Domin8tingUrDrmz
Posts: 1269
Joined: 4/8/2006
From: Portland Metro, Oregon
Status: offline
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For the bacon lovers:
Dry Cure Mix (a must have to make bacon)
1 lb kosher salt (or sea salt)
8 oz sugar (caster sugar works well)
2 oz curing salt (pink curing salt - the only place I have found this other than online is at Walmart in their sporting goods section. It comes in a very small package and is quite inexpensive.)
Combine ingredients and store indefinately in an airtight plastic or glass container.
Fresh Bacon:
1 cup Dry Cure (or amount to cover Pork Belly completely)
2 - 5 lbs Pork Belly (uncooked, uncured - you can get this at most Asian markets, or you can request special orders at most meat counters)
Pour Dry Cure onto plate or other flat surface. Dredge Pork Belly in Dry Cure mix and coat thoroughly; shake off excess. Place Pork Belly in large plastic zipper bag; put in refrigerator. Turn every 2 days for 8 days. On 8th day you have several options:
1. Slice and saute on low heat (bacon will not shrink like store bought bacon and needs to be cooked at lower temperatures).
2. Flavor further (2 recipes below).
3. Hot smoke. (instructions below recipes)
For Maple Bacon:
On 8th day, add 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup brown sugar, continue curing for an additional 4 days, turning as above. Slice and saute on low heat, or smoke.
For Garlic Pepper Bacon:
1 bulb roasted garlic
Fresh cracked Pepper (coursely ground)
To roast garlic: Cut top off bulb off, sprinkle with olive oil, place in small roasting dish and cover. Bake in 425 degree oven for 30 - 45 mins until tender and fragrant. Allow to cool, remove cloves from skin and mash to form puree.
On 8th day, remove belly from fridge, spread roasted garlic puree over belly, coat with cracked pepper. Put belly back in plastic bag and cure for 4 more days, turning as mentioned above.
Finishing Bacon:
Once bacon has finished curing (8 - 12 days) remove from the cure, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry. Discard curing liquid.
Roast, grill, or smoke whichever you choose. After roasting or smoking, while bacon is still hot, remove the rind (skin).
Allow bacon to cool to room temperature (although, slicing a piece off now is really yummy - though the ends might be a bit saltier than the rest of it). Once cool, wrap well and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 2 months.
When the bacon has chilled, slice off a small piece and gently saute to test for seasoning. If it is too salty for your tastes, blanch the bacon in simmering water for 1 minute before cooking. Blanched bacon also crisps up better.
Hot Smoking:
In a smoker, smoke bacon until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F.
This can also be achieved by roasting in a 200 degree F oven for about 2 hrs, or on a grill very slowly over indirect heat. Remove from oven or grill once bacon reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F.
While this seems like a lot of steps, it really is incredibly easy to do and once you've had fresh bacon, it is very difficult to go back to store bought bacon. Just keep in mind that since it doesn't have a high water content (like store bacon) it needs to fry up on a lower heat.
Experiment with flavors you like. The only important step is knowing the proper portions of dry cure ingredients to mix - too much curing salt can ruin the bacon and not enough could cause the bacon to spoil.
edited to add: I was a bit sleepy while typing this, so if something seems unclear, feel free to message me on the other side and I will gladly explain further to clarify.
< Message edited by Domin8tingUrDrmz -- 5/24/2008 3:51:48 AM >
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