Bacon and Sugar

[Nils Feller]

I tried to make Bacon for the first time and liked it, but the recipe I used had more sugar than salt, like all recipes I found and to my European palate the Bacon seemed way to sweet. Is the sugar somehow neccessary for a safe cure or can I use less?

[fzxdoc]

I'm with you, Nils Feller . I don't like overly sweet bacon either, and my palate is American. All of those recipes for making maple syrup- or brown sugar-coated bacon for party snacks leave me cold. Salty bacon is a good foil for many of the sweet foods paired with it, IMO.

Kathryn

[Bkhuna]

Here, here!

Two things I won't eat are maple flavored anything, things flavored with maple.

[jfmorris]

I love maple syrup on a pancake or waffle. I HATE HATE HATE anything maple flavored, and maple flavored bacon tops that list. It makes me gag.

[FireMan]

jfmorris what about maple flavored maple syrup?

[Donw]

I dislike overly sweet things myself and use just a small amount of brown sugar in my cures, just enough I hope to assist later browning. The https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal...afety/ct_index mentions "Immersion-cured" bacon is placed in a brine solution containing salt, nitrite, and flavoring material or in a container with salt, nitrite, and flavoring material for 2 to 3 days. Sugar, honey, or maple syrup may be added to the brine.” So sugar is not a necessity but an allowed additive.

[RonB]

Go here and pick a recipe with less sugar. You can also read about makin' bacon at the link.

[ComfortablyNumb]

Maybe I'll be keelhauled for this, but the only ingredient that is critical is the curing (pink, Prague, whatever) salt. Too little and it could be ineffective at preventing botulism, too much and it will make you sick. All other ingredients are adjustable to taste. Disclaimer: That's based on a 'it seems to me' rather than 'scientific fact'.

[JoeSousa]

I will have your back on this. From what I understand the curing salt is the only necessity. I adjust the other ingredients from time to time.

My standard cure for a 5 lb slab is:

5 grams curing salt
50 grams kosher salt
25 grams black pepper
20 grams brown sugar.

That amount of sugar doesn't tend to give me sweet bacon but if you leave it out you can tell something is missing.

[jfmorris]

I agree with you - we found the standard bacon recipe here on AR to be too sweet to our taste, and not salty enough. The next time I cut all the sugars in half, and increased the salt (not the pink salt) by 50%, and we liked it much better. I've not made any in quite some time, but may just leave the sugar out entirely next time around.

[Jon Liebers]

i made bacon this past weekend too on our BGE. I followed Pitmaster X on youtube. 1/2 sugar 1/2 salt, plus a little maple syrup for added flavor(but you can add anything or nothing ) let it sit in fridge for seven days to cure. I hot smoked it to 155 degrees with pit at 285. Since it was hot smoked no need for nitrate(thankfully). Simple.

[Nils Feller]

I agree with you - we found the standard bacon recipe here on AR to be too sweet to our taste, and not salty enough. The next time I cut all the sugars in half, and increased the salt (not the pink salt) by 50%, and we liked it much better. I've not made any in quite some time, but may just leave the sugar out entirely next time around.

This sounds very much like what I had in mind. Thanks for the good advice! I definetely will also cut down on the ground bay leaf. Great taste, but it was too much and overpowering.
It's just a shame that making bacon is so time consuming that there can be no quick experimentation. ;-)

[IowaGirl]

I grew up eating bacon from our family hogs. The bacon was cured in small-town lockers in western Iowa and was not sweet like the AR bacon recipe is. There might have been maple or brown sugar in the bacon I ate as a kid, but it was just the mildest of hints. Salt, rich pork, and light smoke were the main notes.

When I made the AR recipe, it was sweet to the point of being sticky and burned really easily -- not even close to what I think bacon should taste like. After that, I haven't had the desire to try curing bacon again. Now that I've gotten through my first pastrami and survived the experience, maybe I should revisit the idea of making bacon and tailor the flavoring to better suit my preferences.

My local Fareway store (regional to Iowa and nearby) is carrying pork bellies now, which is kinda cool -- just go to the store and get it, rather than special order.

[jfmorris]

I think you can omit the sugar entirely from the bacon cure. Salt, and curing salt are the only important components, along with whatever spices float your boat.

[mountainsmoker]

Here is a basic bacon recipe just reduce or leave out the sugar. I use a Weber kettle and normally cannot keep it below 190, so don't worry about it. It will still take you 4-5 hours to get your lovely bacon up to 145 degrees if less ok. Don't forget a water pan as you do not want bark. I usually take it off at 150. 95% of bad organisms are killed by then and the rest are not until fully pasteurized. I have the luck to be able to go straight to a slaughter house/butcher and tell them exactly what I want. Edit: I forgot to add I use maple chunks which add a slight flavor to the belly. You can also use Meatheads basic recipe and read his info on curing.

https://barbecuebible.com/recipe/home-smoked-bacon/

[Nils Feller]

Thanks for all the tips and encouragement! I'm still new to the BBQ game so a little help is needed.