Bacon 2017

[Hedgelj]

Starting the process for my homemade bacon.

2 bellies from the pig we had butchered this fall thawing in my 65 quart pelican cooler in cool water.

Tomorrow i pick up two more bellies from the butcher.

The plan is
1 Family recipe
2 honey cure
1 maple & brown sugar cure

This will be for my family and my in laws and brother in law and a little to share with others.

 

[Buckmaster]

Interested: can you implement a photo tutorial?

 

[Hedgelj]

I will do my best to outline the whole procedure on here with photos as appropriate.

 

[Hedgelj]

Here is the maple brown sugar cure recipe. I am going to not add any pepper as my kids don't like it.

 

[Dustinb80]

Yum

 

[5Cent]

Awww ya, subscribed!

 

[Hedgelj]

The honey cure recipe

Another maple brown sugar recipe

 

[Beentown]

Sweet, keep this updated Doug.

I am doing 40 pounds of bacon next month. I will do a step by step. It is really simple.

One thing I do different is using Tenderquick instead of Prague powder (pink salt).

 

[Hedgelj]

Sweet, keep this updated Doug.

I am doing 40 pounds of bacon next month. I will do a step by step. It is really simple.

One thing I do different is using Tenderquick instead of Prague powder (pink salt).

So tender quick has both nitrates and nitrites as preservative agents.

Prague powder #1 is only nitrite and #2 is only nitrate.

Depending on the type of cure, smoking method and consuming plan depends on which is required for food safety.

Rytek Kutas's book on sausage making has some great chapters on this with the science.

I only use prague powder#1 on my bacon. I use #2 on other projects.

Use of tender quick isn't a bad choice, just not my choice.

 

[Hedgelj]

Tonight i measured my smoker racks and had to cut each of my pork bellies in half to fit.

Then i seasoned each belly according to the recipe. I did two maple and brown sugar and two honey.

I put each belly in a vacuum bag for ease of cleanup afterwards.

Then a layer of ice in the 65qt pelican and all the bellies went in.

I will flip them every day for the next seven days and monitor the ice situation and add ice as necessary.

Somewhere around 40lbs give our take 5.

 

[Dustinb80]

Excellent

 

[Big_Holla]

Excellent indeed!! This will be fun to follow!!!

 

[Hedgelj]

2 of the bellies were from a hog that was butchered, the other two i bought at under $4 per lb.

 

[Beentown]

Bellies are $2.58/pound @ Costco for those interested. Great quality.

 

[5Cent]

Mmmmm, I'm getting hungry!

 

[Hedgelj]

All 4 bellies dying after the cure was washed off.

Then into hickory smoke for a few hours

Then cooled off and brought inside for slicing and packaging.

 

[Hedgelj]

I did have an momentarily lapse of judgement with my slicer and my right index finger is missing some skin. Dumb fugger.

 

[Dustinb80]

Oh lord that looks delicious. I need a wash cloth.

 

[giles]

Well done, sir! Well done! Looks delicious.

 

[Gordo]

Wow. That looks tasty. Well done