# Butcher pre-sliced the bellies, now what?



## dpeart (Dec 12, 2011)

All,

I was talking to my brother and he told the butcher he wanted the bellies to make bacon.  The butcher sliced the bellies into bacon slices, but it isn't cured or smoked.

Ideas on how to salvage the bacon?  Can you wet cure sliced belly, then smoke it?

not sure how to proceed.

dave


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## shtrdave (Dec 12, 2011)

Is it in some sort of order when sliced, can you reassemble and tie then cure and smoke?


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## DanMcG (Dec 12, 2011)

I don't see why not. It should cure real fast being thin sliced.


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## pops6927 (Dec 12, 2011)

Yes, you can!


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## mballi3011 (Dec 12, 2011)

Well if Dan and Pops say you can then you can take it to the bank. Brine away.


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## mikelikessmoke (Dec 12, 2011)

Another option is to just pack it up as is and eat as fresh side.

Dredge strips in seasoned flour and fry it up like a pork chop.

Fresh side CAN be nearly as addictive as Bacon!


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## dpeart (Dec 12, 2011)

So to cure sliced bacon, what times are we looking at?  I've only done a dry cure, and do the x days per inch thing.  How do you know you have cured long enough?

thanks,

dave


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## pops6927 (Dec 13, 2011)

If you're making stacks or bundles and tying together, I'd go 4 days with wet cure.


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## papagreer (Dec 13, 2011)

All is not lost!!! Lets see some pics after the smoke!

Chris


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## alelover (Dec 13, 2011)

I'd bring it back to the butcher and ask him what he was thinking when he sliced it all up without being told too. But I'm a real customer from hell.


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## wildflower (Dec 13, 2011)

Fresh side CAN be nearly as addictive as Bacon!

can it be, say it is not so, at last, Bacon is addictive


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## stubshaft (Dec 13, 2011)

Fresh side seasoned with some Death Dust, brown sugar and grilled till crispy *IS* _almost_ as addictive as bacon!


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