New to the group trying to make bacon that doesnt taste like ham

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delaney

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
12
10
Southern Indiana
Hello everyone!  Hope your TBS is rolling this weekend.

I have made Canadian Bacon for a few years now and everyone loves it.  But I would like to make traditional tasting bacon as well.  I have some Buckboard Bacon resting in the fridge that was smoked yesterday. I used Morton TQ with a little brown sugar and maple syrup in the brine.  Then put black pepper and a little garlic powder just before smoking. Thought about a cold smoke but decided to go to 145+ degrees instead to be safe.  After resting a couple of days in the fridge, I'll slice thin like bacon and vacuum seal in 2# packages.

I always have mixed the Cure and spices dry and then added to the meat in a bag and cured in the fridge.  Will this always give a ham flavor?  What's the secret for a store bought smoked bacon flavor?

thanks for the advice and tips

Todd
 
Welcome to SMF. I'm not sure what u mean by not wanting a ham tast to ur bacon anytime u cure meat it will get a ham kind of tast to it even chicks or turkey. What u get in the store as far as bacon goes has a lot of other things added so they can cure it faster and a lot of it has liquid smoke for the smoke flaver. What u make at home using MTQ or cure #1 is the way it was made in days of the past when u went to ur local butcher and bought ur meat. The way I remember it as a kid. It's much better then store bought. Look up bears step by step index or pops curing brine they have a lot of info in them I use them both and have never went wrong u can pm them if u have any questions I have BBB and pulled ham curing in the meat frig now. Fill free to ask questions every one here will help great people here
 
I think it's the fat in bellies that gives the bacon flavor.... Buck Board Bacon seems to have the ham flavor due to lack of fat... Try less cure... cure at 120 Ppm nitrite like bacon is cured.... it also could be the extra nitrite that tends to make a ham flavor....

To get close to 120 Ppm nitrite with TQ, that is .5% nitrite, you need to add ~11 grams TQ per pound.... That will also give you ~2.4% salt... which will be more palatable....
 
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It is the " combination " of Smoke and Cure that gives a Ham flavor. I make a White Kielbasa that contains the same amount of Cure as smoked but the white kielbasa gets poached or grilled. It has a pink color but Zero ham flavor. As stated above, store Bacon is made with smoke flavor, mild taste, or if smoked is only done so lightly. Faster out the door, the faster the money comes in. Cure your belly and only put a couple hours of ambient temp Applewood smoke, 2-4 hours, on it. There will be more of a pork flavor than a ham flavor...JJ
 
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Dave and JJ I was hoping I was not telling anything wrong I'm kinda new at it myself talk and others have helped me a lot I want to repay everyone by help others as u have helped me. If I am wrong please let me know In and by the way I learned something by reading ur response to this as well.
 
Thank you for the replies and feedback.  I love the ham taste but the wife wants more of the store bought taste that we are accustomed to.  I will try some of the tips.

Any place other than a butcher shop to get port bellies?  What is the price range?

Thanks

Todd
 
Pork Belly is super popular in Asian communities and in some Latin markets. Look there. Anything under $2.99/lb is a great price but $4-6 is not unusual. Some restaurant distributors have walk-in outlets. You may have to buy a case, varies but 40-50lbs is common, but the price will be lower than a butcher. Belly's freeze well and can be used in many ways...JJ
 
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