# Maple-cured bacon from Ruhlman & Polcyn



## harlemtwp (Jan 7, 2015)

My first batch of bacon met all my flavor expectations, but the best part was the response I got from friends and family who ate it...it was like I invented bacon. The recipe used really simple ingredients, was easy to follow, and didn't make anyone feel ill so I though I'd share. This recipe is very similar to the one published by Ruhlman & Polcyn (see my previous thread about the nitrite content in this recipe).

5 lb fresh side pork, skin off

Cure

50g Kosher salt

50g Pure Cane Sugar

1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup

14g Instacure #1 (others on SMF have suggested this could be safely reduced by half)

Mix cure ingredients (it has the consistency of a "slushy") and evenly coat pork. Vacuum seal entire slab of pork with cure. Place in fridge and rotate and agitate daily.













IMG_3658.JPG



__ harlemtwp
__ Jan 7, 2015






Remove from fridge, rinse well, and dry (I left mine on a rack on the counter for about an hour).













IMG_3679.JPG



__ harlemtwp
__ Jan 7, 2015






I smoked at 140-150F (this was the lowest I could get my smoke vault 18 to go at 20F outside) over apple chips for about 10 hrs to 125F internal temp. Others have described this as a "warm" smoke. The fat around the edges did start to turn clear towards the end of the cook, but it was only a few mm thick and once trimmed it looked like bacon. Sorry for the crappy smoker pic, I was trying to be quick.













IMG_3680.JPG



__ harlemtwp
__ Jan 7, 2015


















IMG_3683.JPG



__ harlemtwp
__ Jan 7, 2015


















IMG_3684.JPG



__ harlemtwp
__ Jan 7, 2015


----------



## themule69 (Jan 7, 2015)

Nice looking bacon. Glad it turned out good.

Happy smoken.

David


----------



## susieqz (Jan 7, 2015)

great work, i never find pork as good as you started with.

i'm  experimenting with sugar in cures. do you think extra sugar would make it better or worse?


----------



## daveomak (Jan 7, 2015)

*Ruhlman and Polcyn....   Their bacon recipe is ILLEGAL for commercial folks to make and sell..... * 

The FDA / USDA does not allow anywhere near that amount of nitrite in bacon..   

*That Is 385 Ppm nitrite*....  the FDA / USDA only allow  120 Ppm ingoing nitrite in skinless belly...


unfortunately, folks don't know that "authors" aren't experts on meat curing....


----------



## harlemtwp (Jan 8, 2015)

Right, the nitrite issue was noted. Here was my past post on the issue: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...-rec-and-whats-with-ruhlmans-rec#post_1285275

Susieqz, I'm lucky to live within 15 min of a fancy-pants butcher shop. At $6/lb for belly it was hard to be greatful at first, but once I saw the final product I couldn't be happier. Given this was my first attempt at bacon I can't say much about the best sugar ratios. With the ratio of sugar and syrup that I used it had a good maple flavor but was not overly sweet and it leaves almost no sticky residue in the cast iron when I cook it. I don't know if it matters, but many recipes call for light or dark brown sugar, which is usually white beet sugar plus molasses, and I used pure cane sugar, which naturally has just a hint of molasses flavor.


----------



## susieqz (Jan 8, 2015)

harl, i bet it matters a lot. sugar quality is more important than i ever realized. i've been using raw cane sugar in anything that calls for brown sugar. it's more expensive, but i can taste the difference, especially in baked goods.

your butcher is a treasure. if  he was here, i'd get all my meats from him. start with quality, end up with quality.


----------

