# Trying bacon for first time?



## hjscm (Mar 17, 2017)

Ok so trying to make some bacon.  here is the recipe I'm using.

8.4 lbs pork belly cut into 4.2 lbs each

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 kosher salt

1/3 cup maple extract

1/3 cup maple flakes.( i like maple i guess)

1/4 espresso powder

1/4 cup water

1 Tsp. cure #1

some pepper

made rub and rubbed bacon and put into vacuum sealed bags.  sealed but not completely vacuumed.

cured in fridge turning once a day for 7 days.

took out of fridge, rinsed and dried. smoking first one at 200 with hickory and apple to internal of 150.

second one is in fridge for 24 hours and then same smoke.

first pic the IT is 115













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## hjscm (Mar 17, 2017)

well here it is off the smoker.  fried a piece up and tasted pretty darn good.  i cut into about 1 lb sizes and vacuum sealed and put in fridge. hopefully i did this right and i won't get sick.













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## SmokinAl (Mar 18, 2017)

It looks good, but for 8.4 lbs. of meat you would need about 1 1/2 tsp cure.

Most of us cure our bacon for 14 days.

Here is the bacon cure calculator we all use, all you need is a good scale & you will never make a mistake by using too much or too little cure.

http://diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html

Al


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## hjscm (Mar 18, 2017)

Thanks, sorry I should have been more specific. I did that recipe twice. For two pieces of meat so it was for 4.2 lbs I used 1 tsp of cure. Hopefully that make sense, and will be cured long enough. I had them in separate bags. My chamber sealer wouldn't fit the whole belly so I split them.


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## SmokinAl (Mar 18, 2017)

hjscm said:


> Thanks, sorry I should have been more specific. I did that recipe twice. For two pieces of meat so it was for 4.2 lbs I used 1 tsp of cure. Hopefully that make sense, and will be cured long enough. I had them in separate bags. My chamber sealer wouldn't fit the whole belly so I split them.


OK that makes more sense, your fine then.

Al


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## hjscm (Mar 18, 2017)

Ok now i feel much better.  I wanna cold smoke one to see if there is a difference.  since i always cook my bacon before serving should i be fine to cold smoke it with that recipe?  Also has anyone tried to put an apple or two in a blender and add that to the rub?  I'm looking to try an apple cinnamon sugar recipe.

thanks for the help


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## dirtsailor2003 (Mar 18, 2017)

Use apple wood for smoke and or dried apple powder. The apple mush wouldn't do well for a 14 day cure, or a smoke. 

Yes you can use your recipe for cold smoking as long as you have the cure in there. 

Tha link that Al posted is what you should use for your base cure recipe. 

You can get a good inexpensive digital scale that reads to 100th of a gram for less than 15 dollars on Amazon. If you plan on curing bacon and making other items that have cure in them it is a must have item. 

Weighing your aromatics for seasoning is also a more accurate way to duplicate you recipe for future use.

I dry rub cure my bacon. After the cure I let it rest uncovered 5 days in the fridge. If I want additional seasonings this is when I add them. After the 5 day rest I cold smoke for 18-24 hours usually over multiple days in 6-8 hour sessions. I smoke until I like the color. Currently cob is my favorite smoke. After smoking I let the bacon rest 5 more days uncovered in the fridge before packing. This method produces some of the finest bacon I've ever had. Good stuff.


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## hjscm (Mar 18, 2017)

I have a good scale.  i do a lot of baking and making sourdough bread so use it a lot.  just new to smoking and bacon.  if i use that calculator can i just add my seasoning along with what ever cure and salt and sugar it ask for..  It came out great, i thought it might be to salty but not at all.  I had some store bought apple cinnamon sugar bacon and it was great.  trying to replicate it.  Also you say you cure for 14 days?  Is that because of the amount of meat?  since i cut mine down to like 4.5 lbs i figured 7-8 days should be fine.  Hopefully that is ok.

Again thanks for all the help


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