Anyone Makin' Bacon?

geiyserQ - You may want to take a look at the search features on this forum. They return a LOT of answers and may be just what you are looking for. Look at the top of this page just below the 2 happy faces for the link SEARCH. When the search page comes up, type in BACON and hit enter and watch the info flow! And that search was just in this ONE forum. YOu are looking for buckboard bacon or butt bacon.

I use the TenderQuick and maple syrup crystals with fresh ground pepper on pork loins. Cure for 10-12 days. Then I smoke them low & slow to 145 degrees with some hickory. We love it.

Good luck!

bob

Thanks Cadillac!
Not butt bacon. I failed to mention that in my initial thread. I'm gonna be taking the fresh side and making regular bacon. I'm hoping I can accomplish this with the cold smoke baffle

I did just this a few weeks ago. Got 12 lbs of side meat. Used the buckboard bacon cure for 10 days. Rinsed, soaked, etc. Let dry. Smoked with 3 corn cobs and a little maple chips to 145* internal. Removed and cooled. Next day sliced. It was good but too smokey. Next time will cut back to 2 cobs, no wood. Very nice flavor, just strong.

bob

GeiyserQ

This thread might be of some use, just a thought. There is nothing I like more than making bacon. I accually stumble acrossed it and it ended up being my favorite thing to do in my smoker. I am presentley doing some Jalepeno flavored bacon using pork loins. I have two containers, one with pulverized fresh peppers and the other with dehydrated ground peppers I bought from "The Spice Barn", I am using a brown sugar cure/rub for 21 days I got from "Butcher-Packer" and plan on using pecan wood for the smoke. What ever you do, have fun.

Bacon times and temps

Hiya Mallard. I read your link you posted. Nice writeup you did. The only part I questioned was "Your temp of the fridge should be between 40-45deg. Much colder than that it might stop the curing process.". This temp puts the meat in the danger zone according to the FDA. I keep my fridge at 35-38 and have cured many loins, etc and never had the temps stop the cure. Im sure your process has worked for you, but just wanted to add my 2 cents worth.

Bob

Cad,

Thanks so much on the input. You are correct on the temps, I will edit it that. I like to keep it at or near 40deg. I know that you don't want to get much below the middle 30's. WIth your comment in mind, I will try a bit lower temp. I know there is many a directions that quoate the 40ish temps. Hay, have you had any experience with different flavorings? Love that bacon.

Great info gentlemen. Thanks!

Got some curing now. I use dry rub in a ziploc bag (in a shallow bowl in case of leaks) and turn the bag over daily. Saves a bit of much needed cooler space over using a bowl. If I ever get a vacuum sealer I'll try curing in vacuum sealed bags, supposedly works well for marinating.

Mallard - I used the dry rub method, TenderQuick, brown sugar and occasionally fresh ground pepper. Cure for 10-11 days. Wash, then soak in ice water for 1 hour. Dry with paper towels and let sit for an hour (in the fridge) to dry. Brush on some pure maple syrup and put in 008 with temp probe in center. For an 10-12 lb loin, I use 2-3 oz of hickory or 3-5 oz of maple. Set the temp at 160* (I want to check my notes on that temp) and close the door. Takes me about 2.5-3 hrs to hit 145*. Take the bacon out, put in a gallon sized zip lock baggie and refrigerate overnite. Slice the next day and vacuum seal in 1 lb bags. Freeze some, leave some in fridge.

As for the taste, I have oversmoked loins, so be careful there. The meat doesnt seem to take the pepper like I would like. But it does take the brown sugar and that imparts the maple flavor. That is why I like the maple wood (thanks canadiansmoke). The maple syrup seems to add a nice glaze overall.

Bob

TJR

Vacuum packing is supposed to create a pressure inbalance which sucks the marinade into the meat Similar to brining if I understand the process correctly. It is just expensive because you use twice the number of bags.

Does anyone make bacon in large batches? say 30 to 50lbs at a time? I would be interested to know if it makes things more difficult or easier. With the long cure times it seems that making large batches and then freezing would make it more readily available when you feel the urge for home smoked heaven.

