Pork belly costs?

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Bride keeps asking what I pay for bellies........ Then, every time we eat our bacon, she comments how much better it is than store bought...

Sooooooo all you wizards out there...... Is that a good thing or a bad thing..... I'm still having trouble deciphering women lingo....

Personally I don't mind paying a little extra for such a great product.... ($2.70 ish last case of 4 bellies)
Maybe she's comparing the price too, because not only is your Bacon better, $2.70 a pound is also cheaper than the store bought stuff.
icon14.gif


Bear
 
 
I know but I would like to find it cheaper somewhere.
Yeah----I haven't gotten any lately, but the last time I did, I think I paid near $3 (without skin). It's probably over that now.

I get mine from a small butcher shop that orders it for me, and they pay market prices. I guess Pork Bellies are up pretty high right now.

Bear
 
I have learned my lesson, its just too hot here already to be messing with bacon. Our forefathers knew what they were doing butchering in the winter!

Till maybe November, probably December, its store bought bacon again for me. LOL I fried some last week for the first time in less than a year, immediately I knew why I should have made some more bacon. Also when I make bacon next time, no free handouts!  LOL..... I did 7 1/2 bellies, I'm out in wayyyyyyy less than a year.

I am thinking this year I will play smarter, I am going to plan my cured smokes. We just don't get enough cold weather. Bacon, ham, sausage, andouille, this year there'll be tasso too. Maybe with tasso for seasoning meat the bacon will last longer. Maybe a bigger smoker is required...... Hmmmmm........
 
Last edited:
 
I know but I would like to find it cheaper somewhere.
You can always cut out the middle man and grow your own...... I just had to clean out one of the freezers last week (Had crawfish needing room), threw out the last of the last home grown pig (4 racks of spares). It had been in there 10 years..... lost in the back.

Pop had a system, ended up being 7 piglets. 1 for the butcher, 1 for the help with the corn, 1 for sausage, 1 for meat, and 3 for his annual pig roast. Raise 'em a year, butcher then buy 7 more piglets from the auction house.
 
I have thought about raising some.     Still might with pork going up.

Piglets are 75 bucks a piece now.
 
Nice idea, but I don't think City Hall would be too pleased if I had pigs in my back yard. They've only recently (and reluctantly) allowed hens. No roosters.

So what do you think the max outside temp would be to warm smoke bacon, like Bearcarver's recipe? It's still in the 60's here, but will soon be rising into the 70's.
 
Last edited:
 
Nice idea, but I don't think City Hall would be too pleased if I had pigs in my back yard. They've only recently (and reluctantly) allowed hens. No roosters.

So what do you think the max outside temp would be to warm smoke bacon, like Bearcarver's recipe? It's still in the 60's here, but will soon be rising into the 70's.
I would think if you want to cold smoke Bacon, the outside temp shouldn't be over 80*, unless you can still keep your smoker temp under 100*.

However since I find I get great color & flavor in less time, by using a smoker temp of 110* to 130*, it doesn't get too hot in PA to mess with my Bacon.

Since I never saw any texture difference, and definitely never had any fat rendering, outside temp doesn't bother me or my Bacon. I take that back---Outside heat bothers me, but not my Bacon.
biggrin.gif


Bear
 
Good to know, thanks! I know my friends will be asking again, as soon as their last supply runs out.
 
I just bought 4 weighing 48.6 lbs @ 4.29 per lbs. Thats up in Wisconcin. Have made and sold almost 700 lbs of bacon in less than a year. People around here just love it.
 
Couldn't find it at any of the stores in my area except an asian market, $2.99/lb. Seems like really meaty belly, another slab I got was almost all meat on the end. Hopefully it turns out good, at day 6 of curing time.

 
That seems high, no matter what type of hog it was.

In my area, even the heritage breeds that were raised as kindly as possible tend to go for about $5 a lb at the high end. $8, that's just ridiculous. No part of any standard pig should cost $8 per lb raw.
A local butcher shop quoted C$8.99/lb for backfat.
 
Last edited:
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky