It's Bacon Day! With Qview

[downstatesmoker]

10 Days ago I started 2 belly halves, approximately 5LB's each. I've never made bacon before so I used NewB's Post as a starting point.

Cure mix:
5 TBSP TQ
5 TBSP Brown Sugar
1/2 TBSP Onion powder
1/2 TBSP Garlic Power
1/4 Cup Real Maple Syrup

Rub in the cure without the maple syrup then add maple syrup. Drop into a 2.5 Gallon Ziploc and leave in the fridge for 10 days, flipping 1x per day.


Skin Side UP from the butcher


Meat Side Up from the Butcher


Streaky


With the cure, no Maple Syrup


Cure with Maple Syrup

After the 10 days were up I took out of the fridge, rinsed and patted dry. I then cut a piece off (way too thick, only have knives, no slicer) fried it up and tasted it. Perfect amount of salt, wonderful flavor.


Rinsed, Dried, and Resting


In the pan, my wife tending to it while I snapped off a shot


Draining

I left the skin on which is a little tough though extremely flavorful. I think that once it is thin cut and I am able to cook it up the way I like it I will enjoy the extra flavor the skin will give to the bacon.

I've got it on the smoker right now at about 125 with a mix of hickory and maple and I will slowly be ratcheting up the temp to approximately 200 so I can slowly bring the bellies up to 140 final temp.

I'm bringing them back to the butcher tomorrow morning to have them slice it up for me. I'll then give to friends as a belated Christmas present as well as have plenty here for me

I'll keep you posted, and of course add more Qview as time goes by!

-Chris

 

[vince]

Looks Great, Now I'm wanting Bacon and eggs ,

 

[pineywoods]

Chris personally I don't worry about the temp of the bacon what I'm after is the amount of smoke that it gets it will be cooked to proper temps in the frying pan later. I find if I get the smokehouse temps too high the fat starts rendering out. It sure looks good tho

 

[walle]

Chris, first - AWESOME!!

I agree with Pineywoods - if you take it to 200, you're going to start melting the lard outta your bacon. Keep it at your 125 to 140 the entire way through.

I smoked mine for 8 hours at 140, and it turned out very well.

I didn't see where you included your butcher's home address for all of us?

that is an awesome looking belly. With all the trouble most of us have getting them, I'm surprised someone isn't starting an online pork belly distributor - another $1,000,000 idea!

I'll be checking this through out the day.
Thanks for sharing.
Tracey

 

[downstatesmoker]

Thanx guys, I'll keep the temps low and just bring it up for a while.

Tracey,

I'm surprised anyone has a problem getting bellies. My butcher ordered them right away had them in a couple of days later. The Vietnamese supermarket near my house carries them on a regular basis.

I always assumed the rest of the country had easier access to things like pork bellies.

 

[buffalosmoke]

Bacon looks great!

According to Rytek's book....bacon should be smoked at 135° until the bacon reaches an internal temp of 127-128°. The smoking temp is reduced to 120° and smoked until desired color is achieved.

 

[mballi3011]

Thats it I going right out and find some bellies now. Man your bacon looks great and I know it tasted really good too.

 

[downstatesmoker]

smoker is maintaining a nice 135, pretty steady. I've got the bellies up to 110 and 117 respectively. I'm going to let them going for a little while longer. The color is getting nice though I didn't want to leave the chamber open long enough to take pictures.

The one that is 117 is firming up nicely and has a much more "bacony" texture. It's amazing what the 7 degree difference is.

 

[downstatesmoker]

On the smoke


Starting to look like Bacon!

 

[fire it up]

Looks good, I can't wait to make bacon.

Just found out from an Uncle at Christmas dinner he knows a guy who butchers his own animals so I might finally be able to get some bellies!!!

 

[scpatterson]

Looks great...Cant wait to smoke mine.........

 

[downstatesmoker]

Final result:

 

[beer-b-q]

Looks Great Chris, Very Good Qview too...

 

[downstatesmoker]

Thanx!

Going to be taking it to the butcher to have it sliced up this morning. Will post more pictures later.

 

[bigtrain74]

Very nice job! I can't wait to make myself some bacon!

 

[downstatesmoker]

As promised, final product Qview!


Getting ready to seal it away.


Not all of it though!


Yumm!

 

[pineywoods]

Looks awesome nice job