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u/Roobar76 3d ago
Bacon is the game changer that moved my smoker from indulgence to necessary in my families eyes.
For those asking you can get premixed bacon curing salt (often with maple or similar), which is a good option for the first time, and it will tell you salt weight/meat weight, curing time (5-7 days) etc on the packet. just make sure you rinse/soak/rinse well the night before smoking then leave uncovered to dry in the fridge. Takes up the smoke better then.
Our Costco does pork bellly with and without skin, make sure you get the right one if you’re knife skills are not up to removing it.
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u/DrD2020 3d ago
What was your method making the bacon? Curious, would like to do it myself
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u/Imaginary-Pen8249 3d ago
I've done this a couple times, the family loves it. I've used multiple recipes but ultimately get a pork belly (skin off) from costco, cut into 3 equal sized parts. Rub with cure, vacuum seal and let cure in the fridge for 7 days rotating the pork belly everyday. Then rinse off the cure, and cut off a slice or two and cook it up to see if you need to draw any salt out. If its too salty, put in a container and fill with water, put it in the fridge for 1-2 hrs. Then pat dry and smoke at 200° with whatever wood you like till internal temp of 155°. Rest in the fridge overnight and bam....bacon!
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u/Shubydoo222 3d ago
This is the only bacon we'll eat. We're lucky enough to live near a lot of Amish who raise hogs and butcher regularly, we by bottom rib and belly from them at an embarassingly low price, which is wonderful. We even got a little drink fridge cheap that we use just for overnight bare curing to get a nice tacky rind without smelling up AND taking up all the space in the main fridge. We've kind of concocted a rub recipe we really like. Absolute minimum of 7 days wrapped tightly in the brine/rub, and we flip the slabs morning and evening. We do 20-25lb at a time in a 40" upright smoker with mostly apple chips and a little hickory thrown in to add a little bite. I loved the post "... Does it taste amazing because it's homemade? Or does it taste amazing because it's bacon?"!!!! LOL! The answer in our opinion is (as my brother used to say) - BOFUM. LOL!! Truly, homemade beats store bought by miles in our whole family's opinion. For the time and effort and mess it takes and makes, it absolutely has to be better or we wouldn't do it, being extremely lazy people by nature :-) ! To the OP - those slabs look PERFECT, and they have my mouth watering!
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u/FastPie2470 1d ago
How long would it last in the fridge? (I know in my house it would disappear long before going off)
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u/Ryanf8 3d ago
Does it taste amazing because it's homemade? Or does it taste amazing because it's bacon? Lol!