# Hampshire pork belly bacon w/qview



## catzcradle (Nov 24, 2014)

Thanks to a question this weekend, I was reassured about what Nitrate burn is.  Anyways, This was a test of the Hampshire bellies I bought from an online retailer out of Iowa that sells only heritage Hampshire pork from small farms.  I wanted to try something a step up from the local asian markets that sell netherland or mexico pork belly, and with the skin on, is now running about $4/lb.  I got what I felt was a great deal for 9-11 lb bellies skinless for $60. I was even more surprised when the four bellies were nearly totaling 48 lbs.  The last 4 skin on bellies I bought were about 28 lbs for four. with about 5 lbs of skin.  

I did the first one using high mountain bacon cure, and cold smoked for ten hours over cherry in an amns.

Sliced them up today, and had to have a few test pieces which were outstanding done in the Cherry.  Looking forward for them to age a bit.  These bellies had a bit more fat content, which I'm happy with.  The netherlands pork I've been getting is so lean, I have to add fat when I cook the bacon.  This belly yielded 12 lbs plus 5 slices, and a bit more than a pound of ends and pieces.

I have the other three bellies in cure, and now I'm going to have to do them in batches, because I really like applewood smoked as well, and there always needs to be some hickory.  That will be on my agenda next weekend.













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## boykjo (Nov 25, 2014)

Very Nice......


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## johngalt (Nov 25, 2014)

catzcradle said:


> I did the first one using high mountain bacon cure, and cold smoked for ten hours over cherry in an amns.


I haven't smoked bacon yet. I WANT TO. What temperature do you smoke it? You slice it after smoking, right? How? Your cuts appear to be consistant and thin. That'd be hard with a butcher knife.


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## thatcho (Dec 1, 2014)

The bellies look really good. Can you P/M me the link to where you order the Hampshire bellies. I have ran into a so called wall. The local butchers have bellies but not like what you got. Lots of fat no meat. I would appreciate it.


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## moose350 (Dec 1, 2014)

I don't know if these are the same ones but here is a link I found.

http://www.homesteadnaturalmeats.com/product/All-Natural-Pork-Skinless-Belly/pork-roasts


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## thatcho (Dec 1, 2014)

Thnks a bunch. It is the time of year and the family prefers homemade vs store.


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