# Bacon that tastes like ham



## bandit6611 (Jul 22, 2021)

We purchases a pig and had it butchered and the bacon they gave us tastes like ham....is there a way to make it taste like bacon?  It was smoked from the butcher but i do not know hot or cold.....


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## SmokinEdge (Jul 22, 2021)

bandit6611 said:


> We purchases a pig and had it butchered and the bacon they gave us tastes like ham....is there a way to make it taste like bacon?  It was smoked from the butcher but i do not know hot or cold.....


Explain the taste difference between ham and bacon. Pork is pork and cure is cure. What makes bacon, bacon?


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## DanMcG (Jul 22, 2021)

It always seemed to me the thicker the bacon was sliced the more hammy it tasted,


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## chef jimmyj (Jul 22, 2021)

Store Bought Bacon is injected with Salt, Sugar, Cure #1, Erythorbate to speed the Cure process, Preservatives, Liquid Smoke and any other number of additives.
Butcher Bacon, is Dry Rubbed or Brined with Salt, Sugar, Cure #1 and Naturally Smoked. It will not taste the same as the Store Bought you may be used too. Additionally,  the Leaner and Thicker Cut your Butcher Bacon, the more Hammy it will taste as the cure process is virtually identical...JJ


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## bandit6611 (Jul 22, 2021)

chef jimmyj said:


> Store Bought Bacon is injected with Salt, Sugar, Cure #1, Erythorbate to speed the Cure process, Preservatives, Liquid Smoke and any other number of additives.
> Butcher Bacon, is Dry Rubbed or Brined with Salt, Sugar, Cure #1 and Naturally Smoked. It will not taste the same as the Store Bought you may be used too. Additionally,  the Leaner and Thicker Cut your Butcher Bacon, the more Hammy it will taste as the cure process is virtually identical...JJ


Thank you JJ for your response. Does that mean that there is nothing that I can do taste more like store-bought bacon


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## chef jimmyj (Jul 22, 2021)

Nothing I can thing of. Where you at? I'll trade an equal amount of Store Bacon for what you have. I live in PA....JJ


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## bandit6611 (Jul 22, 2021)

chef jimmyj said:


> Nothing I can thing of. Where you at? I'll trade an equal amount of Store Bacon for what you have. I live in PA....JJ


IL, lol.  Ok, that's to bad, what a waste.


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## chef jimmyj (Jul 22, 2021)

I would not Toss it. Use it in recipes that are usually made with Ham. Ham and Bean Soup, Collard Greens, Split Pea Soup, Beer Cheese Soup. Ham and Green Beans with Potatoes. YUM!!!
Google Recipes with Ham and I'm sure you would find ways to use it up...JJ


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## Brokenhandle (Jul 22, 2021)

Yes many ways to use it up! You had a good deal with 

 chef jimmyj
  he at least was willing to trade... I'm in Iowa and would gladly take it off your hands, I love em both!   

Ryan


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## bandit6611 (Jul 22, 2021)

chef jimmyj said:


> I would not Toss it. Use it in recipes that are usually made with Ham. Ham and Bean Soup, Collard Greens, Split Pea Soup, Beer Cheese Soup. Ham and Green Beans with Potatoes. YUM!!!
> Google Recipes with Ham and I'm sure you would find ways to use it up...JJ


I will try, I do have a great soup I make with ham.


Brokenhandle said:


> Yes many ways to use it up! You had a good deal with
> 
> chef jimmyj
> he at least was willing to trade... I'm in Iowa and would gladly take it off your hands, I love em both!
> ...


Come on over!


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## daveomak (Jul 22, 2021)

How big was the pig ???  How thick was the belly slab ???
If it was an older boar, that "could" be the difference...
I have found the loin, from the front of the pig tastes like shoulder and from the back end, tastes like ham...  That is when the entire loin is cured and smoked..


