# Bacon first timer help!



## kitteny (Jan 4, 2013)

Hello all,

Just bought a smoker (Masterbuilt 30" electric) and our first experiment in smoking was bacon. Found a recipe online, which said to take our pork belly (skin on) and equal parts of kosher salt and brown sugar into it and place into a container in the fridge, draining the liquid every day and adding more salt as needed for about 7 days. Then rinsed it all off with cold water, pat it dry and let it sit in the fridge for a day before smoking it at 200 degrees until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 (which we did with hickory).

It looked good, it smelled good; but when we cooked it it was uber salty. I prefer not to use nitrates in bacon. I've looked on this forum about bacon (holy huge amount of posts on this glorious meat!), and see that there are many different ways of making it. I'd like to try different flavours too, like garlic, maple, etc.

So please tell me, what is the best way to get a good flavoured, not too salty bacon? Thanks in advance!


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## smoking b (Jan 4, 2013)

Before you put the bacon in the fridge slice a piece or 2 off & do a "fry test" That is cook it up & sample it. If it is too salty soak it in cold water for an hour & try again. This way you can keep it from being too salty. Some people put pieces of potato in the water to help absorb salt. If it is still too salty after 1 hour soak it again. Once you have the salt level where you want it then you can put it in the fridge to form a pellicle & smoke it.


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## fishwrestler (Jan 5, 2013)

What smoking B said. I usually do at least a 1/2 hour water soak after i am done curing my Bellies.

Then do a fry test. If it is to salty I change the water and soak again for another 1/2 hour. Repeat until the salt level is to your tasting pleasure.

Regards,

Robert


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## diggingdogfarm (Jan 5, 2013)

kitteny said:


> Found a recipe online, which said to take our pork belly (skin on) and equal parts of kosher salt and brown sugar into it and place into a container in the fridge, draining the liquid every day and* adding more salt as needed for about 7 days. *




Goodness, no!!!
Bad recipe!!
That'll end in disaster almost every time!
Use a calculated amount of salt, start with 2% salt and cure long enough so that the salt  distributes and equalizes well throughout the meat.
7 days is too short a curing time for most bacon.
If you have to soak it to make it edible, either too much salt was added or it wasn't cured long enough,


~Martin


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## krusem05 (Jan 6, 2013)

I disagree that 7 days is too short, it's exactly what I do for a roughly 5 pound belly, with no need to soak afterward. This recipe is from Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn (a great book for an introduction into curing meats). The cure obviously makes more than the 1/4 to 1/3 cup you need, but you can wrap up the rest tight and store it.

Ingredients

One 3 to 5 lb. slab pork belly, preferably with skin on

Basic Dry Cure for dredging, about a 1/4 cup:
1 lb. or 450 grams kosher salt
8 oz. or 225 grams granulated sugar OR 13 oz./425 grams dextrose
2 oz. or 75 grams pink salt (aka Curing Salt #1)

Optional: For sweeter bacon, and 1/2 C maple syrup or 1/2 C maple sugar or packed dark brown sugar; for more savory bacon, add 5 smashed cloves of garlic, 3 crushed bay leaves, and 1 T cracked black peppercorns

Trim the belly so edges are neat and square. Spread dry cure on a baking sheet or container large enough to accommodate belly. Press all sides of the belly into the cure to give it a thick uniform coating over the entire surface.
Place the belly in a 2-gallon Ziploc bag or a covered nonreactive container just large enough to hold it. The pork will release a lot of liquid as it cures, and it's important that the meat and container are a good fit sot that the cure remains in contact with the meat. Refrigerate the belly for 7 days, flipping the bag or meat to redistribute the cure liquid ever other day.
After 7 days, check the belly for firmness. If it feels firm at its thickest point, it's cured. One week should be enough, but if it still feels squishy refrigerate for up to 2 more days (it should feel roughly like your palm by your thumb when your thumb and forefinger are touching).
Remove belly from cure and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry and discard cure liquid. Let the bacon rest, covered, for 1 to 3 days in the fridge. Cover only lightly if you are going to smoke it, so it can get a bit dry and tacky.
Preheat oven or smoker to 200 degrees F. Put the belly in a roasting pan, preferably on a rack (for roasting) or on the smoker and cook to 150 degrees F, about 2 hours (begin checking at 1 1/2 hours). Once hot, cut off the skin, if included. At this point, you can eat it, or let cool and then wrap tightly and refrigerate until ready to slice or to dice into lardons.
If the bacon is too salty (remember, the ends will be saltier than the center), you can blanch the bacon in simmering water for 1 minute before cooking.
I've made this (varying the seasonings that I add) 4 times now and it's been very reliable and very popular with friends and family.

Good luck!


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## xutfuzzy (Jan 6, 2013)

First of all, for salt amounts start off with the default amounts found here:

http://diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html

Then you can make adjustments on the next batch, but going by percentages will help you find your personal sweet spot (so to speak) for salt amounts. 

