bacon question

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invader q

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Aug 13, 2007
148
10
Was following the bacon recipe in the book "Charcuterie". It says if you are doing 5lbs of meat, you can put the meat, 1/4 cup of cure and the meat in a 2 gallon zip lock, and shake to coat. I did that, and I think a bunch more ended up on one side than the other. Is that going to be a problem? The book mentions turning them regularly. Am I ok? Should I add more? Or, rinse em off and try again? Or ???

Somebody help save my bacon
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Thanks!
 
Thanks all. I'll flip em tonight then and keep my fingers crossed.
 
Thanks Debi. Here's a couple pix.

Prep area:

preparea2.png


And the bacon today, double bagged in 2 gallon zip locks. The two closest are fat side up, where most the cure ended up:
curinginbags.png
 
So far so good!

I can never get decent bellies they always look like salt pork! I'm hoping that pork rib belly thing works well.
 
Debi,
You know I cheat all the time because I can't find good bellies here in Houston either. They may be here but I don't know where, Ive even checked with the Mexican Carneacias. But what the hell, I use the most fatty "country style pork ribs" (i.e. sliced butt) to make bacon all the time. The fatty and therefore less attractive "ribs" are frequently on weekend sales for $1 a pound at one store or another.

The bacon made form these has less fat than that made from bellies and the taste is the same or better. I've even butterflied the larger chunks of lean meat and smashed them with a tenderizer hammer to make large tender and flat pieces of bacon. These work great for a killer swinesnitzel or my famous Chicken Fried Bacon. It's also great pan fried for a BLT! One slice of bacon the size of the sandwich! Give it a try and I bet you'll do it again.
Jimbo
 
Hey that's a good idea Jim! Ribs here don't change price even the fatty ones. I did find the pok belly rib thing that made to die for good bacon. Made about 7 lbs and we've been using it sparingly! 4 for you and 4 for me ...
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Country style ribs here still have finger bones on them so that doesn't work for me. When you use the butts doesn't it come out more like buckboard bacon? Hmmmm maybe it would be good flattened. I'll try that.

I have got to try the tenderizer thing. I have used the full rib rack trim ends. That makes good bacon but it's a real PITA getting those little grizzley fingers out. Bet the tenderizer thing would be real good on loin trims or something similar.

What's a swinesnitzel? I've ben dyingto try the Chicken Fried Bacon but that much grease almost makes my skin crawl! Looks so good though - one of these days!

Thanks Jim!
 
Damn Debi,
I feel like an idiot, I just went back and read about buckboard bacon. Well I guess thats about what I was talking about. Thought I had an original idea there but I guess not! I do use the "ribs" with bones too and that is the bacon either slice, dice or sometimes butterfly and pound very thin.

Schnitzel is an Austrian dish, Vienna schnitzel (veal) or Swine schnitzel (pork) depending on the meat. Pounded very thin so you can almost see through it and lightly seasoned (it should be bigger than the plate it is served on) it is dipped in milk followed by flour, then an egg wash and dredged in fine bread crumbs. Flash fried in hot oil, (20 seconds) finished in slightly cooler oil (another 20 seconds) the whole frying takes only 40 seconds. Lemon is squeezed over it and traditionally served hot with a starch on the side. Cooked correctly it's fork tender and delicious.

Using the butt-bacon is my own trick, and it's pretty close to the deep fried bacon thing. Which is not as greasy as you might think, I don't add the cream gravy Texans here love, but many do.
Jimbo
 
Squeezy sometimes an old idea can be rejuvenated by technique!


Ah schnitzel! Floured hammered boneless pork chops! I know what that is! I had a girl from Germany live with me for awhile that made that once. I think she served it with some kind of pasta.

Guess what???


We have a new Chinese supermarket in town just opened a few days ago. I lady I work with told me about it so after I hit the junk yard looking for a spare tire for my Dakota I swung by - it around the corner.

Looks like I'm gonna like this place. Really nice selction of food and spices. Well they don't speak much english and after a bit of theatrics like;

rubbing my tummy,

wiggling my nose

making embarassing squeaky pig sounds

getting shown pork butts

and chicken feet

and finally finding some thick sliced bacon

and rubbing my tummy

and making wide hand gestures...

multiple tries at getting pronounciation

pobaby?

pobley?

po-ba-lee?

pook-a-bly?

porbaly?

pook- bel -e?



I got them to sell me a WHOLE PORK BELLY!

He even cut off the rib bones, trimmed it up nice and didn't charge more for it!
 
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaha!

Ahh...no tickee, no washeee...

I have a good friend who told me a story of her grandmother just over from Italy, going to a market here and wanting chicken... ::hands on hips, elbows flapping:: "A-coo coo coo.... " LOL...
 
Man I miss the Asian markets in Portland Oregon. There are some in Houston but I have to drive for an hour to get there...
 
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