Makin' Bacon Round 2

[chaspope]

This is completly expierimental, DO NOT try this yourself.

I made my second round of bacon this week.  I have done it one before.

Here's round 1 (I didn't have a smoker so I tried to smoke it in a grill, but failed) Failed as far as making a smoker out of my grill, the outcome was fine, edible, and had good flavor.  Just not a smokey as I hoped.  

Now that I have a smoker, I figured it was time for round 2.  It's a maple brown sugar cure.  I split the pork belly so I could do 2 different smokes.

Apple wood smoker

Hickory Smoke

Smoked them both in my Masterbuilt 40" Electric.  I had the temp set to 185, and smoked them to an internal temp of 150.

I know it's not a smoking thing, but I'm gonna do a batch of Pancetta next week.

 

[adiochiro3]

  But how'd it taste??????

 

[SmokinAl]

Did you use cure on the bacon? It doesn't seem to have the red color you normally see.

 

[mballi3011]

No it doesn't have that deep dark color that you normally get during the curing process. How long did you have it with the cure on it.?

 

[chaspope]

I did not use a cure. I did just salt the first couple of day, and after that I did a kosher salt, brown sugar, and maple sugar mixture. Next round I will be adding TCM. 

Also iI will be smoking is lower and longer next time around. 

The flavor of the hickory is wonderful, the apple is on the sweeter side, but still very good. 

 

[sprky]

From my understanding smoking at temps below 200 without cure is risky. How long did it take to get the IT to 150

 

[gersus]

There are some great step by step threads here on smoking bacon that make smoking bacon an awesome, safe experience. Not curing the meat is very risky and not a good idea. 

 

[chaspope]

Thank you for your concern, but I'm servsafe certified, and well adversed in food safety. I graduated culinary school, and understand the process. I only smoked it for 3 hours, and it was above 135 degrees in 2 hours. The last house was from 135 to 150. I keep the bacon frozen, and thaw out what I need. I have used cures quite a bit, and chose to play around with making bacon without a cure this time. As I said, my next batch will be cured. 

 

[gersus]

Didn't mean to step on your toes. Just makin' sure you were safe.

 

[alblancher]

I don't know how we had so many duplicate posts in this tread but defensio held them and when I approved the original I erased the duplicates

ChasPope

I think the concerns of some of the posters where valid especially when your first Qview was labeled a failure and you did not mention how you prepared the bellies so please don't take offense that you where challenged.

Most of us cold smoke bacon for days and never get the temp above 100 degrees.  So the technique for cold smoked bacon requires cure.  There is also an ongoing discussion as to what exactly is bacon?  If it isn't cured and isn't cold smoked many of us would call what you did "smoked salt pork".

Thanks for the Qview and the tutorial,  looks like a great recipe. 

 

[chaspope]

I should have been more clear, this was NOT A tutorial.  This was me experimenting at home.  I guess I should have called it "smoked salt pork".  But I was taught that you can essentially call food whatever you want to.  It was your "creativity" that produced it.  When I think of bacon, I don't consider bacon a technique, I consider it a final product.I will be more clear from now on as to what I'm doing, and will probably keep my curiosity experiments to myself so those that don't know safe food handling don't make themselves very sick.

 

[roller]

It looks cooked...and I would not make a post that I did not want someone else to try...That is what we do here...This is not an expertmental cooking and smoking forum...

 

[moikel]

I should have been more clear, this was NOT A tutorial.  This was me experimenting at home.  I guess I should have called it "smoked salt pork".  But I was taught that you can essentially call food whatever you want to.  It was your "creativity" that produced it.  When I think of bacon, I don't consider bacon a technique, I consider it a final product.I will be more clear from now on as to what I'm doing, and will probably keep my curiosity experiments to myself so those that don't know safe food handling don't make themselves very sick.

This may be a generation gap thing BUT do you seriously think that the grizzly,grey bearded middle aged people on this forum,me included,need to told about safe food handling by you?" Curiosity killed the cat,Im telling you I  know where its at" Little River Band 1980s. 

Have a stroll through some of the stuff posted by the guys people go to with questions.Nepas,Chef Jimmy J,Bearcarver,Roller,Pops, Cowgirl Smoking AL &the rest. No cure "experiments",reckon there might be a reason for that?
 

 

[chef jimmyj]

This may be a generation gap thing BUT do you seriously think that the grizzly,grey bearded middle aged people on this forum,me included,need to told about safe food handling by you?" Curiosity killed the cat,Im telling you I  know where its at" Little River Band 1980s. 

Have a stroll through some of the stuff posted by the guys people go to with questions.Nepas,Chef Jimmy J,Bearcarver,Roller,Pops, Cowgirl Smoking AL &the rest. No cure "experiments",reckon there might be a reason for that?
 

Hey Mick, Thanks for including me with The Big Dogs!...I am sure Chas was not trying to insult anyone regarding their knowledge of Food Safety, I think he was just refering to my recommendation that his future posts stick to USDA guidelines just in case there are any members or lurkers that are unfamiliar with the safest practices...Heck after 20 years in the Food Biz...I STILL can't get my Mom to stop Defrosting on the Counter!

...JJ
 

 

[scrappynadds]

All  i know is this thread has been very informational............"cure your bacon" .........."salt your butt"...........

 

[moikel]

All good Chef JimmyJ ,just know that experimentation rhymes with litigation(latin for We are gunna sue your arse )