Guess what time it is kids?

[ecowper]

I knew you would know right away ..... it's homemade bacon time!

After experimenting with bacon recipes for the past year, here's the one my family has declared the winner. It's a riff on Meathead's maple syrup bacon.

Eric's Maple-Whiskey Bacon

For 3lbs of trimmed pork belly

3.5 grams Prague Powder #1
4 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp minced garlic)
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3/4 cup distilled water
2 tablespoons bourbon or rye whiskey
1/2 cup dark maple syrup

9 lbs of pork belly, 3 bags all prepped with the cure


In the bags and ready to go in the garage fridge .... will be ready to smoke on Saturday

[Sephon]

I don't see it in the recipe, but how much of that delicious Bulleit Rye did you use?

[ecowper]

Darn, thanks for catching that. 2 tablespoons ..... rye if you prefer more spice, bourbon if you prefer more sweet

[DWCowles]

Me love bacon 😊

[EdF]

That's a great-looking cure. Maple-based is my favorite, except when I feel like something savory.

[ecowper]

I've actually gone to adding savory to this cure. Thyme, rosemary, sage, Worcestershire sauce ..... I leave out the brown sugar when I do that.

[EdF]

Cool!

[HorseDoctor]

Looks great! I do a similar maple/savory combo. Haven't tried adding the rye though. Will give that a go with some Templeton Rye next batch.

[ecowper]

A little rye or bourbon makes a nice difference. Give it a shot

[MattTheGR8]

Looks good, thanks for sharing your recipe.

[tbob4]

Looks great. Did you get that from a local butcher?

[ecowper]

That right there is a Costco pork belly tbob4 ..... $2.99/lb

[tbob4]

Darn you! My Costco has yet to get belly. I ask and ask and wait and wait. I am so jealous right now.

[ecowper]

Yup, I will have 9 lbs of oak smoked, whiskey and maple syrup cured, thick sliced bacon .... and it will cost me a mere $27 .... I LOVE Costco

[HawkerXP]

I thought you were going to say..........."Its back to school time!"

I always hated seeing those "Back To School Sale" signs.

[Mr. Bones]

Bacon? Bourbon? Rye? Maple syrup?
These are several of my most favourite things!!!!
I'm in on this ride!!!!
Standin' by to stand by, an' millin' about, smartly!

[ecowper]

Steve B if a Pitmaster brethren is in my neck of the woods, I can pretty much gaurantee I'd fed him or her.

[Steve B]

Thank you @ecowpower I would do the same.
Not sure where abouts in this great nation you are but would love to hang with you and our brothers and sisters.
Are you planning on going to the meat up next year??

[ecowper]

Steve B I happen to call the Pacific Northwest home .... about an hour from seattle, give or take 5 minutes.

[Mr. Bones]

Lol! Steve B Always, Brother!!!!

[FireMan]

And here I was thinking Howdy Doody.

[Mr. Bones]

'Twas my first thought, as well!!!

[ecowper]

That's what I was thinking when I wrote the title of my post!

[JCGrill]

Great minds, guys.

[ecowper]

Well, today was the day to smoke that bacon ..... oh my god it smelled good. My wife was outside doing yardwork and kept asking me what was for dinner! The dogs, as usual, were circling the smoker.

Spent the day prepping for tomorrow's shindig .... Made the macaroni salad, cut up all the veggies for the snack plate, made the Ranch dip, made the baked potato dip for the Ruffles chips. Made up a new batch of Memphis Dust and new batches of KC BBQ sauce and Carolina Gold sauce. Cut up a huge bowl of berries for a fruit salad. Prepped the pork ribs and the beef shorties. Cleaned up both the WSM and the Hasty-Bake. Bought a butt load of Shiner Bock.

Oh, and some of this bacon will be going in my pot of beans!

[Steve B]

Where did you get those pork bellies from? The fat to meat ratio looks amazing.

[ecowper]

Steve B that is a Costco pork belly right there.

[Steve B]

Damn that's a nice score brother.

[Mr. Bones]

Great Lookin' bacon; gonna make some fab beans!!!!

[EdF]

He'll run out of the beans first!