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First Shot at Bacon

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    First Shot at Bacon

    How does it look? Will be slicing tonight.







    #2
    They look perfect to me. My Davy Crockett does a great job on bacon. GMG make great grills.

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      #3
      that looks amazing

      Comment


        #4
        I like the patio light mounted to the top of the grill, but doubt it sheds much light on the grilling surface from where it's located... Maybe consider a hanging chandelier approach located in the grill, with a contact switch on the lid so it only lights when the lid is open?

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          #5
          How did this turn out? I found pork belly today at Costco...I almost jumped up and down. Mine is in the fridge now, for it's 7 day soak.

          Thanks!
          Melissa Click image for larger version

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          Comment


          • barney
            barney commented
            Editing a comment
            I've got to try this someday. All I have right now is just a kettle & need a slicer as well.
            Looks like a nice belly. Love bacon

          • Spinaker
            Spinaker commented
            Editing a comment
            I bought the same one at Costco. and its on the cure. You will not be disappointed. Every belly I've had from Costco turns out awesome.

          • Dr ROK
            Dr ROK commented
            Editing a comment
            barney just use a long thin knife, take your time, and you'll be able to cut the bacon to relatively thin strips. On my last batch I borrowed my mom's slicer, but ended up using my knife instead because I didn't want to hassle with dragging the slicer up from the basement and then having to clean the whole thing up

          #6
          Hey guys, I just got done mixing up my cure for a ten pound belly I bought at Costco. In the recipe it calls for distilled water. Anybody know how crucial it is to use distilled water as suggested? Perhaps you could also shed some light as to why we use it here instead of just tap water. Thanks!!

          Comment


          • jayn
            jayn commented
            Editing a comment
            I would say that meathead has to be overly cautious with curing and cold smoking. Foolish people who do not understand food handling practices could end up sick.

            I used tap water... And was fine.

            Best bacon ever.

          • Spinaker
            Spinaker commented
            Editing a comment
            Yeah, I've always used tap water and never had a problem. I was just curious to know if it was worth it to buy distilled water from the store for the recipe. I figured he was being over cautious. Thanks for the reply! jayn

          • Dr ROK
            Dr ROK commented
            Editing a comment
            There was a comment in an earlier thread that discussed this, but I don't remember the exact reason why. There were an occasional bad final product and they thought it could due to the water source (chlorine?????), so they recommended distilled. I've always used tap water, but we have ground water that doesn't need chlorine.

          #7
          I also recently bought a pork belly at Costco. I ordered Prague powder #1 but after reading up on curing I decided to just rub it with salt, pepper and paprika (my usual pork rub) and throw the whole thing on the smoker to 150F. I have a big family and we love bacon; we usually get the good stuff from the butcher shop. I sliced some belly up the next morning for breakfast and everybody agreed it was the best "bacon" they'd ever had. Though there was no sugar involved I thought the meat actually tasted sweeter than salt and sugar cured--maybe a result of being somewhat less salty?

          Click image for larger version

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          • Dr ROK
            Dr ROK commented
            Editing a comment
            I'd be cautious of skipping the cure. Removing the oxygen (smoking) and cooking at low temps (only to 150º) can result in a good environment for botulism to thrive. Bad mojo!!!!!

          • (fuzz)
            (fuzz) commented
            Editing a comment
            It was smoked at 225F to an internal temp of 150F. No bad mojos

          #8
          I would try the PP#1 next time. Its worth it. I think it made a huge difference when I used it. I used to make bacon without the PP#1 and it never came out as good as the bellies I make now with the PP#1. The only reason I left it out was because I couldn't find it anywhere. Then I finally just ordered it. And it made a huge difference.

          Comment


            #9
            I have done a couple batches of bacon following Meathead's maple recipe...I have enjoyed it much more when it cures longer. The first time I let the belly go for the minimum 7 days but the last batch I did I cured for 14 days and I think it was a lot better. It seems to have a little bit more of a bacon taste to it than ham...if that makes any sense. It could be other factors like the slab of belly, smoking conditions, a different maple syrup, etc. I guess I'll just have to make more bacon to test my results.

            I was able to find PP#1 at a local sausage supply store, they call it Insta Cure #1 but they did confirm that it is PP#1.

            Comment


            • Dr ROK
              Dr ROK commented
              Editing a comment
              I order mine from askthemeatman.com. Great customer service and very competitive prices.

            #10
            Thanks for sharing. looks tasty. I have 10 pounds curing as we speak. only 5 more days to go.

            Comment


              #11
              Has anybody used the Slow N' Sear to smoke the bacon? My Costco doesn't have any pork bellies right now but will be ordering some. How much trimming did you have to do to the ones you bought at Costco?

              Comment


              • Steve Vojtek
                Steve Vojtek commented
                Editing a comment
                oldsteve . The only trimming you should do is to remove the skin - if present... It can be a pain in the butt - but doable..

              • The Burn
                The Burn commented
                Editing a comment
                I did a bunch of bacon this morning on the SnS, and I'm posting a thread on it. Don't know about Costco pork belly - mine never carries it. Luckily, a local meat market always has it - was $2.79/lb.

              #12
              Bacon on the SnS cooks indirect side same as you would any low and slow cook. Then just follow the AR recipe. I have some in my freezer I cured and need to smoke soon

              Comment


              • Steve Vojtek
                Steve Vojtek commented
                Editing a comment
                Just a question David Parrish . Do you put it on the grill straight from the freezer or let it defrost first?

              • David Parrish
                David Parrish commented
                Editing a comment
                I'll use water. Meathead says to ditch the pan when you cook the bacon, not smoke the bacon

                If the bacon is frozen I smoke it right from the freezer for extra smoke flavor. I'm not gonna cook it frozen when it's time to eat though.

                When I say smoke I'm talking about the initial low and slow cook where you get the bacon from raw up to 150F internal.

                When I say cook I'm talking about fryin/broiling/backing/etc... when you're cooking the bacon to eat.

              • Steve Vojtek
                Steve Vojtek commented
                Editing a comment
                Understood. Thanks for the info David Parrish - nice to know i can freeze after curing and smoke later if i get too busy...

              #13
              Hello from HOT Michigan today. I am going to smoke the bacon. Can't believe I am going to sit by a hot fire instead of the A/C. This should be a fun day! Yes I will take pics. My local orchard also had applewood for sale so I bought some to try as well.

              Comment


                #14
                Originally posted by mclifford973 View Post
                Hello from HOT Michigan today. I am going to smoke the bacon. Can't believe I am going to sit by a hot fire instead of the A/C. This should be a fun day! Yes I will take pics. My local orchard also had applewood for sale so I bought some to try as well.

                Nice. We like pics!

                Comment


                  #15
                  David Parrish boss I would think the SNS would perfect for doing bacon. Do you think it would be worth it to sear it after the smoke hits it. Or do you think the intense heat would just burn all the sugars on the surface?

                  Comment

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