the BACON and she comes from a family that when they eat steak they judge it on how well it is done by how dry and flavorless it is-one once of pink and back it goes.  What can you say but  IN-LAWS.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...

[capt.mike]

No smell so I will let them go another week. I am using the Hi Mt cure it calls for 10 days to cure but I think I will let it go for 14 days. I have been reading that some have put some true maple syrup on top while it was curing, I would like to try it. What do you think?
Thanks, Mike

[MallardWacker]

Mike,

You will have no problem leaving it in longer.  Just make sure rinse-soak-rinse well.  The loin I have in the fridge now has maple syrup in it and when I smoke it I will put maple syrup on after about 2 hrs of smoking time along with some maple granulated sugar.  Looks like you headed for some great bacon.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...