Home Cured Bacon

[Sterling Cooper]

I've started the cure today. It should be ready next Saturday, at which point it's either going to get smoked or rolled and hung for pancetta.

The basic cure is 8:4:1 salt, sugar, curing salt. I used 4% of the weight of the meat.



This was the bigger piece (5.25 lbs). I cut it in two but will leave the skin on until it's finished smoking.



This is the smaller piece (1.25 lbs). Here, I took the skin off as I will be rolling it and hanging it when it comes out of the cure.

[Sterling Cooper]

The rest of the curing ingredients: toasted peppercorns, bay leaves, lightly crushed juniper berries, crushed garlic, thyme sprigs and (not pictured) a little brown sugar.

[camjr]

Looking forward to seeing the results, Chris!

[Oregoneon]

i'll be starting another batch of bacon soon. It's a fun project, i made the maple bacon from rhulman's book a while back. came out great and i gave away quite a bit to friends. My last batch came out a little salty so i will be soaking the belly for a while after i take it out of the cure next time. luckily i live a few miles from a great pig farm and get fresh pork from them.
http://sweet-briar-farms.com/

[YetiDave]

I've got a recipe for Sichuan bacon I'd love to give a shot some time

[saf]

That looks awesome. Where did you get the belly from? I haven't bacon for a while but when I did I had a lot of fun with it. I did a brown sugar, white sugar, Sorgum and molasses. They all worked really well, and now you have inspired me to go start another batch.

[Jim]

Nice work Chris, please keep posting your photos of the project.

[Commander Quan]

For some reason where I live we have a serious issue with a lack of decent butchers. Luckily one of the small chain grocery stores will special order meat. 3 weeks ago a placed an order for pork side to start curing my own bacon. Well I found out a week later the company the store orders from was shut down by the Sheriff, so the search continues.

[Sterling Cooper]

That looks awesome. Where did you get the belly from? I haven't bacon for a while but when I did I had a lot of fun with it. I did a brown sugar, white sugar, Sorgum and molasses. They all worked really well, and now you have inspired me to go start another batch.

Belly came from Andy's Fruit Ranch on Kedzie and Lawrence. For large pieces, you'll need to ask the butchers. A little under $3/lb.

[saf]

Thats really reasonable. I will have to check that place out I am not familiar.

[saf]

How's that bacon coming along?

[Sterling Cooper]

Good so far. I've done an overhaul on it twice now. Given Jim's experience with salt, I might pull it out on Saturday instead of Sunday. It went into the cure last Sunday morning, so I'd end up with about 6 1/2 days. I'll take some pics in the morning and post them.

[saf]

When I did mine I left it for a week. The salt has more to do with how much you put on not as much how long it sits. I hope it works out for you. If it does I think we don't live far from each other, just saying.

[Sullybob]

Looks great Chris.

[DougieB]

Did someone say BACON?

[Sterling Cooper]

Here are some pics. The belly has been curing since last Sunday morning and has been overhauled (cure rubbed in and redistributed) every other day.

[paco664]

bacon *(drooooooooolllllll)

[Alacrity59]

Looking good.

[Sterling Cooper]

Cleaned and rinsed. Both pieces are smoking as I post.



Pound and a half piece has been rolled, tied and hung for the next two weeks with the hope that Pancetta emerges on the other side.

[Sterling Cooper]

At the two hour point. Internal temp was about 125; looking for 150.