# Pork Belly Bacon IT?



## kilo charlie (Jun 30, 2021)

Hate asking this but there's just so much conflicting information on this subject.

What's the consensus on the IT for pork belly bacon when smoking it? 

Yes I know this is going to result in a bunch of different answers  but I for one want to KNOW.


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## browneyesvictim (Jun 30, 2021)

It can safely be smoked cold and sliced and left raw when using cure #1 properly. It is supposed to then be cooked to safe internal IT before eating.

Some people choose to "hot smoke" and prefer to cook their bacon so that it is safe to nibble on before frying in a pan.

Two different approaches. Neither are wrong nor conflicting.


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## kilo charlie (Jun 30, 2021)

browneyesvictim said:


> It can safely be smoked cold and sliced and left raw when using cure #1 properly. It is supposed to then be cooked to safe internal IT before eating.
> 
> Some people choose to "hot smoke" and prefer to cook their bacon so that it is safe to nibble on before frying in a pan.



And what would that IT be when hot smoking?


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## browneyesvictim (Jun 30, 2021)

The USDA guidelines set the minimum guidelines.  The recommended safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of pork was lowered  from 160 ºF to 145 ºF.
You can still "hot smoke" to a lower IT temp than than 145 but then requires fully cooking again later.


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## thirdeye (Jun 30, 2021)

For my 2X or 3X cold smoked bacon in the fall and winter the internal might only get to 45°.  When I hot smoke bacon I'll take it to 125°ish, knowing it still requires cooking.


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## kilo charlie (Jun 30, 2021)

browneyesvictim said:


> The USDA guidelines set the minimum guidelines.  The recommended safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of pork was lowered  from 160 ºF to 145 ºF.
> You can still "hot smoke" to a lower IT temp than than 145 but then requires fully cooking again later.


Perfect! Thank you for clarifying.


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## kilo charlie (Jun 30, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> For my 2X or 3X cold smoked bacon in the fall and winter the internal might only get to 45°.  When I hot smoke bacon I'll take it to 125°ish, knowing it still requires cooking.


 
Thank you! This is the type of information that should be "standard" for both hot and cold versions!


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## SmokinEdge (Jun 30, 2021)

I smoke all my bacon to 145* IT. The reason I do this is:
1) The meat is safe.
2) I get much less black granules or burning in the pan when frying. This is important with sugars. 
3) The bacon isn’t “cooked” as much as it is pasteurized, this makes it safe.


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## thirdeye (Jun 30, 2021)

kilo charlie said:


> Thank you! This is the type of information that should be "standard" for both hot and cold versions!


And like 

 browneyesvictim
 mentioned 145°+ will give you a ready-to-eat bacon, which is good when sliced real thin, but I like to still fry it to sort of crisp the fat.


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## kilo charlie (Jun 30, 2021)

Thank you all for your answers and reasons! 

Perhaps one of the powers that be could make a sticky thread in Bacon that provides the guidelines for 145F for warm/hot smoking and the cold smoking "guidelines"? 

That way the next guy that comes along can find the answers right quick??


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## smokeymose (Jun 30, 2021)

I've never considered the IT smoking.  After curing I cold smoke it for a few hours, chill, slice and vac-seal.
It's going to get cooked somehow before eating...


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## SmokinEdge (Jun 30, 2021)

smokeymose said:


> I've never considered the IT smoking.  After curing I cold smoke it for a few hours, chill, slice and vac-seal.
> It's going to get cooked somehow before eating...


If you like sweet bacon, the low pre cook of 145* helps to stop burning in the pan. At 145* the bacon still looks raw in apperance but needs less time to crisp up in the heat, thus less black or burn. Just so you know.


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## SmokinAl (Jul 1, 2021)

Dry cured, cold smoked bacon is the way to go IMHO. The temp of the bacon never gets above 90 degrees. I think it has a better taste & texture done this way. But some guys feel it’s safer to take it to 145. I have tried it that way & don’t like it as well. I’m going to fry it either way, so why cook it twice?
But again that’s just my opinion, any way you cook or prepare bacon is going to be better than store bought.
Al


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## chopsaw (Jul 1, 2021)

SmokinEdge said:


> . At 145* the bacon still looks raw in apperance but needs less time to crisp up in the heat, thus less black or burn. Just so you know.




 kilo charlie

I hot smoke to 145 ish . This is Buckboard bacon , but same idea . 
After hot smoking to 145


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## kilo charlie (Jul 1, 2021)

SmokinAl said:


> Dry cured, cold smoked bacon is the way to go IMHO. The temp of the bacon never gets above 90 degrees. I think it has a better taste & texture done this way. But some guys feel it’s safer to take it to 145. I have tried it that way & don’t like it as well. I’m going to fry it either way, so why cook it twice?
> But again that’s just my opinion, any way you cook or prepare bacon is going to be better than store bought.
> Al



Thank you Al!


