# How does one get crispy bacon



## albinva (Feb 23, 2018)

I have cured and smoked pork belly in an effort to make bacon on 2 separate occasions.  The flavor has been fine both times but when I cook it, I cannot get a crispy finish.  I like the chew when I eat it plain, but not so much when I make a BLT.  One bite pulls the whole strip into my mouth :).

Any suggestions?

Al


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## atomicsmoke (Feb 23, 2018)

Is the bacon dry or wet cured? Cold or hot smoked?


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## albinva (Feb 23, 2018)

I cure with sugar, salt and pink salt rubbed into slab.  Place in bag and in the frig for a week, turning over each day.  I do not get much liquid from this process.  After removing from frig, I rinse very well and place on pellet grill at temps from 130 to 180, with some peak temps at 200.  I watch closely to keep temps at 160 to 180.

Thanks


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## Bearcarver (Feb 23, 2018)

albinva said:


> I cure with sugar, salt and pink salt rubbed into slab.  Place in bag and in the frig for a week, turning over each day.  I do not get much liquid from this process.  After removing from frig, I rinse very well and place on pellet grill at temps from 130 to 180, with some peak temps at 200.  I watch closely to keep temps at 160 to 180.
> 
> Thanks




Try Smoking between 100° and 130°.
Smoking above 140° will usually Render some fat.
Also Slice thinner.
*Bacon (Extra Smoky)*

Bear


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## idahopz (Feb 23, 2018)

I always bake my bacon on parchment paper on a cookie sheet - the even temperatures in the oven always results in even crisping.


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## atomicsmoke (Feb 23, 2018)

Or try cold smoking it.


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## PerazziMx14 (Feb 23, 2018)

Make cold smoked jowl bacon. The texture is very brittle and crumbly when chewed. It is perfect for in sandwiched as it shears nicely when you bite through the sandwich.

For the record I only cold smoke so I do not know how the texture would be if hot smoked.


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## albinva (Feb 23, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> Try Smoking between 100° and 130°.
> Smoking above 140° will usually Render some fat.
> Also Slice thinner.
> *Bacon (Extra Smoky)*
> ...


Thanks for the temp range.  One more question.  Do you take internal temp of slab to a certain temp or smoke at 130 for a certain amount of time?  I took my previous slabs to 150 internal.

I do not have a cold smoke generator.  What is the best method for cold smoking and how long is the process?

Thanks all for the comments.

Al


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## PerazziMx14 (Feb 23, 2018)

Look at the Amazing pellet tray or tube. They are well...Amazing. Great smoke for long durations. My tray will produce nice smoke for 10 to 12 hours using 1/2 lb of pellets. 

I cold smoke in 10 hour sessions then rest in fridge. I do a minimum of 4 sessions and have done 7. So 40 hours of smoke is the minimum and there is no maximum.


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## SmokinAl (Feb 23, 2018)

I cold smoke mine for 10-12 hours & that's plenty of smoke flavor for me.
2 week cure, 4 day uncovered in fridge on drying rack, 10-12 hour cold smoke, smoker temp under 90 degrees. 
Then 4 more days uncovered on drying rack in fridge. Then 2-3 hours in the freezer & slice it up on a meat slicer.
Al


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## atomicsmoke (Feb 23, 2018)

Amzn gadgets are the tool of choice for cold smokes around here.

As for smoke times...you can see large differences even on this thread. Only you know what you like. One man's "smoky taste" is another man's "ashtray taste". You have to experiment.


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## PerazziMx14 (Feb 23, 2018)

atomicsmoke said:


> Amzn gadgets are the tool of choice for cold smokes around here.
> 
> As for smoke times...you can see large differences even on this thread. Only you know what you like. One man's "smoky taste" is another man's "ashtray taste". You have to experiment.



Its also dependent on woods used. Some like apple have a mild taste profile while others like mesquite and hickory are much more pronounced.


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## atomicsmoke (Feb 23, 2018)

PerazziMx14 said:


> Its also dependent on woods used. Some like apple have a mild taste profile while others like mesquite and hickory are much more pronounced.


