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Bacon Cure Question

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    Bacon Cure Question

    I really enjoying making bacon and people are truly enjoying eating it, me included.
    Having made a fair amount to date I'm looking to add more variety to the usual (free side recipes).
    A number of recent Bacon posts have given me some ideas for flavours 58limited and an old post that's just surfaced where coffee was used.
    Do you have a good tried and tested recipe you are willing to share thats different.

    The important question that needs answering is there anything that must be avoided in a cure that might have a negative effect on the Prague#1?

    #2
    Not sure what kind of beer you have in SA or whether you can get it yet? Some of the best bacon I have made included a barrel aged beer. I would bet a good porter or imperial would work too.

    I've also read that cider is a good choice, but I haven't tried it yet.

    Comment


    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      They opened up the liquor stores for about 2 weeks and shut it down again so that's not an option for at least the next 7 weeks🙈.

    #3
    I tried curing with a Raspberry Chipotle Sauce once and it didn't turn out very well. It wanted to burn when "Hot Smoked" . There are are Rubs with that flavoring that I maybe should have used?

    Comment


    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      Thx Sir.

    #4
    Sweet, savory, candied. I’m guessing you’ve tried these. Brown Sugar Bourbon?

    I did do a Cajun Flavored bacon recently - just your regular Cajun seasoning (find one you can make so you can limit the salt - the curing mix I use has salt). I used the Cajun during the cure and then again when I smoked it. This was really good bacon, I liked the heat that it had and just a different flavor profile from the bacon I had made the past three years of making bacon.

    I may have posted pictures on here somewhere??

    Comment


    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      That sounds like a plan. I buy an excellent Cajun mix that unfortunately has salt. Might try using it on a test slab just in case it turns out to be good or I might make up the Cajun mix from free side. Thx Sir.

    • barelfly
      barelfly commented
      Editing a comment
      holehogg One trick I’ve read about if the bacon is too salty, soak it in water for a bit. Cut a corner off after it cures and cook it to taste where it is, salt wise. If it isn’t too salty, then you are good to go to smoke, otherwise a bit of a soak to draw some salt out. I haven’t tried this, haven’t needed to at this point. But have fun with this! Hope it turns out well!

    #5
    How about surprising your customers with a little heat? You could add some ground hot peppers to add a little kick.

    Comment


    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      I have plenty fresh habanero chillies.
      Have been playing with the idea of using chilli flakes and leaving out the black pepper?

    • barelfly
      barelfly commented
      Editing a comment
      holehogg I’ve done many slabs with red chile flake and garlic. Turns out well.

    #6
    Curried bacon? Green Thai bacon with lemon grass? Masala bacon? Canadian thick cut bacon. NZ shoulder bacon. Wild boar bacon?

    Comment


    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      Good thing we don't have a dislike curry these parts (notice a few on the site don't like). A good suggestion. I just have to wrap my mind around the quantity to use.

    • Bumby
      Bumby commented
      Editing a comment
      Wild boar bacon must be out of this world.

    #7
    Lamb belly bacon? ecowper has a number of great recipes as well involving whiskey that turn out great.

    Comment


    • Ahumadora
      Ahumadora commented
      Editing a comment
      holehogg If your not experimenting, your not cooking...

    • Bumby
      Bumby commented
      Editing a comment
      I've enjoyed lamb ribs, as well. You're right that they don't have a lot of meat but they are pretty awesome with a Mechoui style rub. I started out of necessity - I have some friends who don't eat pork for religious reasons - but found that I really enjoy them. I would be curious if you try mutton bacon.

    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      Had a chat with butcher today and the lamb belly he had is very thin, less than an inch at the thickest part. It's also Rands 149/kg vs 69/kg of pork belly.
      He'll let me know if he comes across a decent one. I am keen to try just for trying sake so will wait and see.

    #8
    Have you tried any of the add-ins Meathead suggests on his "regular" bacon? I myself have not.

    Comment


    • Bumby
      Bumby commented
      Editing a comment
      I skipped the regular bacon and went right towards the maple bacon the first time I made it. Great stuff.

    • JCGrill
      JCGrill commented
      Editing a comment
      Bumby I've made all three, but I haven't tried the adders.

    #9
    I’ve got a Maple-Whiskey recipe and a Savory recipe. Happy to share here. Or you might find them by a search. Let me know.

    Comment


    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      Will search just no whiskey available for who knows how long😕

    • ecowper
      ecowper commented
      Editing a comment
      holehogg you can't order from Flaviar or similar?

    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      Will wait until they open the liquor stores again. 😷 I am very keen to give it a try.

    #10
    Here's my goto bacon recipes. I've got a slab of the paprika one curing right now along with a slab of pancetta.

    Comment


    • holehogg
      holehogg commented
      Editing a comment
      Thank you. I never would have added anything after the cure before smoking but will be.
      Last edited by holehogg; July 29, 2020, 12:39 AM.

    • jhoskins
      jhoskins commented
      Editing a comment
      Could you tell me about this pancetta recipe?... It is something I have had my eye on doing, but am just a bit intimidated to try currently.

    #11
    This is a great thread, followed.

    Comment


      #12
      jhoskins Pancetta is just unsmoked, uncooked bacon, so if you've made bacon before the process is exactly the same up until the smoking step. Lots of people start with a dry cure, but that can be a problem if you don't get the pink salt mixed in evenly or don't get all the curing rub to stick. So use the calculator in this article to figure out how much pink salt to use.

      My notes just say Pepper corns, Bay Leaves, Garlic, and Rosemary as the spicing. If I remember right the curing brine for a 1 kilo slab was 1/2 cup of water, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon Turbinado sugar, pink salt per the calculator, about 10 Tellicherry peppercorns smashed a bit in a mortar, a couple of Bay leaves, a few smashed cloves of garlic, and a couple sprigs of rosemary. Let it cure for the recommended time, then give it a good rinse, wrap it in cheese cloth, and let it air cure in the fridge on a wire rack for a couple of days. Not being smoked or cooked it doesn't last as long in the fridge as bacon does, so I usually freeze it in 1 meal sized vac packs (around 3-4 ounces).

      I used the bacon article on the free side as well as these two videos to figure out something that worked very well, though I might back off on the rosemary a bit.

      Comment


      • jhoskins
        jhoskins commented
        Editing a comment
        J Kenji... good resource! For some reason I had guanciale and pancetta reversed when I asked that question (was thinking Pancetta is made from Jowl., but that is gaunciale).

        I'm surprised how little curing is required with the wet cure (~3 days per the calc for a 3lb belly). I have seen other recipes with very long dry cure periods... I've read the Science of Curing Meats Safely... but I am still a bit surprised. I'm also surprised that so many people appear to dry cure meat without problems

      #13
      Bacon makes every thing better--even curing salt.
      Can't think of a better use of Prague#1.

      Comment

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