Smoked Slab bacon Question

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sniltz

Meat Mopper
Original poster
May 21, 2008
228
11
China Grove, NC
 I am doing the 150th reenactment of Gettysburg this July and want to smoke cure some slab bacon for the event.  I have never done anything like that before and it will need to be cure as there is no refridgerater.   Any comments would be very helpful.  Thanks
 
It would depend on the quality of the curing process as curing normally removes enough moisture to retard bacteria such as in country cured hams.  If in doubt, try Googling and find a processor who sells bacon that does not need refrigerated.  If mold forms simply cut it off, but in your case I doubt it would be exposed to warm temps long enough for that.

T
 
sniltz, morning....  PM nepas......   The bacon will need a "dry aged" type salt/cure #2 processing.....  and probably a long cold smoke.....   nepas should know a safe process for you to follow, or know where to go to find one.....   

Dave
 
 The reason I was asking is that I wanted to do a salt pork.   The salt pork you get in the supermarket isn't the salt pork they had in the 1860's.  The salt pork you hear of was more of a slab bacon type product.   
 
 Dave, how do you cold smoke in summer?  My grandfather always smoked his country hams in the fall and winter.  Spring and summer would be to hot wouldn't it?  I have heard that I could use 450 grams of salt,  225 grams of sugar, 50 grams of curing agent #1 and  then put it in a 2 gallon sealable bag and put it the refridgerator for 10 days.  Then smoke it for 275* until it reaches 150 degrees.  Let it cool and then slice. 

Does this sound right?  My grandfather isn't around anymore and he didn't teach me his recipe.  But, boy was his hams, and livermush the best!!!!
 
Sniltz, evening....  I used to eat salt pork back in the day..... fried it up.... It was good....  Maybe Martin knows how to make salt pork.... 

I think the difference in taste comes from pumping brine into the belly and not allowing it to dry in a cool well ventilated space, like rubbing with salt would achieve.....   Dave
 
Last edited:
 Dave, how do you cold smoke in summer?  My grandfather always smoked his country hams in the fall and winter.  Spring and summer would be to hot wouldn't it? 

Does this sound right?  My grandfather isn't around anymore and he didn't teach me his recipe.  But, boy was his hams, and livermush the best!!!!
sniltz, The reason hams were smoked in the cooler temps was to keep the temperature below 90⁰.

Temperatures above 90⁰ will inhibit the aging process.

T
 
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