Costco bellies.... THANKS for the lead on that..... Dry brined bacon Aug. 2015... 8/23 money update

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Let's start a new thread on price of bellies and not hi jack this thread please.
 
Finished the smoke.... about 10 hours in all... 5 Sat. evening and 5 Sun. morning... with about a 7 hours break in between the smoke sessions...
I've seen some folks cook BIG hunks of bacon or belly... thought I'd give the trim pieces a try at that... Not sure what recipe yet... Maybe deep fry a 2" chunk of the trim...

Any suggestions on cooking up the trim pieces..... Thanks....... Dave

 
Our costco got them last week I picked one up. Mine has done something none have done before. I dry cured like Dave the OP. Put in fridge zip locked in trays. The cure and salt immediately pulled a beautiful layer of liquidity out dissolving all the cure. At 2.5 days, I flipped the bellies and then went out for the weekend. Returned 3 days later, went to flip but all of the liquid has be reabsorbed.

Bellies smell fine, look good.

Is this a good sign, bad sign?

Thanks

(Sorry, missed note 15, I see yours did the same and look great. Hopefully you'll post the ultimate use toon update. How they tasting?)
 
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That's a good sign.... Meat has liquid in it.... salt and sugar suck it out.... then it gets readsorbed pulling the salt and sugar back in... Now that the meat has 2 hygroscopic chemicals inside, it will stay there until the heat from cooking pushes it out... the chemicals stay...... nitrite, as I have read somewhere, starts to breakdown around 140 ish.... only a small amount stays in the meat after cooking.....

My bellies are still in the refer for one last equilibration.... maybe tomorrow they will go in the freezer for 2-3 hours to firm up, then slice.....

BBL.....
 
How log before you slice and cook? What do they taste like? Do you slice them by hand or machine?

I don;t have the right kind of smoker to do them, but I'm sure I can learn something from the techniques.
 
I leave the bellies a couple days in the refer after smoking... This batch sat for 7 days in the refer to mellow and dry.... slice on an electric meat slicer, or knife.... Tastes like bacon used to back in the 1950's....
For a smoker, you need an AMNPS and cardboard box fitted with wire racks, or hung with string from the top...

Dave
 
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Sliced with Granddaughters help.... stacked conveniently..... Weighed in 1 1/2# piles..... wrap in stretch tite.... packed in vac bags, 2-3 bunches per bag....


In the oven to cook...... AWESOME.... Bride says the dry brined is the best ever.... no curling... no dilution of the flavor... WE HAVE A WINNER !!!!

She says it's the closest thing to real bacon I've ever made.... Of course, we both grew up when bacon was slab bacon, and dry brined.....

..
 
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Looks good, Dave!

I remember getting bacon that was rind-on when I was a kid in the 60's. Added a little extra crunch. 
 
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When my family would bring home smoked bacon back to NY when they had visited the South in the 50's, at first I did not like it, but it grew on you. Then we ran out. Same when my mom made pear preserves with pears costing $0.25 per bushel from a horse drawn cart in NYC. Was the only jam we had for sandwiches and pancakes for 9 kids for 4-6 years or so. Then we ran out and had to go back to store bought stuff. Didn't know how good we had it. Back then even Welch's made jam wit the grape skins still on that was pretty good. especially by today's standards.

Sorry to get off topic, but I think that's why people smoke their own foods, bake their own bread, etc. You know what's in it, the taste, and smells they produce make it worth the time and effort.
 
Sliced with Granddaughters help.... stacked conveniently..... Weighed in 1 1/2# piles..... wrap in stretch tite.... packed in vac bags, 2-3 bunches per bag....


In the oven to cook...... AWESOME.... Bride says the dry brined is the best ever.... no curling... no dilution of the flavor... WE HAVE A WINNER !!!!

She says it's the closest thing to real bacon I've ever made.... Of course, we both grew up when bacon was slab bacon, and dry brined.....

..
Mighty fine looking bacon, I never thought about wrapping in plastic and putting three bunches in one bag. Great idea. !
 
I do similar, but use wax paper. But it's hard to handle cause it tends to unfold as you're putting it in the bags. I'm gonna switch to cling wrap next time.
 
Leaves room to re-seal.... you have to be cheap to think of that..... LOL.....
Thanks Dave, I am borrowing that idea. Maybe if I can save some vac bags I can buy more equipment 
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