what keeps the bacon red?

[trx680]

I tried my hand for the first time with a pork belly. I seasoned and slightly sugared/salted them. I smoked some and baked some then sliced it into bacon strips. The baked one was no longer the red color as it was when raw. The smoked was still fairly red but when I cooked it it turned white just like pork does.

The store bought bacon stays red when cooked .....why?  

 

[pc farmer]

Did you cure the bacon. Curing makes meat red.

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Nitrite.






=Martin=

 

[DanMcG]

Yeah what DiggingDogFarm said......... Nitrite.
Don't take this the wrong way but, you need to research bacon curing using the search feature on this site. A lot of good info to be found.
smoking raw uncured belly could be unhealthy for ya.

 

[daveomak]

trx80, morning.... You stick around long enough, you'll be an expert at this smoking/curing stuff....... Dave

 

[trx680]

I did not use a curing mix/solution

 

[daveomak]

I did not use a curing mix/solution

You should have.... read up, in this forum, about curing bacon.... You will need a grams scale 0-100 grams for adding cure... a scale to weigh the meat.... food safe bucket... and some pig to cure and smoke.... Pork butts are a good place to start... They make great sausage.... great bacon... called Buck Board Bacon BBB.... and the lean part of the butt makes great ham....

Cure #1 can be purchased at many stores... outdoor stores especially... or Amazon, or butcher supplies..... WARNING... if you get curing mix from your local butcher, be sure to get the TAG that the cure came in... many are different % of nitrite.... I use cure #1 and I use a cure from my meat guy...... cure %1 is 6.25% nitrite..... cure mix from the meat guy is 0.75% nitrite... Getting those numbers is VERY important.....

Dave

 

[chewmeister]

Yeah what DiggingDogFarm said......... Nitrite.
Don't take this the wrong way but, you need to research bacon curing using the search feature on this site. A lot of good info to be found.
smoking raw uncured belly could be unhealthy for ya.

Sounds like maybe he cooked it as he said smoked then baked. Didn't say what temps though.