First Bacon - Pops Brine Method - FINALLY DONE GREAT STUFF

[rwlanthier]

Just finished our second batch of cold smoked bacon.  Thought I would have to experiment with different dry rub recipes, but after researching for a good while, went with the following for 5 lb. of pork bellies:

1 tablespoon black pepper

1/2 cup Kosher salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon pink curing salt #1

The mix weighs 200 grams so 40 grams per lb. of pork belly.  Put in large ziplock bags and turned over every day in fridge for 10 days.  Smoked with pecan for 6-7 hours under cold smoke temp of <90 F.  Unbelievable how good this bacon is.

We recently made some ham from pork butt and the wet cure works the best.  Smoked it for 12 hours.  Pork cotton candy.

 

[daveomak]

 
Just finished our second batch of cold smoked bacon.  Thought I would have to experiment with different dry rub recipes, but after researching for a good while, went with the following for 5 lb. of pork bellies:

1 tablespoon black pepper

1/2 cup Kosher salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon pink curing salt #1

The mix weighs 200 grams so 40 grams per lb. of pork belly.  Put in large ziplock bags and turned over every day in fridge for 10 days.  Smoked with pecan for 6-7 hours under cold smoke temp of <90 F.  Unbelievable how good this bacon is.

We recently made some ham from pork butt and the wet cure works the best.  Smoked it for 12 hours.  Pork cotton candy.

RW, morning...   Sounds like you are having success...  Congrats.....  and Welcome to the forum... 

May I be so bold as to make a suggestion ??   For future information, you "may" want to make some adjustments to your dry rub cure...  

The recipe you now are using delivers approx. 4+% sugar and salt...   Hard to know for sure because of the different weights per volume of different sugars and salts....

To make a repeatable dry rub cure mix, I weigh the ingredients as do others....

Weigh a 1/2 cup of the salt you used and weigh a 1/2 cup of the sugar you used so you know your starting point....

Your rub at 200 grams and using 40 grams per pound of belly..  40 grams rub / 454 grams per pound = 8.8% rub or approx. 4% salt and 4% sugar...   That's a good rub mix...

Other folks find approx. 1.8% to 2.5% salt adequate and 1% to 2% sugar adequate also...   The cure #1 is perfect...  1 tsp. = ~5.5 grams.. or 0.25% cure #1....

Also, a curing period of 2 weeks, 7 days per inch of thickness seems to provide a smoother flavor to the bacon as the sugar molecules penetrate the meat slower than salt...

Anyhow, just providing some info in the event you are looking to experiment and have some consistency with any experiments you chose to do in the future..

Dave

 

[ab canuck]

Good info, Thx. Dave

 

[bobjr21w]

I know this isn't the same as what was posted in the recipe. I

want to make sure it will work.  Your expertise is appreciated.

cure.JPG

• bobjr21w
• Feb 8, 2017

want to make sure it will work

 

[daveomak]

You are good to go with that package of cure....

 

[bobjr21w]

 
You are good to go with that package of cure....

Awesome.  Thank you.

 

[driedstick]

trying to upload final pics

 

[Bearcarver]

 
trying to upload final pics

Great !!!

I got some Points here just waiting for some Final Pics!!!

Bear

 

[driedstick]

Finally done,, didn't have enough cob pellets so went with pitmasters blend,, 3 pieces,, plain piece Smoked for 12 hrs,, pepper ones went for 24 hrs,, we tried the plain on Sunday morning and was great

Will be doing this again but cutting back on the sugar,,, saltiness was spot on

Thanks all for help

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[browneyesvictim]

Awww.. Come on DS! The suspense is deafening!

I've probably made 100 lbs of bacon with Pops brine just in the last 6 months. I was hooked from the 1st batch!

(No... I didn't eat it all myself. But my close friends and family love it too!)

Boy, that Corn Cob smoke sure is sweet. I had to try it too! But in fact I think I'm going to go back to pecan, maple or apple.

 

[Bearcarver]

OK DS !!

Those Pics will Do!!

Looks Great !!

---

Mighty Tasty!!!

Bear

 

[driedstick]

 
Awww.. Come on DS! The suspense is deafening!

I've probably made 100 lbs of bacon with Pops brine just in the last 6 months. I was hooked from the 1st batch!

(No... I didn't eat it all myself. But my close friends and family love it too!)

Boy, that Corn Cob smoke sure is sweet. I had to try it too! But in fact I think I'm going to go back to pecan, maple or apple.

Will those pics do??? 

 

[pc farmer]

Looks great DS. Very meaty belly.

 

[browneyesvictim]

 
Will those pics do??? 

Yessir! Points inbound!

 

[driedstick]

 
OK DS !!

Those Pics will Do!!

Looks Great !!

---

Mighty Tasty!!!

Bear

Thanks Bear,,, yes it is tasty,,, I have 3 more bellies about the same size to do and two LARGE ones from hog I just scored one. 

Thanks 

 

[ab canuck]

Well your Bacon looks mighty fine...... Point for sure....

 

[ptcruiserguy]

OMG, now that is some pretty bacon.

Great job there driedstick!!!

If mine turns out 1/2 that good lookin I'll be lucky

Happy Smokin'

Mike

 

[SmokinAl]

That's some awesome looking bacon DS!

It looks delicious!

Point!

Al

 

[tropics]

DS That Bacon looks great Point

Richie

 

[gary s]

Love the Pics, Mighty fine looking Bacon. I sure wish I could find Pork Belly's at a reasonable price around her.

Nothing better than Homemade Bacon

Great Job  

Gary