As for flavors, go nuts.  I have been very successful with using jerk seasoning, SPOG (salt, pepper, onion, garlic), and my wife's favorite bacon of mine is the herbed bacon (I used a blend called Herbs du Provence), all seen below.

www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/130701/oops-how-i-had-to-fit-33-lbs-of-bacon-into-my-mes40


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## daveomak (Jan 7, 2013)

kitteny said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Just bought a smoker (Masterbuilt 30" electric) and our first experiment in smoking was bacon. Found a recipe online, which said to take our pork belly (skin on) and equal parts of kosher salt and brown sugar into it and place into a container in the fridge, draining the liquid every day and adding more salt as needed for about 7 days. Then rinsed it all off with cold water, pat it dry and let it sit in the fridge for a day before smoking it at 200 degrees until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 (which we did with hickory).
> 
> ...


kitteny, morning and welcome to the forum...    Before you throw the baby out with the bath water, read why nitrites (nitrates are different) are good for you when it comes to food poisoning...  Nitrates are not allowed in commercial bacon... You consume more nitrites/nitrates in vegetables than you get in bacon...  Nitrites prevent botulism in certain foods...  

Also, follow DiggingDogFarm's advice when it comes to curing... Some authors leave stuff out of their recipes... especially on the web, and errors in recipes are plentiful...  We have many folks here proof reading each others posts to try and catch all typos etc. so the goods you get here are reliable....   

Dave


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## diggingdogfarm (Jan 7, 2013)

krusem05 said:


> I disagree that 7 days is too short, it's exactly what I do for a roughly 5 pound belly, with no need to soak afterward.



Ultimately, it depends on the thickness and make-up of the belly.
Just because salt reaches the center doesn't mean it's well cured.
As I said above, extra time will ensure that the salt equalizes well.



krusem05 said:


> "If the bacon is too salty *(remember, the ends will be saltier than the center)*, you can blanch the bacon in simmering water for 1 minute before cooking."



Yep, not well cured.


~Martin


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## sound1 (Jan 7, 2013)

Dave nailed it. I too was looking for a "natural" curing process that would be safe but "nitrite" free. I found offerings made from celery and other veggies that sounded good until you put two and two together.   

From the USDA Q&A section

"Are celery powder and other natural sources of nitrite approved for use as curing agents?

No, neither celery powder (whether in a pre-reduced form or with a bacterial nitrate-reducing culture) nor other natural sources of nitrite alone are approved for use in 9 CFR 424.21(c) as  curing agents.   The substances are currently regulated as flavorings.   

FSIS recognizes that the naturally-occurring nitrate and nitrite contained in celery powder and other natural sources is sufficient to maintain the pink coloring of fresh meat.  However, curing agents provide more than color retention; they are also important in the control of growth of Clostridium perfringens  as well as Clostridium botulinum  and its toxin formation in cured products.  Currently available research has not supported that naturally occurring sources of nitrite alone  can sufficiently control the growth of these pathogens when compared to products that are conventionally cured with sodium nitrite 

The naturally-occurring nitrate and nitrite levels  in celery and other veggies may be higher than the levels in our home cured products.

Not to say that eating a pound of bacon is healthier than a bunch of celery with peanut butter, but it sure puts up a good argument


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## krusem05 (Jan 7, 2013)

Martin,

Despite what the recipe says, I hadn't found the ends to be much saltier than the middle. That being said, I'm always looking to learn. Do you take your bacon off of the salt after a set time to let it equalize without bringing more salt in, or is that 2% (by weight, I'm assuming) all pretty much used up? Roughly how long do you let a 5 lb., 1.5-2 inch thick slab sit?

Thanks for the advice!


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## fpnmf (Jan 7, 2013)

Ya might try an easier way that works great!!

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/124885/bacon-made-the-easy-way


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## diggingdogfarm (Jan 7, 2013)

Once upon a time, I often used the salt box method similar to what you posted, but since I've become carbohydrate intolerant and those mixes usually contain a good amount of sugar....I've switched to either a calculated amount of salt in a dry mix where a specific amount of salt is used for each piece of meat, or an equilibrium brine....and sometimes a combination cure.

I'm in no hurry when it comes to curing....flavor improves with time.
When applying a dry mix to skinless bellies without an injection, I typically cure for 7 days per inch of total thickness.

http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html



~Martin


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## rich- (Jan 8, 2013)

What fpnmf said is spot on for me. I have used this exact brine as posted several times now with the skin removed and have come up with the best bacon I have ever tasted.

I soak the belly submerged in that brine for no less than 14 day, take it from the brine and dob with paper towels to dry most liquid off. I have always did a few slices for a fry test and have yet to feel the need for soaking, The salt flavor has never been over bearing  for me.

I then put in fridge over night, then rub all surfaces with real maple syurp and cold smoke (100 degrees max) for the upwards of 14 to 16 hours using maple pellets. Many friends and family say it is with out a doubt the best flavored bacon they have ever had.

I can't think of any process that could be any easier.

Rich


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## kitteny (Jan 9, 2013)

Thanks everyone for the great advice! I can see now the recipe I had tried was very wrong. I just got a big pork belly that is now cut into 3 pieces so I'm going to try diggingdog's basic recipe with some added flavour components. I have high hopes that this batch will turn out well.