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## kilo charlie (Jul 1, 2021)

chopsaw said:


> kilo charlie
> 
> I hot smoke to 145 ish . This is Buckboard bacon , but same idea .
> After hot smoking to 145
> View attachment 502130



Thank you! 

My very first cure all those years ago was buck board bacon! 

It was a dry cure, I hand sliced it since I didn't have a slicer etc.. Haha the "good" old days!


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## Bearcarver (Jul 1, 2021)

I Split the Difference---I don't Hot Smoke or Cold Smoke.
I *Warm Smoke* until I get Great Color & Flavor.
I usually Smoked for about 10 Hours (A Full AMNPS).
I never cared what the IT is, but it was usually between 110° and 120°, and I used a Smoker Temp of between 110° and 130°, and never let it spike as high as 140°.  
140° is where it would "actually" start to Render.
This Bacon would have to be cooked before eating.
Step by Step-----Bacon (Extra Smoky)


Bear


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## kilo charlie (Jul 1, 2021)

Bearcarver said:


> I Split the Difference---I don't Hot Smoke or Cold Smoke.
> I *Warm Smoke* until I get Great Color & Flavor.
> I usually Smoked for about 10 Hours (A Full AMNPS).
> I never cared what the IT is, but it was usually between 110° and 120°, and I used a Smoker Temp of between 110° and 130°, and never let it spike as high as 140°.
> ...



 Thanks Bear!


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## mneeley490 (Jul 1, 2021)

Bearcarver's technique is the one I've been using for years.  Heck, I was going to post it, but he beat me to it by a few minutes. I've done both cold and hot, but I like his method the best. It's the best of both worlds.


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## kilo charlie (Jul 1, 2021)

mneeley490 said:


> Bearcarver's technique is the one I've been using for years.  Heck, I was going to post it, but he beat me to it by a few minutes. I've done both cold and hot, but I like his method the best. It's the best of both worlds.


 Thank you!


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## tallbm (Jul 1, 2021)

kilo charlie said:


> Hate asking this but there's just so much conflicting information on this subject.
> 
> What's the consensus on the IT for pork belly bacon when smoking it?
> 
> Yes I know this is going to result in a bunch of different answers  but I for one want to KNOW.



I too am part of the 145F IT club.  And honestly.... 90% of my bacon never touches a pan I LOVE it cold right out of the vac seal packs I store it in hahaha.  I tell everyone it is Bacon "Cold Cuts" and they try it and go nuts over it then I tell them it's just bacon cooked to 145F eating temp and then they look at me funny then keep eating it out of the pack hahaha.

It still cooks up like regular bacon in the pan too!
Also something I learned. You can taste the diferences in the wood flavor when you eat it un fried. The moment you fry it like normal bacon the smoke flavor turns into this generic smoke flavor losing it's differences and nuances. It still tastes like great smoked flavor but you can no longer tell the difference between apple vs cherry vs hickory from my taste tests. You could tell that difference before you fried the slices up though.

Here is a super detailed post of mine doing 145F bacon smoke:




__





						1st Pork Belly Bacon, LEMs Jalapeno Bacon Seasoning, Some Bacon Mysteries Solved? - QView Included!!
					

So I did my first pork belly bacon this weekend.  I made two 8 pound bellies worth of bacon and will describe what I did, what I used, and show pics at the end.  I hope people can learn from my smoke and have my info help them with what they want to do and help them pull be successful!  If you...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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## daspyknows (Jul 1, 2021)

Add me to the 145 degrees group.  I wet cure then smoke at 175 to 200 to the listed IT.


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## kilo charlie (Jul 2, 2021)

tallbm said:


> I too am part of the 145F IT club.  And honestly.... 90% of my bacon never touches a pan I LOVE it cold right out of the vac seal packs I store it in hahaha.  I tell everyone it is Bacon "Cold Cuts" and they try it and go nuts over it then I tell them it's just bacon cooked to 145F eating temp and then they look at me funny then keep eating it out of the pack hahaha.
> 
> It still cooks up like regular bacon in the pan too!
> Also something I learned. You can taste the diferences in the wood flavor when you eat it un fried. The moment you fry it like normal bacon the smoke flavor turns into this generic smoke flavor losing it's differences and nuances. It still tastes like great smoked flavor but you can no longer tell the difference between apple vs cherry vs hickory from my taste tests. You could tell that difference before you fried the slices up though.
> ...



Thank you!



daspyknows said:


> Add me to the 145 degrees group.  I wet cure then smoke at 175 to 200 to the listed IT.




Thank you!


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