# Bacon!



## BB-que (Nov 3, 2021)

9lb belly from Costco.  
Dry cured with LEM bacon cure, vac sealed, and into fridge for 14 days. Cold smoked for 10 hours with hickory.  I’m sticking my foot in my mouth on a previous post where I said there would be very little to no weight loss with cold smoking process to some poster.  With the curing process it lost quite a bit of final yield.  Came out great, thanks Al for getting me to try the dry brine - more convenient for me.


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## SmokinEdge (Nov 3, 2021)

Looks great. Nice work.


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## bauchjw (Nov 3, 2021)

Looks amazing!


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## DougE (Nov 3, 2021)

Looks awesome. 

I really need to get my feet wet and do some bacon. I got a bag of cure #1 a few months ago, and planned to start with cheaper things like Canadian, or buckboard to get a feel for it before trying it with belly, but even the cheaper things ain't so cheap right now.


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## chef jimmyj (Nov 3, 2021)

Looks great. Nice color...JJ


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## pushok2018 (Nov 4, 2021)

Bacon looks very nice, Beautiful color... Like!


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## chopsaw (Nov 4, 2021)

Looks great . I agree , nice color .


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## SmokinAl (Nov 4, 2021)

That is some mighty fine looking bacon there my friend!!
Al


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## fxsales1959 (Nov 4, 2021)

BB-que said:


> 9lb belly from Costco.
> Dry cured with LEM bacon cure, vac sealed, and into fridge for 14 days. Cold smoked for 10 hours with hickory.  I’m sticking my foot in my mouth on a previous post where I said there would be very little to no weight loss with cold smoking process to some poster.  With the curing process it lost quite a bit of final yield.  Came out great, thanks Al for getting me to try the dry brine - more convenient for me.
> View attachment 515399
> View attachment 515400
> ...


nice belly! my meat store keeps them in stock. since I'm there so often there
	

		
			
		

		
	






	

		
			
		

		
	
's almost always one with Prague selaed in the freezer.  do your's come "skinned?"


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## kit s (Nov 4, 2021)

OK...never tried pre-made brine. So I have a question for all those that have, especially if they tried more than one brand.
What  do you think is the best?
Maybe an unanswerable question, as taste vary, but hey gotta ask.


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## kit s (Nov 4, 2021)

Oh by the BB i would take a platter of yours....need too do some test tasting...just begging here...lol


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## Devo1 (Nov 4, 2021)

Nice looking bacon. 
What size Vac sealer do you have that will do such large bags?


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## HalfSmoked (Nov 4, 2021)

Nice job if you need a taster I will bring along eggs and taters.

Warren


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## indaswamp (Nov 4, 2021)

BB-que said:


> Cold smoked for 10 hours with hickory. I’m sticking my foot in my mouth on a previous post where I said there would be very little to no weight loss with cold smoking process to some poster.


Very nice color on your dry cured bacon. What temperature did you cold smoke it at?


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## jcam222 (Nov 4, 2021)

Bacon looks fantastic. I have 3 huge bellies in the freezer I need to get to work on.


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## SecondHandSmoker (Nov 4, 2021)

That looks great.  Nicely done!


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## sandyut (Nov 4, 2021)

best lookin bacon i have ever seen!  nice work


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## HalfSmoked (Nov 4, 2021)

SecondHandSmoker thanks for the like I appreciate it.

Could also bring some biscuits as well.

Warren


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## uncle eddie (Nov 4, 2021)

You bacon looks pretty darn good from this side of the screen!


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## BB-que (Nov 4, 2021)

Devo1 said:


> Nice looking bacon.
> What size Vac sealer do you have that will do such large bags?


It’s just a cheapie


indaswamp said:


> Very nice color on your dry cured bacon. What temperature did you cold smoke it at?


i use a Tube at the bottom of a Rocky Mountain bullet smoker - so pretty much no heat


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## Brokenhandle (Nov 4, 2021)

Nice job! Looks really good!

Ryan


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## indaswamp (Nov 4, 2021)

BB-que said:


> i use a Tube at the bottom of a Rocky Mountain bullet smoker - so pretty much no heat


That explains the deep color you got. I do the same with my cold smoked bacon. I like 32 hours of cold smoke....4 nights, 8 hours of smoke per night. Then a rest hanging in the fridge for 3-5 days.


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## ravenclan (Nov 4, 2021)

I need to try the dry cure since I don't have a place for the wet cure process.

That looks great.


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## BB-que (Nov 4, 2021)

ravenclan said:


> I need to try the dry cure since I don't have a place for the wet cure process.
> 
> That looks great.


I’ll personally will never mess with the wet process again


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## JLeonard (Nov 4, 2021)

Mine is about ready to hit the smoker! I just hope it comes out near as good looking as yours.
Jim


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## Bearcarver (Nov 4, 2021)

Looks Great BBq !!
Nice Job!
Like.