Correct.


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## gmc2003 (Feb 23, 2018)

albinva said:


> I have cured and smoked pork belly in an effort to make bacon on 2 separate occasions.  The flavor has been fine both times but when I cook it, I cannot get a crispy finish.  I like the chew when I eat it plain, but not so much when I make a BLT.  One bite pulls the whole strip into my mouth :).
> 
> Any suggestions?
> 
> Al



Weather permitting I like to cook my bacon(store bought) on my Weber Kettle. I use an indirect setup with a catch pan under the bacon. Comes out great every time. 

Chris


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## piker (Feb 23, 2018)

I dry cure a pork belly in the frig for 7 to 10 days and then into my o.b.s until I have an I.t. Of 135f. It is a nice brown colour after about 4  to 6. HRs. That is all the smoke I like. I leave in the frig overnight and then slice and freeze. It has always turned out great as my friends will attest to. I have probably done about 125 bellies over the years and still cannot get ahead. I have never had a problem in getting it crispy. Piker


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## bob-whie (Feb 23, 2018)

albinva said:


> I have cured and smoked pork belly in an effort to make bacon on 2 separate occasions.  The flavor has been fine both times but when I cook it, I cannot get a crispy finish.  I like the chew when I eat it plain, but not so much when I make a BLT.  One bite pulls the whole strip into my mouth :).
> Any suggestions? Al


Marketplace bacon generally will fry up crispy, even the thick cut.
What's the common denominator in store bought bacon -- it's all wet injected tumble cured with water added.  _*This is not an attack on dry curing*_, but an attempt to explore the possibility that the inclusion of water may be a factor regarding crispness, since dry curing tends to draw moisture out of the meat block -- although frankly I have no evidence to make any conclusion.

Just finished 32 pounds of wet tumble cured bacon. The bacon is great looking, but does have a "chew" no matter how it's cooked,  whether skillet fried, oven baked or fried in a commercial clamshell fryer.
This 32 pounds came from one three year old animal, it would be reasonable to attribute the chew to the age of the hog, but....
looking forward to the discussion.


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## indaswamp (Feb 23, 2018)

How do you "wet tumble" cure bacon at home?


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## atomicsmoke (Feb 23, 2018)

bob-whie said:


> Marketplace bacon generally will fry up crispy, even the thick cut.
> What's the common denominator in store bought bacon -- it's all wet injected tumble cured with water added.  _*This is not an attack on dry curing*_, but an attempt to explore the possibility that the inclusion of water may be a factor regarding crispness, since dry curing tends to draw moisture out of the meat block -- although frankly I have no evidence to make any conclusion.
> 
> Just finished 32 pounds of wet tumble cured bacon. The bacon is great looking, but does have a "chew" no matter how it's cooked,  whether skillet fried, oven baked or fried in a commercial clamshell fryer.
> ...


32lbs of bacon from one pig? Must have been a monster


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## bob-whie (Feb 23, 2018)

indaswamp said:


> How do you "wet tumble" cure bacon at home?


Hollymatic HVT 100 tumbler like this one.
Pickup up at auction ridiculously cheap.


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## bob-whie (Feb 23, 2018)

atomicsmoke said:


> 32lbs of bacon from one pig? Must have been a monster


She was a unbred gilt running with the sows that somehow got missed during culling, probably near 500# live weight.
280# sausage minus the bacon and spareribs. Our hogs are on the meaty side, there was just enough fat to make the sausage right, any less and it would been dry..


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## Bearcarver (Feb 23, 2018)

albinva said:


> Thanks for the temp range.  One more question.  Do you take internal temp of slab to a certain temp or smoke at 130 for a certain amount of time?  I took my previous slabs to 150 internal.
> I do not have a cold smoke generator.  What is the best method for cold smoking and how long is the process?
> Thanks all for the comments.
> 
> Al




Personally, I Smoke my Belly Bacon for the length of One AMNPS filling, which is about 11 hours. After 11 hours of between 100° and 130° Smoker temp, I always have Great color & flavor. Under 100° would take twice that long to get the same color & flavor.  I don't worry about what the internal temp is, but I've seen it in the 110° to 120° range.

