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I made bacon...

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    I made bacon...

    ...for the first time today. Used Meathead’s Easy bacon recipe. I got a pretty thin pork belly so I only needed 2 days for the cure according to the calculator. Here it is before the cook:

    ​ Click image for larger version

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    I used my 18” WSM with Weber briquettes. I built a snake around the edge of the charcoal bowl that got me a consistent 200-225. I am a fan of the snake! Definitely helps to manage temps. Just over 2 hours later and the belly was up to 148 and I pulled it.

    Click image for larger version

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    It is in the fridge cooling but it tasted really good. The process was much easier than I thought.

    #2
    Beautiful! I need to do this again

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      #3
      Welcome to the club of people who can't eat store bought bacon again.

      Comment


        #4
        Wonderful!

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          #5
          Sweeeeeet

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            #6
            Looks great! I too need to do this again!

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              #7
              Thanks, all! I will soon taste the fruits of my labor.

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                #8
                Now you done spoiled yourself! Store bought bacon will never be the same! Enjoy!

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                  #9
                  I have to agree. I just had a few slices, and they were wonderful!

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                    #10
                    Started my first bacon cure today. meathead suggest a max cure time of 1.25 over the value produced by the calculator. That seems odd, a max? How big a deal to go over?

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                    • kmhfive
                      kmhfive commented
                      Editing a comment
                      I'm just starting my second batch now. I think that the longer it stays in the cure, the "saltier" it gets. Since you are going for bacon and not salt pork, getting the timing right prevents having to soak the salt out later.

                    • RonB
                      RonB commented
                      Editing a comment
                      When the salts in the meat and the solution reach equilibrium, there will be no more exchange of salts and no reason to leave it in any longer. It will be too salty and a soak in plain water will be needed to reduce the salt content. But it will be cured and can take the reduction in salt. Leaving it in a day or two longer should not hurt, but won't help either.

                    • ecowper
                      ecowper commented
                      Editing a comment
                      Guys, I have left my pork belly in the cure for 2 days past what the cure calculator recommends. I have never had it come out saltier due to that.

                    #11
                    Just wait until cook that first piece of bacon that you slice off.

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                      #12
                      Everyone so far has raved about the bacon. I used the cure calculator as my slab of pork belly was pretty thin. It worked perfectly. The cure time in the recipe was geared towards the pork belly size described there.

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                        #13
                        So after the cure time I should take it out and rinse it off then back in the fridge?

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                          #14
                          NukeGuy I make bacon all the time. I prep my smoker on the day I’m going to cook the bacon. When the smoker is ready, I pull the pork belly out of the cure, rinse, and go straight to the smoker. It’s still got an internal temp around 40F and is wet, which is very helpful for smoking.

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                            #15
                            Originally posted by ecowper View Post
                            NukeGuy I make bacon all the time. I prep my smoker on the day I’m going to cook the bacon. When the smoker is ready, I pull the pork belly out of the cure, rinse, and go straight to the smoker. It’s still got an internal temp around 40F and is wet, which is very helpful for smoking.
                            From the comments above seems like if I keep it in the cure for much longer than the calculated cure time it will be too salty. IT at the beginning doesn't concern me much, it'll warm up in the smoker as well as the kitchen I figure. I don't want 12+ pounds of salt pork though.

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