a little bacon advice please

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jdwalker

Newbie
Original poster
Oct 3, 2013
24
11
Athens
I took my belly out of Pop's brine today (day #12). I cut into it and this is what I saw.


details are:

5.1 lb previously frozen skin off belly
Pop's brine except I substituted maple syrup for the white sugar.
completely submerged sandwiched between two cooling racks to ensure full contact with brine
in brine for 4 hours shy of 12days

My question is this: I noticed after cutting into the belly the center was bright red and the edges have lost its color are greyish. Does this mean the belly didn't fully cure? If so, should I put it back in the brine? Or hot smoke it and eat it or freeze it quickly? My plan was, since it is my first attempt at bacon, to cold smoke half and hot smoke half to see which I prefer. any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

David
 
I took my belly out of Pop's brine today (day #12). I cut into it and this is what I saw.


details are:

5.1 lb previously frozen skin off belly
Pop's brine except I substituted maple syrup for the white sugar.
completely submerged sandwiched between two cooling racks to ensure full contact with brine
in brine for 4 hours shy of 12days

My question is this: I noticed after cutting into the belly the center was bright red and the edges have lost its color are greyish. Does this mean the belly didn't fully cure? If so, should I put it back in the brine? Or hot smoke it and eat it or freeze it quickly? My plan was, since it is my first attempt at bacon, to cold smoke half and hot smoke half to see which I prefer. any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

David
David

Everything is fine. The color change is a chemical reaction from the cure.

Go ahead as you have planned. I cold smoke only my bacon. I don't see any reason to cook it twice. After you do some cold and hot. Let us know what you think. What are you going to use for smoking? how long are you planning to smoke?

Happy smoken
 
thank you so much for the reply. I plan on using my amnps with apple and maple pellets. I have a mailboxish mod on my ceramic smoker. I plan on posting my process and results when all is done in hopes of getting as much constructive criticism as possible.
thanks again,

david
 
For cold smoking you can go 24 hours or more in the smoke.
 
Me too. I cut a test slice and fried it up. It was excellent as it was. It can only get better with smoke as long as I don't screw it up.

David
 
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