Urban75 Home About Offline BrixtonBuzz Contact

Making your own bacon?

Making bacon.

Got a 1.5 kg pork belly from butcher.

Used this cure:
  • 2 oz. Kosher salt (about 1/4 cup)
  • 2 tsp. Cure #1 (aka pink salt, InstaCure #1, Prague Powder #1) (I used 45 grammes, proper european measures, none of this vague American nonsense)
  • 1/4 C. Maple sugar or packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 C. Maple syrup
Then banged it into a dry aging vac pack, will see what happens. If I don't post an update within 2 weeks I've probably got botulism and died.

upload_2018-4-21_16-32-57.png upload_2018-4-21_16-33-31.pngupload_2018-4-21_16-32-26.png upload_2018-4-21_16-34-7.png upload_2018-4-21_16-34-24.png
 
Looks awesome. Definitely want to try steamy next, may well have to try and track down some of that maple sugar.

Gave some of my loin to GFs dad and got very positive reviews. Also realise I need a ham knife in my life for slicing next time.
 
Me too! Its a cheap Von Shef one. I used it once for slicing my smoked cheese and then it went into storage.
 
UnderAnOpenSky said:
That would be ace. Kitchen isn't that big so will have to do a fair bit more before I can justify one. :D
Click to expand...
I remember my grandma had a hand-cranked one. Can't be that expensive? I'd say it's worth it if you continue making bacon or move on to more advanced meat curing that wants well-sliced final products. Hell, I'm considering getting one simply because I buy gammon and use that for sandwich meat rather than presliced ham.
 
spitfire said:
Making bacon.

Got a 1.5 kg pork belly from butcher.

Used this cure:
  • 2 oz. Kosher salt (about 1/4 cup)
  • 2 tsp. Cure #1 (aka pink salt, InstaCure #1, Prague Powder #1) (I used 45 grammes, proper european measures, none of this vague American nonsense)
  • 1/4 C. Maple sugar or packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 C. Maple syrup
Then banged it into a dry aging vac pack, will see what happens. If I don't post an update within 2 weeks I've probably got botulism and died.

View attachment 133343 View attachment 133344View attachment 133342 View attachment 133345 View attachment 133346
Click to expand...

Did you use Maple sugar? Had a look online and it seems to be silly money!
 
Excellent. Although mine seem to lose its fluid after a few days, not sure if it in needs to be turned at that point...

I used standard brown sugar on the last one, so may stick with that given the price of maple! Going to tweak it next time to use less salt.

Am actually having a week of pork products and red meat as ate silly amounts last week and have just remembered I havnt had a flair up of gout for a while... :hmm:
 
equationgirl said:
That looks wonderful, well done :)
Click to expand...

Thank you. :)

Will see how it tastes, I have a feeling it may be over salty because of the extra day curing and I'm going for a full 10 hour smoke with hickory so it will be pretty full on. You learn a lot on the first smoke of anything so I can then dial it back where necessary, (as long as it doesn't taste like a salty ashtray, that would be bad).
 
spitfire said:
Thank you. :)

Will see how it tastes, I have a feeling it may be over salty because of the extra day curing and I'm going for a full 10 hour smoke with hickory so it will be pretty full on. You learn a lot on the first smoke of anything so I can then dial it back where necessary, (as long as it doesn't taste like a salty ashtray, that would be bad).
Click to expand...
Here's hoping it tastes good, how long till you know?
 
spitfire said:
Thank you. :)

Will see how it tastes, I have a feeling it may be over salty because of the extra day curing and I'm going for a full 10 hour smoke with hickory so it will be pretty full on. You learn a lot on the first smoke of anything so I can then dial it back where necessary, (as long as it doesn't taste like a salty ashtray, that would be bad).
Click to expand...

Apparently the method we are using is known as equilibrium curing. So if it's to salty, its because you added to much salt.

I'm having bacon for breakfast tomorrow :)
 
UnderAnOpenSky said:
Apparently the method we are using is known as equilibrium curing. So if it's to salty, its because you added to much salt.

I'm having bacon for breakfast tomorrow :)
Click to expand...

Didn't know that is what it's called. Interesting, will have a look.

Literally just pulled mine from the smoker as you were typing. 8 hours in the end. Back in the fridge to mellow for a couple of days. You can see where the skin and fat have taken on the smoke. Smoking food is all about getting the smoke into the fat.

Enjoy your breakfast, post pics on FEB thread. If anyone slags off your bacon there will be TROUBLE! :D:mad::thumbs:

upload_2018-4-28_19-2-22.png upload_2018-4-28_19-2-44.png

edit: after reading up on equilibrium curing I fear I may have oversalted. Unlike BBQ rubs where you can use the same amount of dry rub and the extra will fall/burn off before dry-curing the meat (cos it gets cooked) I used a recipe for a 5lb piece of belly. Mine was 3.3lbs.....

Ah well see what happens. Definitely won't die of botulism and may have invented a new sort of ham!
 
Last edited:
spitfire said:
Didn't know that is what it's called. Interesting, will have a look.

Literally just pulled mine from the smoker as you were typing. 8 hours in the end. Back in the fridge to mellow for a couple of days. You can see where the skin and fat have taken on the smoke. Smoking food is all about getting the smoke into the fat.

Enjoy your breakfast, post pics on FEB thread. If anyone slags off your bacon there will be TROUBLE! :D:mad::thumbs:

View attachment 133924 View attachment 133925

edit: after reading up on equilibrium curing I fear I may have oversalted. Unlike BBQ rubs where you can use the same amount of dry rub and the extra will fall/burn off before dry-curing the meat (cos it gets cooked) I used a recipe for a 5lb piece of belly. Mine was 3.3lbs.....

Ah well see what happens. Definitely won't die of botulism and may have invented a new sort of ham!
Click to expand...

Certainly looks fantastic. I will have a go at smoking at some point, but also want a bbq, so something that does everything seems the way to go. The choice is certainly overwhelming and I'm not allowed to buy any new toys for a while!

I also over salted I realized from looking at more stuff since doing it, but actually the stuff I had this morning seems to have mellowed. Would have been shunned from the FEB thread. Just loads of pork with a few wedges on the side. :D
 
Thanks mate. :)

There's a programme on BBC2 now with some serious bacon makers on it. That bit could be interesting, even if the overall concept is a bit crap.
 
I wondering what cottage bacon (shoulder) might be like. Wrong bit came for my meat grinder, so still no sausages. Do how ever have a big bit of shoulder just sat there. It could be frozen until its time, but was thinking of sticking it in a cure for a good while and seeing what happens.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Maggot
Making your own kefir
Replies
14
Views
711
Maggot
Maggot
N
Show us your clock
2
Replies
56
Views
947
deeyo
deeyo
danny la rouge
Baked goods from your region
3 4 5 6 7
Replies
188
Views
6K
iona
I
friendofdorothy
Show us your upcycling
Replies
3
Views
231
8ball
8ball
N
  • Poll Poll
What is your thermostat set to?
2 3
Replies
61
Views
847
gentlegreen
gentlegreen
Back
Top Bottom