As for CB & BBB I start out low, but gradually increase the smoker temp until the meat gets to 145° IT.

Bear


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## daveomak (Feb 23, 2018)

Bake on a wire rack in the oven at 325 until crisp as you like...


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## bob-whie (Feb 24, 2018)

albinva said:


> I have cured and smoked pork belly in an effort to make bacon on 2 separate occasions.  The flavor has been fine both times but when I cook it, I cannot get a crispy finish.  I like the chew when I eat it plain, but not so much when I make a BLT.  One bite pulls the whole strip into my mouth :).
> Any suggestions?
> Al


Kind of a geeky article about crispy bacon, but does somewhat confirm the "low and slow" cooking method stated often here on SMF. Certain it was written for store bought bacon, so take it for what it's worth......
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/10/baked-bacon-for-a-crowd-recipe.html


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## nanuk (Feb 25, 2018)

bearcarver said:


> Personally, I Smoke my Belly Bacon for the length of One AMNPS filling, which is about 11 hours. After 11 hours of between 100° and 130° Smoker temp, I always have Great color & flavor. Under 100° would take twice that long to get the same color & flavor.  I don't worry about what the internal temp is, but I've seen it in the 110° to 120° range.
> 
> As for CB & BBB I start out low, but gradually increase the smoker temp until the meat gets to 145° IT.
> 
> Bear




So, it's OK to keep cured solid meat between 40/140 for 11 hours?
But not cured sausage, right?

Also, does anyone "Cook" their bacon after smoking? (before frying?)

I used to be a retail meatcutter, and our slab bacon was smoked, and safe to eat as it came.  Same with cured pig legs. Whole hams we cut up did not need any further cooking, and were safe to eat.
Commercial packaged bacon I was taught was cooked "UNLESS" the package said to "Cook Before Eating" or some such warning....


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## Bearcarver (Feb 25, 2018)

nanuk said:


> So, it's OK to keep cured solid meat between 40/140 for 11 hours?
> But not cured sausage, right?
> 
> Also, does anyone "Cook" their bacon after smoking? (before frying?)
> ...




One of the main reasons for curing is so you can Smoke Low & Slow for longer than the 4 hours Danger Zone. Some guys take Days Cold Smoking their Bacon, without harm.

The Bacon has to get to 145° before eating----That could take place while Smoking, after Smoking, Frying, Grilling, Broiling, Baking, or any other time before eating.

Bear


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## nanuk (Feb 25, 2018)

Thanks Bear, that is what I needed to know.

does that 11 hours apply to ground meats also? or just whole muscles?


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## nanuk (Feb 25, 2018)

And BearCarver, thanks for your contributions regarding Morton's TQ.

I just mixed up my first batch of meat, using the "Log" recipe, scaled down to my 2.5lb meat.   
I measured twice the TQ to be sure it was good.

I have only one loaf pan 1" thick.  
A friend has a semicommercial smoker, and will be smoking in the near future.   

I"m going to be freezing this after is sits in the refer for 24 hours.
I'll dry it when ready to smoke.
I took a coupla pics.

Brad


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## Bearcarver (Feb 25, 2018)

nanuk said:


> Thanks Bear, that is what I needed to know.
> 
> does that 11 hours apply to ground meats also? or just whole muscles?




As far as I know 11 hours would be fine for sausage, as long as it's cured properly.
However you have to take it higher than 145°. I'm a little rusty---For cured sausage it's either 152° or 160°. I think it's 152° but I'd check with one of the many sausage hounds here, like Nepas, Dave, or Boykjo.

Bear


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## nanuk (Feb 25, 2018)

Understood Bearcarver.

Thanks.


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## albinva (Feb 25, 2018)

Wow,

Was away from my computer for the weekend and just caught up on my thread.  Great conversation going on here.  I enjoy getting info on all things smoking.  I need to come around more often.  Thanks all.

Al


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