# Double Smoked Berbere Back Bacon



## disco (Jun 5, 2016)

Ok for all my American friends. You call back bacon Canadian bacon Us Canadians know better and call it by its proper name, back bacon.

I started experimenting with Berbere Spice a while ago and had this feeling that it would go well with the salty/sweet taste of back bacon. My brain is warped and just has to act on these ideas.

Here is the spice. Remember, in cooking, looks is important too so I got a fancy container and home made label for my spice mix.













Berbere Bacon 01.jpg



__ disco
__ Jun 5, 2016






I had a couple of small pork loin chunks in the freezer which were just perfect for experimenting with a new recipe.

I tried one putting the Berbere spice in the cure and the other by sprinkling the Berbere spice on just before smoking.

I mixed my cure mix. Here is my cure mix for 1 kilogram of pork:

3 grams Prague Powder #1

40 ml brown sugar

15 ml kosher salt

For the piece I added the  Berbere spice to the cure, I put 1 ml in the cure mix

For my metrically challenged friends, this is the mix for 1 pound of pork:

0.05 ounce of Prague Powder #1

4 teaspoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

If you are adding the Berbere spice to the cure, add 1/8 teaspoon

I weighed each piece and made up the cure mix for each one based on its weight.













Berbere Bacon 02.jpg



__ disco
__ Jun 5, 2016






I put the pork loin on a plate and rubbed it with the cure mixture.













Berbere Bacon 03.jpg



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Then I put the piece in a resealable bag and made sure any cure that didn't stick to the loin was scraped off the plate into the bag.













Berbere Bacon 04.jpg



__ disco
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I repeated the process for the second piece but I did not put Berbere spice in the cure mix.

Both pieces went into the fridge. The thickest part was two inches thick. I cure for 4 days per inch plus 2 days for luck. For 10 days I left it in the fridge, turning and rubbing the cure in every day or so.

After 10 days, I took the loins out of the fridge and soaked them in cold water for an hour, changing the water twice.

I put the loins on a rack and dried them with paper towels.













Berbere Bacon 05.jpg



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Berbere Bacon 06.jpg



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Berbere Bacon 07.jpg



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I let them dry for a couple of hours, occasionally patting it with a paper towel. When the pork was dry and tacky, I sprinkled 2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) of berbere spice on the piece that had not been cured with it. You'll note that She Who Must Be Obeyed made me upgrade my spice container.













Berbere Bacon 08.jpg



__ disco
__ Jun 5, 2016






I fired up my Amazen Tube Smoker with hickory. I have used the pellet smoker for years but I find the tube smoker just takes less futzing. I put the pork and the smoker in my pellet smoker.













Berbere Bacon 09.jpg



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I cold smoked for 4 hours and took the bacon in and refrigerated it overnight.













Berbere Bacon 10.jpg



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The next day, I preheated my pellet green to 180 F. I smoked the bacon to an internal temperature of 140 F, about 3 hours.













Berbere Bacon 11.jpg



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Berbere Bacon 12.jpg



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I put it in the fridge overnight and then sliced it up.

Here is the one that was cured with the Berbere Spice.













Berbere Bacon 13.jpg



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Here is the one I dusted with Berbere before smoking.













Berbere Bacon 14.jpg



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I fried a couple of slices of each.













Berbere Bacon 15.jpg



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The Verdict

Wow! This is the best back bacon I have made by a long stretch. The Berbere spice gives just a warmth as opposed to heat. Even She Who Must Be Obeyed didn't find it too spicy. That being said, there is a complexity of taste that goes incredibly well with the nice smokiness and sweetness of back bacon. 

As for putting the spice in the cure versus putting it on before smoking, I preferred the spice in the cure. It gave a nice even heat that was just there. The bacon it was sprinkled on was terrific but had a harsher heat that comes on after a second. It still isn't overly hot but it does bite a bit more.

This will be made very often.

Disco


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## pc farmer (Jun 5, 2016)

Great job Disco.

Now I gotta see if I can find that spice.


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## disco (Jun 5, 2016)

c farmer said:


> Great job Disco.
> 
> Now I gotta see if I can find that spice.


Thanks, Adam. I couldn't get it here in the mountains. I had to mix my own.

Disco


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## pc farmer (Jun 5, 2016)

Disco said:


> Thanks, Adam. I couldn't get it here in the mountains. I had to mix my own.
> 
> Disco


​Did you post the mix?


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## disco (Jun 5, 2016)

c farmer said:


> ​Did you post the mix?


Yep. See http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/246795/berbere-pork-loin


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jun 5, 2016)

Looks like a must try smoke Disco, nice thread !    Thumbs Up


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## disco (Jun 5, 2016)

WaterinHoleBrew said:


> Looks like a must try smoke Disco, nice thread !


Thanks, Brew.


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## pc farmer (Jun 5, 2016)

Disco said:


> Yep. See http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/246795/berbere-pork-loin



Thanks sir.


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## worktogthr (Jun 5, 2016)

Damn Disco, that looks beautiful!  The color is magnificent!  Points for sure!


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## disco (Jun 5, 2016)

worktogthr said:


> Damn Disco, that looks beautiful! The color is magnificent! Points for sure!


Thanks! I need to make more already!


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## SmokinAl (Jun 6, 2016)

Great looking bacon Disco, but that's only about enough for 1 meal.

I think you better get busy & make some more!







   Al


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## disco (Jun 6, 2016)

SmokinAl said:


> Great looking bacon Disco, but that's only about enough for 1 meal.
> 
> I think you better get busy & make some more!
> 
> ...


Thanks, Al. As I was tasting it, I looked wistfully at the small amount I smoked so I guess you are right!


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## bdskelly (Jun 6, 2016)

What an awesome job Disco. Old Fat Guys Rock!!  point B


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## disco (Jun 6, 2016)

BDSkelly said:


> What an awesome job Disco. Old Fat Guys Rock!!  point B


Thanks for the point, Brian. Actually it is a bit more like jiggle than rock!


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## redheelerdog (Jun 6, 2016)

Rock the house Amazing Disco!

I'm going to have to try the Berbere spice.

Thanks













Keep-up-the-GOOD-Work.jpg



__ redheelerdog
__ May 30, 2016


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## disco (Jun 6, 2016)

redheelerdog said:


> Rock the house Amazing Disco!
> 
> I'm going to have to try the Berbere spice.
> 
> ...


Very kind of you, Red.


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