Bear


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## BB-que (Nov 4, 2021)

kit s said:


> OK...never tried pre-made brine. So I have a question for all those that have, especially if they tried more than one brand.
> What  do you think is the best?
> Maybe an unanswerable question, as taste vary, but hey gotta ask.


like you said - a lot of them.  I used LEM this time around - very basic but I’m happy with it.  Comes with cure #2 pack as well.  One package does 25lb


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## crazymoon (Nov 4, 2021)

BBq, Very nice, some great breakfasts coming up !


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## bill ace 350 (Nov 4, 2021)

Nice looking bacon!
Do you think vac sealing for the cure makes much more difference than ziploc bags with the air squeezed out?


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## indaswamp (Nov 4, 2021)

BB-que said:


> like you said - a lot of them.  I used LEM this time around - very basic but I’m happy with it.  Comes with cure #2 pack as well.  One package does 25lb


Are you absolutely certain that is was cure #2? Reason I ask is that the USDA does not allow commercial bacon to use cure #2 because of the risk of nitrosamines forming when heated to high temps. while frying. They must use cure#1 along with a cure accelerator sodium erythorbate.


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## GATOR240 (Nov 4, 2021)

Great looking bacon. Nicely done!!


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## indaswamp (Nov 4, 2021)

Here is a pic. of dry cured bacon with 32 hours of smoke...60% applewood and 40% hickory.








Then dried to 20% weight loss......


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## BB-que (Nov 4, 2021)

indaswamp said:


> Are you absolutely certain that is was cure #2? Reason I ask is that the USDA does not allow commercial bacon to use cure #2 because of the risk of mitrosamines forming when heated to high temps. while frying. They must use cure#1 along with a cure accelerator sodium erythorbate.


Ha, no - good catch!


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## Fueling Around (Nov 4, 2021)

I love dry cured bacon.  Yours would take me to the meal table.  Not fussy if you invite me to breakfast, lunch or supper.

I've been enhancing my smokes by using the long tube with flavor of choice and a short tube of mostly cherry to add more color on the meat.



douge said:


> Looks awesome.
> 
> I really need to get my feet wet and do some bacon. I got a bag of cure #1 a few months ago, and planned to start with cheaper things like Canadian, or buckboard to get a feel for it before trying it with belly, but even the cheaper things ain't so cheap right now.


Been seeing some decent prices on pork loins and shoulder as I'm in prime pork territory and yet the belly prices are out of my  grasp.
I've has great success with loin bacon.  Tried the buckboard a couple times and not my liking


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## BB-que (Nov 4, 2021)

indaswamp said:


> Here is a pic. of dry cured bacon with 32 hours of smoke...60% applewood and 40% hickory.
> 
> View attachment 515476
> 
> ...


That’s a good lookin fresh slab of pork right there


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## pineywoods (Nov 5, 2021)

Good looking bacon BB. How much weight do you figure you lost? I usually get some liquid in the bag the first couple days but then it reabsorbs it before it's fully cured.



kit s said:


> OK...never tried pre-made brine. So I have a question for all those that have, especially if they tried more than one brand.
> What  do you think is the best?
> Maybe an unanswerable question, as taste vary, but hey gotta ask.



I've tried some premade and made some on my own but we like this one about the best so far and yes I use it for belly bacon
https://himtnjerky.com/buckboard-bacon-cure/


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## Steve H (Nov 5, 2021)

indaswamp said:


> Are you absolutely certain that is was cure #2? Reason I ask is that the USDA does not allow commercial bacon to use cure #2 because of the risk of nitrosamines forming when heated to high temps. while frying. They must use cure#1 along with a cure accelerator sodium erythorbate.



Off Lem's site:


Cure Ingredients: Salt, sodium nitrite (6.25%), FD&C red # 3 (for color) and less than 2% sodium silico aluminate added as a processing aid
It's cure #1


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## BB-que (Nov 7, 2021)

pineywoods said:


> Good looking bacon BB. How much weight do you figure you lost? I usually get some liquid in the bag the first couple days but then it reabsorbs it before it's fully cured.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I’d say I lost around 30% start to finish.


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## hoity toit (Nov 8, 2021)

BB-que said:


> 9lb belly from Costco.
> Dry cured with LEM bacon cure, vac sealed, and into fridge for 14 days. Cold smoked for 10 hours with hickory.  I’m sticking my foot in my mouth on a previous post where I said there would be very little to no weight loss with cold smoking process to some poster.  With the curing process it lost quite a bit of final yield.  Came out great, thanks Al for getting me to try the dry brine - more convenient for me.
> View attachment 515399
> View attachment 515400
> ...


o man, that's some nice looking bacon. I like the dry cure myself.

HT


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