Late winter Bacon

[Oakgrovebacon]

As winter winds down and hints of spring show up it is time to stock the freezer with home cured bacon!
I took pictures this time to show the process.
start with skin off fresh pork belly,
trim edges and silver skin. Ready for cure and seasoning rub.



then slide into a vacuum seal bag and seal.

Into the fridge for 8-9 days to cure. Early in the morning for the coolest part of the day- prepare a 10 briquette fire
in a chimney to gently smoke the cured bacon.
Open the bag and rinse the cure salts, scrub the bacon clean.
arange into the smoker for a 3-4 hour smoke.
Very cool smoke, keep temp as cool as possible. Smoke chamber temps <45deg.
Smoked with Apple wood cut into 3/4” slices arranged on charcoal. Close all air vents to keep wood from burning, you just let it smolder.


Smoked.

Then seal into a bag again to freeze. After a couple days in the freezer, in is time to slice and package.


I split the cured slab down the middle for slicing so the slices fit in skillets well


This batch was 47 lbs. seasoned with espresso powder, maple sugar,thyme , black pepper, cayenne pepper.
Now have a supply for spring and summer.

[ComfortablyNumb]

As soon as the temps moderate I have four hogs to butcher and bacon is on the list.

[RonB]

Great lookin' bacon.

[Sweaty Paul]

Brilliant

[Spinaker]

WOW!!!!! Nice work man! That stuff looks incredible. Big time bacon!

[Oakgrovebacon]

Thanks Spinaker! It is very tasty. I have been making this way for several years. After the first try I was hooked. I searched until I found a used commercial slicer to buy reasonable. I know that you have one, if you want the full breakdown and recipe-PM me.

[DWCowles]

Hummm...bacon!

[Jerod Broussard]

Now that is some mack daddy stuff. Makes short rib look like a side dish you might eat.

[Oakgrovebacon]

Thanks Jerod! I should be stocked up for summer now.

[Skip]

Oakgrovebacon, Thanks for the wonderful pictures and your explanation of your entire procedure. Great looking bacon!

[Oakgrovebacon]

Thank you Skip!

[Steve B]

Damn. That looks over the top!!!!! Absolutely beautiful. I can PM you my shipping address. hehe

[Oakgrovebacon]

Or You come visit for some.

[Steve B]

If I ever travel out that way for sure. In fact there are several pit members out in you're neck of the woods I would like to meat up with.

[HorseDoctor]

That looks awesome! It also looks extremely familiar. Without knowing your exact seasoning mix, it's almost identical to how I do bacon. Right down to cutting the slabs in half before slicing. (Fits a piece of bread better for a BLT also.) Congrats on the cook!!!

At the risk of stirring the proverbial pot, does the fact that 2 mods have weighed in mean it's now OK to discuss smoking at <45 degrees? Thought that was taboo here?

[Oakgrovebacon]

Thanks, I am glad to hear that other people do similar method. It is really good.

[jhernandez9]

Does anyone hang their bacon for awhile before smoking? I cured a jowl about 6 months ago and then let it hang for 2-3 months in a small fridge i converted into a curing cabinet. I had planned to do the same thing with the bacon but it seems like everyone skips that step when making bacon. Is there a reason why I shouldn't? Is it unnecessary? The jowl definitely tasted better after hanging for a while but I never smoked that one.

[Elton's BBQ]

Interesting technique!

[Natureroad]

Here was my 1st attempt at bacon, one with pepper. Turned out good I may put them on a rack next time instead of hanging, they stretched out quite a bit...lol

[Elton's BBQ]

Looks really good!

[Oakgrovebacon]

I have not tried hanging after I found the version that I make now. When I was a youngster - my grandfather did home curing and hung bacons and hams in an old "smokehouse" (a wooden shed) I never did see anything get actually smoked in there. His bacon and hams did not spoil, but were so salty it was awful to eat. He grew up in a different time than us and he really enjoyed it. The flavors that we can impart with seasonings and spices gives us an advantage over the survival type of food preserving that my Grandfather's generation operated in. The great depression of the 30s was rough times. He lived about the same way all of his life that I knew him. He never had indoor plumbing and heated his house with a wood cook stove until he passed in 1978.
I do not Cold-Smoke in anytime other than winter, and my smoker is large, so I can keep cook chamber temp very low.
Bacon is fried in 300deg or more temps so any bacteria is eliminated.
I need to try Jowl, I haven't had any since childhood.

[HorseDoctor]

Oakgrovebacon Never meant to question your technique or it's safety. Do it similar myself in the winter. Just curious because other threads have been shut down for mentioning "cold smoke" for meats or fish. Seems to be OK for cheese...

[Natureroad]

The photo of the bacon hanging was in the tower on this smoker. A LyfeTyme special order I stumbled across in a guys driveway and convinced him to sell me.

[Elton's BBQ]

Oakgrovebacon what kind of spices did you use? Your bacon looks mighty fine!

[Oakgrovebacon]

Black pepper. a little cayenne pepper, dried thyme, pure maple sugar, expresso powder, a couple shakes of Cavenders Greek seasoning, the cure agent is Morton's Tender Quick - 1Tbs
per lb of meat.