Help with bacon

[Brian Reiber]

Hi folks,
I know many of you here have been making bacon for awhile. After a successful adventure into pepperoni, sausages, and salamis I'm now going to give bacon a try. I've looked through some of the threads here and I've gone ahead with a simple dry rub with salt, demerara sugar, maple syrup, and cure. The pork bellies are currently marinating and today is day 3. I can use either my Masterbuilt propane smoker (which I don't like as it runs too hot) or my Little Chiefs. I have the following questions:

1. Hot smoke vs cold smoke???? I can't truly cold smoke but with the Little Chief I can keep the temp quite low if I open the door.
2. How long should I marinate the bellies? I've read 5 days........some say 7-10 days, I've also seen 1 article about a shorter 2-3 day soak.

Thanks,

Brian

 

[fish brain]

I cure mine for two weeks turning and rotating them top to bottom daily.
I use my big chief smoker and put through 3 pans of chips over six hours.

 

[tinboatrobb]

10 to 14 days turning daily. I found cols smoke gave a better end product.

 

[Brian Reiber]

Thank you. Is the long cure because it takes so long to permeate that thick slab of meat?

 

[tinboatrobb]

Yes. Be sure to keep flipping. Did you use any cure? What was the salt to sugar ratio?

 

[Brian Reiber]

Yes. Be sure to keep flipping. Did you use any cure? What was the salt to sugar ratio?

Yea I added cure. I used 2 sugar to 1 salt. I saw one recipe called for as much as 1 to 1 which seemed excessive to me.

 

[papalorge]

Not an expert at all but... I've found many of the old smoking recipes call for way too much salt in order to preserve the meat. If your'e adding 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of salt imo that's way too much. Remember the salt is for taste not to preserve.

We have refrigeration, the smoke alone will keep it good for long enough for you to eat

 

[tinboatrobb]

Rinse it really well, 2 to 1 may be too much salt. Should still be just fine, ever had bad bacon??? Lol

 

[wolf]

Remember the salt is for taste not to preserve.

You are so wrong on that statement!!!! salt is a preservative and draws out moisture and is MOST defiantly not just for flavor!!! I make a ton of bacon each year just made some more today, u also need a bit of cure its what I called "brine rate" I use less salt and less cure but let it marinade longer up to 12 days 8 min ,
For hams its called (brine pump rate ) best advice I can give you make time for about a hour or 2 and look up Len Poli he is the guru when it comes to sausages and smoking,curing,salami etc ... or pm me personally and ill help you out.

 

[Brian Reiber]

What ratio do you guys use.

 

[fish brain]

What ratio do you guys use.

I use this calculator. Get yourself a good scale.

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[Brian Reiber]

I use this calculator. Get yourself a good scale.

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Why do you need that calculator? It's a 2 to 1 ratio which is exactly what I did. It doesn't matter if your base measure is grams, ounces, cups, lbs, dump truck loads etc. Just 2 to 1. As for the cure I measure that out based on the lbs of meat that I'm curing. It sounds like we are using the same proportions. I added maple syrup in addition to my 2 to 1.

 

[Original Riptetide]

I do about 100 lbs of bacon off my own pigs every year. I am light on the salt and brine as well refrigerate about 8 days 12 hours of smoke internal temp to about 120 turns out perfect every time.

 

[wolf]

Why do you need that calculator? It's a 2 to 1 ratio which is exactly what I did. It doesn't matter if your base measure is grams, ounces, cups, lbs, dump truck loads etc. Just 2 to 1. As for the cure I measure that out based on the lbs of meat that I'm curing. It sounds like we are using the same proportions. I added maple syrup in addition to my 2 to 1.

Yeah I am about 2.5 to 1 as I want less salt and less nitrates but im also making a 5 gallon bucket full at a time huge amounts.. it took me a bit to tweek I also use honey and drizzle it over the bellies.

 

[Brian Reiber]

Yeah I am about 2.5 to 1 as I want less salt and less nitrates but im also making a 5 gallon bucket full at a time huge amounts.. it took me a bit to tweek I also use honey and drizzle it over the bellies.

Thanks Wolf. Ok, so I'm not too far off. I took one belly out last night as now I'm paranoid that I've over salted. I'll smoke it this am and go from there.

 

[Brian Reiber]

Yeah I am about 2.5 to 1 as I want less salt and less nitrates but im also making a 5 gallon bucket full at a time huge amounts.. it took me a bit to tweek I also use honey and drizzle it over the bellies.

I really want to get that maple flavor much like Maple Leaf's lazy maple bacon. However, I'm worried that it wont infuse through the thick belly. I've found over the years with my Indian Candy that it's hard to get the sweet flavors to permeate and I end up doing a final baste to the product before packaging. I dont know if the same will apply to bacon

 

[wolf]

I end up doing a final baste to the product before packaging. I dont know if the same will apply to bacon

YES !!!!!!!!!

 

[Brian Reiber]

YES !!!!!!!!!

Ughh. Seems like a pain in the butt. Do you baste the whole belly before slicing (messy), baste each slice, or drop the slices in a bucket of syrup, honey etc for the final flavour?

 

[getbent]

When you say that you have made pepperoni, sausage and salami you will have a good grasp on the principals of preserving meats.
Curious, do you have a curing chamber for your salami's?

for a 5lb belly I use.

50 grams of kosher salt
14 grams of pink salt
50 grams of dark brown or maple sugar
60ml of maple syrup

Cold smoking gives a far better product in my opinion. I still hot smoke some on occasion but the cold smoked really is superior.
I have been making bacon for years and the last round was the best by far...outstanding actually. I also did a whole pork loin for back bacon at the same ratios as above and cold smoked...wow...so good.

7 days should allow enough time for the cure to reach the middle of the belly, I generally leave mine for 7-10 or 12 days...last time was 12 days and it is outstanding as I said before.
When you use 1-1 ratio of sugar and salt and add maple syrup you need to cook it low and slow, render out the fat and let it brown and crisp.

Good luck

 

[Brian Reiber]

When you say that you have made pepperoni, sausage and salami you will have a good grasp on the principals of preserving meats.
Curious, do you have a curing chamber for your salami's?

for a 5lb belly I use.

50 grams of kosher salt
14 grams of pink salt
50 grams of dark brown or maple sugar
60ml of maple syrup

Cold smoking gives a far better product in my opinion. I still hot smoke some on occasion but the cold smoked really is superior.
I have been making bacon for years and the last round was the best by far...outstanding actually. I also did a whole pork loin for back bacon at the same ratios as above and cold smoked...wow...so good.

7 days should allow enough time for the cure to reach the middle of the belly, I generally leave mine for 7-10 or 12 days...last time was 12 days and it is outstanding as I said before.
When you use 1-1 ratio of sugar and salt and add maple syrup you need to cook it low and slow, render out the fat and let it brown and crisp.

Good luck

Thanks for the tips. I do not have a curing chamber. Wow, quite a wide variety of opinions on ratios. I thought 2 sugar to 1 salt was too much but you are using 1 to 1. When you say pink salt you are referring to Prague #1 not himalayn salt correct?