# Pork belly #2



## jbellard (Feb 2, 2019)

A friend of mine wants me to make him bacon so I finally went to a store down in the hood to get whole pork belly. It was frozen in 5-6lb sections. 
I defrosted it in my fridge for 3 days and today it was good to be cured. I cut it into several pieces to fit it in the ziplocs and Then I weighed the pieces to figure out the cure, salt and sugar. 

Have them in the fridge along with 12lbs of buckboard bacon that will be done next week. 

Stay tuned to see how it turns out.


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## SonnyE (Feb 2, 2019)

Watching this one!


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## motocrash (Feb 2, 2019)

The 3rd pic makes me wonder how much cure made it into the bag with the belly.The cure,sugar and salt should be mixed and then sprinkled onto the meat IN the bag.


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## jbellard (Feb 2, 2019)

I got most of cure mixture onto meat before I put into bag but I will try mixing in bag next time.
This is my 3rd batch so want to learn the best ways. Thanks!


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## SonnyE (Feb 2, 2019)

jbellard said:


> I got most of cure mixture onto meat before I put into bag but I will try mixing in bag next time.
> This is my 3rd batch so want to learn the best ways. Thanks!



This should be prefaced with, I use a small bowl for each slab, and each bowl is custom mixed for the slab weight it is made for. Cure to meat weight is important. Seasonings variable.

I've done both. I've put the cure mixture on, on a plate. Then use a spatula to clean the plate into the bagged slabs.
But I didn't like the schmerring getting it into the bag.
So, next time...
I get the bacon into the bag, then held the bag open and sprinkler the cure mixture half on the up side. 
Turned the bag/slab over, did the same thing on the other side. Point being, all the cure mixture was inside the bag, and sprinkled on the meat.
That has become my method of putting the cure onto and into the bag.

Then the bag is heat sealed (I use vacuum bags) with a little room for 'slosh'. Dated for start and finish day. And lastly I put a 1 on one side, and a 2 on the other, of each bag being cured.  I know it sounds odd, but there have been times I wondered if I had my meat right side up for the day. The 1, 2, makes it easy to track. 
Cure for the time you like to cure. I do 14 days.

Just my little 'fine tuning's' to how I'm doing mine. It's in my nature to try and tweak things to work better for me.
YMMV.


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## crazymoon (Feb 2, 2019)

JB, I'm in!


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## jbellard (Feb 2, 2019)

Thanks sonny for the tips!


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## SonnyE (Feb 2, 2019)

jbellard said:


> Thanks sonny for the tips!



You're most welcome.
Just my weird way of approaching a method.

I can't tell for sure, but you have the skin off, don't you?


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## jbellard (Feb 2, 2019)

Sonny,

I actually left the skin on. Read it was easier to take it off once it was smoked. 
What do y’all say for next time??
Skin off or on?


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## SmokinAl (Feb 3, 2019)

I always remove the skin before smoking.
Here is a great video of how to skin a belly.


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## SonnyE (Feb 3, 2019)

jbellard said:


> Sonny,
> 
> I actually left the skin on. Read it was easier to take it off once it was smoked.
> What do y’all say for next time??
> Skin off or on?



I'm an Off type.
I want the smoke to get to the meat unimpeded.
But then, I'm considered Off in other ways, too. 

You are trying it Skin On, and next try it Skin Off.
See what you like the best. 

I don't want to pay by the pound for something I'm going to throw away anyway. I don't like it with anything I have to trim.


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## jbellard (Feb 3, 2019)

I hear you on not paying for something you can’t eat but skin on is the only way I can get whole belly for 50 miles around me. I’m sure there is some farmer that has them but I don’t know him yet!!!!!


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## SonnyE (Feb 3, 2019)

jbellard said:


> I hear you on not paying for something you can’t eat but skin on is the only way I can get whole belly for 50 miles around me. I’m sure there is some farmer that has them but I don’t know him yet!!!!!



In all honesty, I haven't found any bellies with the skin on around me.
But even if I did, I'd remove it before beginning.


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## jbellard (Feb 8, 2019)

So finally got the belly on the smoker.
Using my large smoker this time.
It’s 32 degrees outside as a cold front came through yesterday.

Put amzn tube in firebox and after about 30 seconds to a minute it started coming out of the smokestack.
Have the belly hanging from my rack and will let it smoke for a good while today.


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## SonnyE (Feb 8, 2019)

YaHoo!
That right there is some cold smoking goin on!

Remember what they say, "If you're lookin, You aren't cookin."


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## jbellard (Feb 8, 2019)

Had to run out back came back and found only embers left in the tube. 
Filled it up again and back in the smoke. 

Any ideas on how long is best to cold smoke like this?  

Will post more pics later.


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## jbellard (Feb 9, 2019)

Got belly into freezer and just got time today to get it sliced up.
Belly came out good.
Thanks for taking a look!
I’ll have to take more pics because I sliced up about 10lbs of pork belly and about 15lbs of pork shoulder.


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