Good old fashion pork belly bacon...revisited...

[Stickbowcrafter]

I found a local small town grocer who is able to get fresh pork sides (bellies) whenever I want them. Of course I won't be needing any bacon for a while since I picked up and smoked nearly 20 lbs.

The last slab bacon recipe I used produced some great bacon but it was a tad too salty, even for my salt loving taste buds. A chef friend of mine brought some applewood smoked bacon on a hunting trip last year and I finally got around to trying his recipe.

Maple-Salt cured Smoked bacon

5-lb. pork belly (I had 4 bellies and obviously multiplied this recipe 4 times)

Cure:

1/4 cup kosher salt
2 teas. pink curing salt
1/4 cup maple or packed brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup



Method for bacon:

Mix all ingredients for the cure and distribute on all surfaces of the belly.



Place skin side down in a 2 gallon zip loc bag and refrigerate for 7 days. (the pork will release a lot of moisture during the curing process, creating its own brine).



Turn the bacon/bag package daily to keep the cure distributed.



After 7 days, remove from cure, rinse the belly, pat dry and place on rack or hang in refrigerator to dry uncovered and form pellicle overnight.

Hot smoke with apple wood @ 200 F for approximately 3 hours to an internal temperature of 150 degrees farenhieht. (I smoked the last bacon I did at 135 F to an internal temperature of 128 F. I'm not sure why this recipe requires such a high temp but he is a certified master chef so who am I to argue. The bacon turned out perfect.)





Refrigerate till cold and firm, slice and fry.





-Brian

[Gizmo]

Looking good Brian.
I like Maple infused apple smoked bacon as well.   :P

[Wildcat]

Now that looks awesome!  I like your set up as well.

[Mr Walleye]

Looks excellent Brian!  ;)

Mike

[sodak]

Pink curing salt ... insta cure 1 or 2?

[Stickbowcrafter]

Thanks for the compliments  ;)

Pink salt is the same as Instacure #1, Prague Powder #1, or DQ Curing Salt (not DQ Curing Salt #2).

-Brian

[sherlock]

Looks mighty good.

Did you cut the skin off before smoking?

Nathan

[sodak]

Thanks.

[HCT]

Looks great!

[KyNola]

Stick,
That looks really good.  You have inspired me to go for it.  I have 15 pounds of fresh pork belly on the way.  I really like the simplicity of the recipe and instructions you posted.  We have a small meat processing market where I live.  You can't buy Prague,etc where I live so I went to the processing market where the belly is coming from and asked if they had any I could buy.  The guy was so nice that he told me he would give me all I needed.  Can't wait for the belly to arrive.  Fresh and the skin is already peeled, $1.59 a pound.  Is the price good?  Makes no difference really as it is the only place around to buy it.

[KyNola]

Hey Stick,
A quick question for you.  Do you mix the maple syrup in the cure mix or put the cure on the belly and then pour the maple syrup in the bag after you put the belly in it?  This will be my first time at doing belly bacon so I'm even more lost than usual! :P

KyNola

[Stickbowcrafter]

Nathan, there wasn't much skin on these bellies but the last round I did I left the skin on with no problems. Much easier to cut off just after smoking. Some may argue that the smoke will not penetrate as well with the skin on but I was pleased with the skin-on batch as well.

That is a decent price Ky. I paid slightly more for it here in SW Pennsylvania. It would be much easier to add the maple syrup once the slabs are in the zip top bags, just be sure to rub it in on all surfaces. Use the 2 or 3 gallon size, it will save you from having to cut your slabs down to fit into gallon bags. Also, be sure to use pure maple syrup. It's amazing how many folks have been eating Mrs. Butterworth, Log Cabin, etc. and thought they were eating maple syrup all their lives  ;D

-Brian

[CLAREGO]

stick where you located in pennswoods? Lebanon Pa here

[Stickbowcrafter]

I live between Pittsburgh and the Ohio line.

-Brian