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After a successful buckboard outing I gave the belly bacon a try.
Ingredients:
• 2 oz. Kosher salt
• 1 tsp. Cure #1 (aka pink salt, InstaCure #1, Prague Powder #1)
• 1/4 C. Maple sugar or packed brown sugar
• 1/4 C. Maple syrup
• 5 lb. fresh pork belly
(Makes enough for a 5 lb. belly)

I live in the boonies but did find a frozen 1/2 slab at the local meat market, seems a little more than I see others paying but its 75 miles to the nearest Sams Club.






Applying the cure:


They were too long for gallon Zip Lock bags so I vacuum sealed them, I didn't suck all the air out just the majority.


After 10 days of flipping them over daily I pulled them rinsed and tested a few slices, they were a little salty so I soaked them in ice water for a few hours and then they were good. Put them in the fridge overnight to form the pellicle.


Brushed with maple syrup.


Put them in the #55 with a AMPS full of apple pellets.


Burned up 5 rows in the AMPS Temps stayed between 75º and 110º had to leave the latches open and bungy the door closed so the AMPS would get a little extra air or it would go out in about a half hour. It was just enough so a little smoke came out around the door like they do when they are brand new.


Finished.


Fried up some for BLT's, very good, maybe just a little bit too sweet. I will probably just skip the brushed on Maple next time.


Sliced them up with my Craig s List Hobart Slicer that I picked up today and then vac sealed the extra. I wrote the 19th on for the date, I don't know why I thought it was the 19th today Smiler


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quote:
Originally posted by Vicki B:
Looks fantastic, the color is beautiful. What internal temp did you take it to? Where did u get your hangers from, do they have a specific name?


Thanks,

I got them from Butcher Packer they are called Bacon Hangers Wink

Also I have a typo on the original recipe it should be 1 teaspoon of cure for 5 pounds, I adjusted the amount of cure for my larger belly using the Cure Calculator

and the rest of the recipe using the Recipe Resizer
Thanks for the info. I am gonna look into them. I followed a recipe from Charcuterie which states to hot smoke it as bacon is traditionally done at 200* until it reaches 150 internally. that is.the.way I did it last time and I liked it alot.
Just checked out Butchers & Packers site. I am gonna have.fun searching that one. My husband might take my access away......

When I do bacon, I will cold smoke it for 4 to 6 hours a day for 3 days (or until I get the color I am looking for.  I let it rest in the fridge over night between smokes.  Once it is done smoking I let it mellow in the fridge for 3 days after smoking and before slicing.  Whatever you do not put smoked bacon in the fridge without it being sealed up in a zip lock, that is unless you are looking for a fridge dedicated to smoked food.  The smoke smell seems to get into the plastic of the fridge and doesn't seem to leave.  Don't ask me how I know.   

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