Duroc Pork Belly Bacon

[SmokinEdge]

I dry brine so its less

Me too, but OP is bringing. So in a brine you include water weight.

 

[pushok2018]

Fantastic looking bacon! Nice color... Like!

 

[kilo charlie]

My LEM Big Bite 10” slicer has 7.5” cut. That’s pretty standard for most slicers. You will have to get a Hobart commercial slicer for anything bigger. That’s why if I want long slices, I leave the belly whole and roll into a “C” then slice. Otherwise I cut the belly to fit and be happy.

The Bass Pro Shops/Cabelas model will handle 9 inches.. I could probably work with that.

 

[kilo charlie]

4.92 lbs meat = 2231.674g
2231.674g X .025 = 55.79g

We dont do much salt here and I use the costco bellies

Forgive me.. I was sitting in the sun too much this morning or something!

Thanks for the reference.

 

[kilo charlie]

Yes sir that looks great Charlie ! Never tried making bacon but I know it's delish smoked !

Thank you!

Give it a try sometime!

 

[kilo charlie]

4.92 lbs meat = 2231.674g
2231.674g X .025 = 55.79g

We dont do much salt here and I use the costco bellies

In a brine don’t forget to add water weight. 1 gallon is 8.33 lbs so 8.33+4.92x454=6015.5g x 0.025=150.38g salt

I dry brine so its less

Me too, but OP is bringing. So in a brine you include water weight.

For reference.. I'm using Pops Wet Curing Brine and weigh my ingredients so it's consistent. I don't weigh meat or water.

 

[kilo charlie]

Fantastic looking bacon! Nice color... Like!

Thank you!

 

[mneeley490]

My LEM Big Bite 10” slicer has 7.5” cut. That’s pretty standard for most slicers. You will have to get a Hobart commercial slicer for anything bigger. That’s why if I want long slices, I leave the belly whole and roll into a “C” then slice. Otherwise I cut the belly to fit and be happy.

I do the same. I have a large Italian made slicer, but it still isn't big enough to slice a flat slab. After smoking, I wrap in plastic wrap and let it settle for a few days in the fridge. Then I fold in "half", making the "C" shape, and slide about 3 silicone bbq bands over it. (They're like rubber bands, but don't melt in heat or crack in cold. I use these things all the time.) Then when it's the proper shape, I put them in the freezer until I'm ready to slice. At that time, simply unwrap and let thaw a bit, and run it past the blade. Partially frozen slabs slice up so much easier, than not.
I usually do 30-45 lbs at a time, so slicing by hand was really wearing me out.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Yes sir that looks great Charlie ! Never tried making bacon but I know it's delish smoked !

I've never done it, either, but curing my own bacon if definitely in the near future.

 

[kilo charlie]

I do the same. I have a large Italian made slicer, but it still isn't big enough to slice a flat slab. After smoking, I wrap in plastic wrap and let it settle for a few days in the fridge. Then I fold in "half", making the "C" shape, and slide about 3 silicone bbq bands over it. (They're like rubber bands, but don't melt in heat or crack in cold. I use these things all the time.) Then when it's the proper shape, I put them in the freezer until I'm ready to slice. At that time, simply unwrap and let thaw a bit, and run it past the blade. Partially frozen slabs slice up so much easier, than not.
I usually do 30-45 lbs at a time, so slicing by hand was really wearing me out.

I did freeze mine for about an hour before slicing.. and I did attempt to fold mine for the small slicer I do have.. I gave up while I still had all my fingers.

The small amount I did was acceptable to cut my hand.

Thanks for the ideas though

 

[kilo charlie]

I've never done it, either, but curing my own bacon if definitely in the near future.

There's a few schools of thought on this and it does cause a lot of "discussion" especially on SMF.

You can dry brine.
You can wet brine.
You can use Pops Wet Curing Brine (The method I used here)

I recommend doing your research and picking your method and you'll have to sorta ignore all the others until it's completed. Otherwise it's going to confuse you and everyone has their own opinion and thinks their way is the right way.

 

[SmokinEdge]

For reference.. I'm using Pops Wet Curing Brine and weigh my ingredients so it's consistent. I don't weigh meat or water.

For reference.. I'm using Pops Wet Curing Brine and weigh my ingredients so it's consistent. I don't weigh meat or water.

Started off whipping up a batch of Pops Wet Curing Brine.

28 grams Cure #1
200 grams Kosher Salt
200 grams Turbinado Sugar

Then this is a teachable moment.
Im going to assume you used 1 gallon of water?
Going with that, when brining generally, as in Pop’s brine, there is never a meat weight connected to the brine ingredients. So it could be 1 pound or 20 pounds, just whatever the brine will cover.
In this case where you have 4.92lbs of belly, the brine will impart about 3.8% salt, and 3.35% sugar In equilibrium. The salt is higher because we include the salt in the cure so you have a total of 228.0g total salt. This is way over on salt. The sugar is just for taste (balance the salt) and provides no curing properties. However, the next time you mix this brine and soak 15lbs of belly, you would end up with 2.15% salt. Pretty big difference.

Pop’s brine is fine to get your feet wet, but there really is no reason to weigh the ingredients since the results will change with different meat weights applied. This also applies to cure #1 concentration (nitrite). Pop’s brine is accepted as safe, that’s why it’s great for beginners, but hardly consistent unless you always use the same type of meat and exact weight.

If you want to brine, and be consistent with the results, add all the meat weight and water weight together. Then apply the salt % you want. (Generally between 1.5% and 2.0% is most palatable) do the same for curing salt. Apply that at 0.25%. Add the sugar as a % to weight as well. (Generally between 1.0% and 2.0%) you can use the digging dog calculator for this to simplify. This is called equilibrium brining, and is consistent. Also, whole muscles like loin will uptake more of the brine than something fatty like belly, it varies.