Mark

Gee, I thought 3 or 4# was a big batch - that's 2 to 3 months worth of bacon for us!

Try searching for jackitup's bacon posts - he does things in a big way.

I guess it is pretty big. My family loves bacon. It just seems like with the long cure times you would have to really plan when you were going to have bacon. I like being able to just reach in the fridge or freezer.

mark

Well, more power to ya if you can use up that much bacon!

Smoked bacon doesn't keep all that long in the freezer, tho (like more than 6 months), especially if it's sliced. It loses a lot of its smoke flavor. Probably a 3-month supply would be about the best batch size.

good to know about the freezer zapping the flavor. I would have found that out the hard way. Do you bacon smokers have a routine where you keep batches in various states of raw, curing, smoked etc so that you have a steady supply? Also what's the difference flavor-wise between Butt Bacon and Side Bacon?

Thanks
Mark

A couple thoughts on flavor differences: Once you find a cure and amount of smoke that you like, it seems mostly to depend on two factors.

First, there's a lot less fat in shoulder than in sides, so it can be difficult to cook up nice and crispy but not burnt. Very low heat helps, along with choosing relatively fatty pieces to start with.

Second, the final smoking temperature makes a big difference. To get bacon taste, I've found it's necessary to stay below around 130F. Smoking to 140F and above gives what I'd call more of a ham taste. Of course, that means that you must cook your bacon after it's been smoked for it to be a fully cooked product. Some recipes confuse the issue a bit by actually being recipes for Canadian bacon, which really is much like ham.

Sounds like side bacon is much easier but it seems like most posts talk about butt bacon. Do you think that's because butts are easier to come by? Would cold-smoking be an option?

Thanks
Mark

Not sure why side bacon would be that much easier, unless you mean cutting out the bone. I've never seen raw pork belly in a store here, guess it could be ordered at a butcher shop. Some folks have mentioned cold smoking bacon, maybe they could say what the difference is between cold-smoked bacon and semi-hot-smoked.

look for what is called "fresh side" (its not called pork belly at the supermarket) at your store. All it is is uncured/ unsmoked side bacon. Some folks like to fry it up that way. I personally think its bla as all get out.

Hey, geiyser, which stores have you seen it in? We've got some of the same chains here as in Ohio.

Well tjr, as a general rule I dont go into chains. I work for a refrigeration company who designs, sells the refrigeration equpment, and services supermarkets. The big boys buy direct, use their own service people, and try run my customers out of business.
So I use independents like IGA's, Roundys, and Super Valus that still use companies like us, and 9 times out of 10 offer better service and better product in their meat dept. Most will accept special orders if you approach them.

That's true, once Winn-Dixie is gone the only place in my part of town for non-solution-added pork will be a small chain. Hadn't thought of Roundy's, there is one in the other end of the city that might be worth a try for various meats.

I just ordered a case of fresh side. I have noticed certain cures mentioned but didn't know if anyone had a favorite. Also are these cures recipes or are they commercially prepared?
Mark

Both - many use HiMountain buckboard bacon cure, while some use a general-purpose premixed sweet cure. Yet others use a recipe like jackitup's, more or less sugar and tenderquick mixed together.

Cadillac,

GREAT idea with brushing on the maple syrup just before you smoke it. I have some jalepeno flavored in the fridge now. AS SOON as it gets out, back to the maple with your idea. I start off with maple sugar cure from Butcher-Packer. Bacon is my favorite thing to do, makes a great easy gift that people enjoy. Thanks again.

One question, could you give me your recipe for the brown sugar using tender quick? I have always used pre-mixed cures. It really can't be hard. Thnaks.

I followed the recommendations from Morton written on the Tenderquick package for the amount of cure. But I did not measure my brown sugar out. I just kept sprinkling it on till it was coated on both sides of the slab of meat. The brown sugar turns to a syrup soon after appling and most of it stays in the bag when you are done anyway. Just the flavor seeps into the meat. Next time, I will measure.

bob

Here's the recipe post
I think in a later discussion, it was mentioned to just shake the mixture on until no more would stick.

Personally, I just use half TQ and half brown sugar with no spices, and just shake it on until the meat is well coated.