# Jelly like blood?



## lehmeow (Jan 4, 2016)

Hi, is it normal to have a strawberry jelly like blood coming out of the bacon?
 While slicing, I had some oozing out.  I hot smoked.  

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## crankybuzzard (Jan 4, 2016)

It's probably myoglobin and not blood.  Myoglobin and nitrites assist in keeping the "red" in meats.  Myoglobins turns reddish when exposed to oxygen and nitrites.

What temp did you hot smoke to?


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## lehmeow (Jan 4, 2016)

I did not use cure and smoked to 150 internal. 

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## crankybuzzard (Jan 4, 2016)

I'm sticking with myoglobin, but if you didn't use cure, you don't have bacon, you have smoked pork belly.


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## chef jimmyj (Jan 4, 2016)

Animals are bled out as part of processing, so other than a clot in bruised muscle, there is no blood in commercial meat. That said, if the meat was cold when sliced, it is possible to have some pooled meat juices that gelatinized ooze out...JJ


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## lehmeow (Jan 5, 2016)

Yes the meat was cold.  Looked like a hole through the meat where it was coming out. Definitely looked just like jelly if that helps. Myoglobin sounds right. 

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## westby (Jan 7, 2016)

I would agree that without curing, it is definitely not bacon - its half cooked pork belly.  I'm not sure of the food safety ramifications of not curing it, but I'm sure others can chime in.

Edit:   Nevermind - I see you asked about this on another post and got your answers.


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