 

[jcam222]

Looks fantastic!! I’d love that belly uncured too. Can’t tell you jealous I am of you having a source for the Duroc belly at that price!! Amazing.

 

[kilo charlie]

Looks fantastic!! I’d love that belly uncured too. Can’t tell you jealous I am of you having a source for the Duroc belly at that price!! Amazing.

Thank you!

 

[kilo charlie]

Then this is a teachable moment.
Im going to assume you used 1 gallon of water?
Going with that, when brining generally, as in Pop’s brine, there is never a meat weight connected to the brine ingredients. So it could be 1 pound or 20 pounds, just whatever the brine will cover.
In this case where you have 4.92lbs of belly, the brine will impart about 3.8% salt, and 3.35% sugar In equilibrium. The salt is higher because we include the salt in the cure so you have a total of 228.0g total salt. This is way over on salt. The sugar is just for taste (balance the salt) and provides no curing properties. However, the next time you mix this brine and soak 15lbs of belly, you would end up with 2.15% salt. Pretty big difference.

Pop’s brine is fine to get your feet wet, but there really is no reason to weigh the ingredients since the results will change with different meat weights applied. This also applies to cure #1 concentration (nitrite). Pop’s brine is accepted as safe, that’s why it’s great for beginners, but hardly consistent unless you always use the same type of meat and exact weight.

If you want to brine, and be consistent with the results, add all the meat weight and water weight together. Then apply the salt % you want. (Generally between 1.5% and 2.0% is most palatable) do the same for curing salt. Apply that at 0.25%. Add the sugar as a % to weight as well. (Generally between 1.0% and 2.0%) you can use the digging dog calculator for this to simplify. This is called equilibrium brining, and is consistent. Also, whole muscles like loin will uptake more of the brine than something fatty like belly, it varies.

I'm understanding what you're saying and appreciate the clarification.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Then this is a teachable moment.
Im going to assume you used 1 gallon of water?
Going with that, when brining generally, as in Pop’s brine, there is never a meat weight connected to the brine ingredients. So it could be 1 pound or 20 pounds, just whatever the brine will cover.
In this case where you have 4.92lbs of belly, the brine will impart about 3.8% salt, and 3.35% sugar In equilibrium. The salt is higher because we include the salt in the cure so you have a total of 228.0g total salt. This is way over on salt. The sugar is just for taste (balance the salt) and provides no curing properties. However, the next time you mix this brine and soak 15lbs of belly, you would end up with 2.15% salt. Pretty big difference.

Pop’s brine is fine to get your feet wet, but there really is no reason to weigh the ingredients since the results will change with different meat weights applied. This also applies to cure #1 concentration (nitrite). Pop’s brine is accepted as safe, that’s why it’s great for beginners, but hardly consistent unless you always use the same type of meat and exact weight.

If you want to brine, and be consistent with the results, add all the meat weight and water weight together. Then apply the salt % you want. (Generally between 1.5% and 2.0% is most palatable) do the same for curing salt. Apply that at 0.25%. Add the sugar as a % to weight as well. (Generally between 1.0% and 2.0%) you can use the digging dog calculator for this to simplify. This is called equilibrium brining, and is consistent. Also, whole muscles like loin will uptake more of the brine than something fatty like belly, it varies.

I agree to disagree. This subject has been covered so many times. Only difference is Pops is no longer here to explain it again. Using Pop's brine there is no need to weigh the meat or water... weather it's 1 gallon of brine or a 50 gallon barrel of brine

Ryan

 

[SmokinEdge]

I agree to disagree. This subject has been covered so many times. Only difference is Pops is no longer here to explain it again. Using Pop's brine there is no need to weigh the meat or water... weather it's 1 gallon of brine or a 50 gallon barrel of brine

Ryan

And I suppose it matters not if it 1 pound of meat or 50?

 

[Brokenhandle]

And I suppose it matters not if it 1 pound of meat or 50?

According to Pop’s... No. And not gonna argue with you or anyone on this. Will only leave you with this question... How many times did Pop’s ever weigh the meat or the weight of water when using his brine?

Ryan

 

[SmokinEdge]

According to Pop’s... No. And not gonna argue with you or anyone on this. Will only leave you with this question... How many times did Pop’s ever weigh the meat or the weight of water when using his brine?

Ryan

If you are happy with that, then I am just tickled. Carry on.

 

[kilo charlie]

I agree to disagree. This subject has been covered so many times. Only difference is Pops is no longer here to explain it again. Using Pop's brine there is no need to weigh the meat or water... weather it's 1 gallon of brine or a 50 gallon barrel of brine

Ryan

And I suppose it matters not if it 1 pound of meat or 50?

According to Pop’s... No. And not gonna argue with you or anyone on this. Will only leave you with this question... How many times did Pop’s ever weigh the meat or the weight of water when using his brine?

Ryan

If you are happy with that, then I am just tickled. Carry on.

Listen fellas.. I can understand how some camps want to weigh the meat and water and everything else and I can understand Pops Brine.

Never not once in my conversations with Pops did he ever tell me to weigh the meat. He told me specifically to weigh my ingredients so that my brine was consistent no matter what I was doing.

I'm not going to argue with any of you about it. I'm not going to make a big deal about it. I was trying to show off my accomplishment with the Duroc Pork. I KNOW curing is a sensitive subject on this site and honestly.. I'm over all the arguing and the pissing contests. I will try and refrain from posting any future curing projects!

Good Day!