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## bandit6611 (Jul 22, 2021)

daveomak said:


> How big was the pig ???  How thick was the belly slab ???
> If it was an older boar, that "could" be the difference...
> I have found the loin, from the front of the pig tastes like shoulder and from the back end, tastes like ham...  That is when the entire loin is cured and smoked..


I don't actually know, trying to remember the weight.  Was going I could recure or or smoke or something to get them to more of a bacon taste you get from a store


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## thirdeye (Jul 22, 2021)

bandit6611 said:


> We purchases a pig and had it butchered and the bacon they gave us tastes like ham....is there a way to make it taste like bacon?  It was smoked from the butcher but i do not know hot or cold.....


Not to slight your processor, but they probably wet cured the belly for the minimum amount of time needed, and did a light smoke on it for a mild flavor.  Next time, get the fresh belly and do an equilibrium dry cure for 14 days. Then give it some cold smoke time, and a hot smoke finish if you like.  Then let it mellow in the fridge for at least 48 hours. These things will bring out as much of a bacon flavor as you can get. 

As a test, take a few slices of your bacon and give it a couple of hours of cool smoke.  Then hold it overnight and cook it the next morning.


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## bandit6611 (Jul 22, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> Not to slight your processor, but they probably wet cured the belly for the minimum amount of time needed, and did a light smoke on it for a mild flavor.  Next time, get the fresh belly and do an equilibrium dry cure for 14 days. Then give it some cold smoke time, and a hot smoke finish if you like.  Then let it mellow in the fridge for at least 48 hours. These things will bring out as much of a bacon flavor as you can get.
> 
> As a test, take a few slices of your bacon and give it a couple of hours of cool smoke.  Then hold it overnight and cook it the next morning.
> 
> View attachment 505097


So I am new to this, when you say couple of hours of cool smoke that means?  Then hold it overnight- just put it in the fridge?  I believe you are right on the butcher- I will did it differently the next time!


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## thirdeye (Jul 22, 2021)

bandit6611 said:


> So I am new to this, when you say couple of hours of cool smoke that means?  Then hold it overnight- just put it in the fridge?  I believe you are right on the butcher- I will did it differently the next time!


Sorry.... you can cold smoke cured foods, by definition less than 80°F, using a pellet tube or a sawdust tray for generating smoke.  Cold smoked food is not fully cooked and in the case of bacon needs to be fried or baked or whatever.

Hot smoked cured food, by definition 212° and above, can become fully cooked, but will be cooked more than cold smoked food.  Bacon for example can be hot smoked to 130° and it still must be cooked more before eating.  If you hot smoke it to 145°+ it's technically fully cooked. 

Terms like cool smoked or warm smoked are non-standard terms for smoker temps in between.  So cool smoke could be ~150°.

Yes, holding overnight is in the fridge.  I usually let it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours, which will allow the color to darken (bloom), then I move to the fridge and tent with wax paper or clear wrap.


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## bandit6611 (Jul 22, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> Sorry.... you can cold smoke cured foods, by definition less than 80°F, using a pellet tube or a sawdust tray for generating smoke.  Cold smoked food is not fully cooked and in the case of bacon needs to be fried or baked or whatever.
> 
> Hot smoked cured food, by definition 212° and above, can become fully cooked, but will be cooked more than cold smoked food.  Bacon for example can be hot smoked to 130° and it still must be cooked more before eating.  If you hot smoke it to 145°+ it's technically fully cooked.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the info!  I appreciate you telling me what i can try!


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## bandit6611 (Jul 25, 2021)

bandit6611 said:


> Thank you for the info!  I appreciate you telling me what i can try!


By the way, your idea worked!  Thank you soooo much!


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## chef jimmyj (Jul 25, 2021)

Glad it worked out. We bothe learned a new trick...JJ


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## thirdeye (Jul 26, 2021)

bandit6611 said:


> By the way, your idea worked!  Thank you soooo much!


You are welcome.


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