My first try at bacon-Questions

[kendec65]

So I am very new to smoking and have tried bacon a few times now. I noticed it
never gets as crispy and a lot more chewier. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?
Besides the obvious, what is the difference from using a dry cure to a wet? Lastly, and again
what is the difference in meat flavor or texture between cold smoking and heating to 150ish?
Sorry for so many questions but that is what you get for having such a great web site.

[jholmgren]

I've never done anything but wet-curing and "hot" smoking to 150. Safety first, I wouldn't cold-smoke any meats. Food poisoning is no fun.

My bacon is always a bit more like fried ham than store-bought bacon. I tell people that in advance, but I also slice it a lot thicker than store-bought. I've made about 40 lbs in the last year following Meathead directions here and pretty much everyone tells me its the best they've ever had.

Jim

[Meathead]

This is common and I address it on the page with my recipe:

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/making_bacon_from_scratch.html

Scroll down to "About my smoking method" and read the first four paragraphs.

[grillinglen]

I cold smoke mine for about seven hours and then hot smoke it at 180° Untill about 130 IT I find the texture fantastic

[Spinaker]

kendec65 I always smoke mine a bit hotter than Meathead suggests. (275 F) This seems to give the outside more of a Malliard crust on the out side.
I also find that frying it after thinly slicing is awesome. If you have it, use a cast iron pan heated at about medium heat (325 F pan temp) . Any hotter and you will burn the sugars contained in the meat. (Not good) Good luck. Send us some pictures so we can see how your results turned out. It makes it easier to help answer questions as well!

[_John_]

I do mine like Spinaker but I don't make it much because similar to you they don't get nearly as crispy as commercial bacon which my wife likes. I gave some to my grandma that followed Meatheads method and she said it is exactly what she remembers from childhood. Great product but not to our tastes unfortunately.

[HorseDoctor]

If you want a piece of bacon that is as crisp as a potato chip, you are better off slicing it as thin as a potato chip. I slice my homemade bacon quite thicker than that. Once smoked, it is already "cooked" so anything more you do is up to your personal taste. It also has enough sugar (brown or maple syrup) involved in the processing that cooked with high heat will give a "burnt sugar" taste before very long. I find it best to fry it "low & slow" or put it on a rack in a medium oven if I want it well done.