2 more questions: what exactly do people mean by double smoked bacon (is it smoked twice or just extra long? I find it great for camping as you don't have to refrigerate it). Has anyone tried teriyaki flavoured bacon? I think it would be pretty yum, will have to wait for another batch to try.


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## carhoplady (Jan 10, 2013)

I use a wet cure for my bacon, I generally make a maple bacon. It's a pretty simple recipe but works every single time. It is for 8 lbs of belly. 2Cups Kosher Salt, 1 Cup Dark brown sugar, 1 TBS tenderquick, 1 Gallon of water, 1 quart pure maple syrup. Mix all together. Drop your belly's in the "brine" (i use 2 4 lb pcs in 2 seperate containers) Weight it because it floats, fridge for 7-10 days turning once a day. After  7 - 10 days remove, pat dry, place in fridge for about 1 hr and smoke away!


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## diggingdogfarm (Jan 10, 2013)

Carhoplady said:


> I use a wet cure for my bacon, I generally make a maple bacon. It's a pretty simple recipe but works every single time. It is for 8 lbs of belly. 2Cups Kosher Salt, 1 Cup Dark brown sugar, 1 TBS tenderquick, 1 Gallon of water, 1 quart pure maple syrup. Mix all together. Drop your belly's in the "brine" (i use 2 4 lb pcs in 2 seperate containers) Weight it because it floats, fridge for 7-10 days turning once a day. After  7 - 10 days remove, pat dry, place in fridge for about 1 hr and smoke away!



FWIW....
That's not a safe amount of Tender Quick when cold or warm smoking.
Not enough nitrite/nitrate to protect against the possibility of botulinum toxin.

~Martin


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## carhoplady (Jan 11, 2013)

What do you suggest??


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## diggingdogfarm (Jan 11, 2013)

It's best to follow Morton's instructions or do an equilibrium brine if you're going to use Tender Quick.
You could also make Pops' brine (recipe here on the forum) if you obtain some cure #1.



~Martin


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## carhoplady (Jan 11, 2013)

Thanks for the info, How long are you talking about smoking it? MIne smokes no longer than 4 hours. G


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## diggingdogfarm (Jan 11, 2013)

Any length of time over a couple hours is potentially dangerous, unless your smoker temperature is a least 180 degrees, better 200.


~Martin


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## carhoplady (Jan 12, 2013)

Thanks Martin, I see I forgot to mention the temp! LOL Sorry!  I actually do smoke it at 225 :)   I have found at that temp it comes out a tad sweeter!


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## xfitjay (Jan 13, 2013)

I did my first bellies using a nitrite free recipe and using Rulhman's recipe. While they weren't total disasters, they did require quite a bit of soaking to make them edible. I also hot smoked them because I wasn't set up for a cold smoke. Since then I've used Pop's Brine Cure and Martin's Digging Dog Farm cure calculator. I've had consistently good results from both of those methods. I did 12 bellies as Christmas presents and got rave reviews. With the wet cured bellies I did a maple flavor. Pops himself recommended to me that I use maple extract instead of maple syrup since it's more concentrated and more likely to penetrate the meat. While I thought the results were fine, I still have to play with the amount I used (about 1/2 a bottle per gallon of brine - I'll try a whole bottle next time). I definitely recommend using the brine or the cure calculator. I would also recommend trying to cold smoke. I think it's a better flavor and texture. I also have a MES 30" and have set up a mailbox mod - http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...0-new-pictures-for-attaching-elbow-to-mailbox.


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## snorkelinggirl (Mar 3, 2013)

DiggingDogFarm said:


> Goodness, no!!!
> Bad recipe!!
> That'll end in disaster almost every time!
> Use a calculated amount of salt, start with 2% salt and cure long enough so that the salt distributes and equalizes well throughout the meat.
> ...


Hi Martin,

Not to hijack this thread, but I'm still trying to dial in my salt level too.  2 to 3 inch thick 5lb skin-on belly section, dry-brine cured for 22 days using 2.5% salt, 156 ppm sodium nitrite, 1.25% white sugar + 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, ground black pepper.  Rinsed and soaked for 1 hour in cool water, changed water at 30 minutes.  Overnight in refrigerator to form pellicle. Smoked for 12 hours using peach dust in AMNS with chamber temp < 80 degrees for entire time.  Air dried in refrigerator for 2 weeks to mellow before removing skin and slicing.  Texture fantastic, smoke taste fantastic, but still too salty. Dag-nabbit.

Should I:

(a) remove the skin and reweigh the belly before calculating the cure, as the skin supposedly doesn't absorb much salt

(b) drop down to 2.0% salt

(c) do both (a) and (b)

(d) go back to buying bacon, and leave the bacon curing to the professionals

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

Clarissa


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## diggingdogfarm (Mar 3, 2013)

SnorkelingGirl said:


> DiggingDogFarm said:
> 
> 
> > Goodness, no!!!
> ...


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## snorkelinggirl (Mar 3, 2013)

DiggingDogFarm said:


> Yes, drop the salt to 2%.
> I prefer to cure and smoke rindless bellies.
> 
> 
> ~Martin


Thank you very much for the help!

Clarissa


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