Me and my boys went to HEB the other day to grab some lump and a pork loin, when I spotted some pork belly. I told the boys I wanted to cook it on the grill, but they wanted to try and make some bacon. So I mixed up some Kosher salt, white sugar, black pepper, paprika, and a little pink salt, and told them to get after it. They rubbed it down and put it in a pan, and will have to flip it every day. When it's time, they'll wash it down and put it in the fridge to air dry. Then they'll fire up the smoker and giver a ride in the smoke bath for a few hours. Here's some pics from the first rub down, and I'll update it when it's time to throw some smoke on it.
Hi, my name is Darrell. I'm an OTR truck driver for over 25 years. During my off time I love doing backyard cooks. I have a 48" Lang Deluxe smoker, Rec-Tec pellet smoker,1 Weber Genesis 330, 1 Weber Performer (blue), 2 Weber kettles (1 black and 1 Copper), 1 26" Weber kettle, a WSM, 8 Maverick Redi Chek thermometers, a PartyQ, 2 SnS, Grill Grates, Cast Iron grates, 1 ThermoPop (orange) and 2 ThermoPens (pink and orange) and planning on adding more cooking accessories. Now I have an Anova sous vide, the Dragon blower and 2 Chef alarms from Thermoworks.
Weber Kettle -- 22.5" (In-Service Date June 2015)
Slow-n-Sear/Drip-n-Griddle/Grill Grates (In-Service Date March 2016)
Pit Boss 820 (Retired)
GMG Jim Bowie WiFi (In-Service Date April 2017)
Maverick ET-733
Fireboard
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Picking up a fresh pork belly from the butcher this afternoon as his delivery will come in around noon. Going to follow Meathead’s recipe. What wood do you all suggest for smoking? I’ve got apple, cherry, and hickory. Straight one wood or a mixture?
ComfortablyNumb is right. Once you have made your own bacon there is no going back. I made some for the first time about 4 months ago. I was hooked and obsessed. I drove the wive nuts with buying pork belly every Friday, putting it in brine and smoking every Friday night. I would put 2 bellies in the brine and throw the previous weeks bellies on the smoker. I finally had to give it a rest but I have a freezer full of bacon!
As far as wood, I've been using all hickory. I like the results so I haven't tried anything else yet. I will try apple at some point.
Fruitwoods are hard to beat! Hickory is good, but it can get a little overpowering so be a little on the conservative side unless you want REALLY smoky bacon. Enjoy!
Karon Adams Consort of the Flame Cooking is a Sacred Endeavour
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Thermopen Instant Read Thermometer
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here's what is going to happen. you will eat the first bit and then yo'll call your lawyer. you will want to join our class action lawsuit against Hormel for false advertising!
Also, if you put a nice water pan under the bacin while it smokes and cook down the dripping, that is the most amazing liquid smoke and can be used to make terrific sauces for things like pork steaks, or just to mix in with a salad dressing
also, you'll thank me later for this one, make certain you slice of some of the bacon off the slab when it comes off the smoker. have a little straight off the smoker but take some and fry it the way you would any other bacon, in this case, to simply put a sear on it. it is AMAZING!!!
also, a bit of kosher salt in the skillet when frying your bacon reduces the spitting. it also preserves your bacon grease a little better/longer, too. and, of course, the bacon grease has SO many uses... one of my favorites is Bacon Toast. spread bacon dripping on your bread and toast in a toaster oven. that is SO very yummy! especially on a BLT or as croutons for salad.
Karon you are so off the charts amazing. I have to decide if I take a picture of these tips & put them on the fridge or print them & do likewise. Cool!
Thanks, I'm looking for a plain bacon recipe without extra seasonings. My family doesn't like even the apple-smoked bacon sold in stores! I'm trying to make a bacon flavored like hickory smoked store bought bacon, but "cleaner" and better tasting.
I haven't done it, but Im guessing you could take any of those basic bacon recipes and skip the sugar. If you fail, well, how bad would the failure be? And that just means you'll need to make more for practice!
Day 9. Into the pit boss for a smoke bath. I didn't realize I was out of pecan chunks, so I'm using apple and hickory. The coolest I can manage to run the Pit Boss is around 160.
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