# Warm smoked belly bacon with excessive Qview



## navigator (Jul 2, 2012)

I have made belly bacon in the Cookshack #55 once with great results, now trying to refine my process and keep up with family and friends requests for more. 

In hindsight I probably shouldn't have given any of my first batch away :)

I picked up a frozen case of 4 skinned slabs average weight about 12 lbs each. I pulled 2 slabs out and thawed, cut them roughly in half and did a dry rub using Alblancher's Dry Cured Bacon Calculator

I did two at 3% salt & two at 4% using brown sugar on two and maple sugar on the other two.

Piece #1 (4% salt):

6lb 5.5oz (6.344lb)

115g Kosher Salt

9.2g Cure #1 

43.1g Maple Sugar

Piece #2 (4% salt):

4lb 14.8oz (4.925lb)

89.1g Kosher Salt

7.1g Cure #1 

33.5g Dark Brown Sugar

Piece #3 (3% salt):

6lb 8oz (6.5lb)

88.4g Kosher Salt

9.43g Cure #1 

44.2g Maple Sugar

Piece #4 (3% salt):

4lb 14.8oz (6.34lb)

86.4g Kosher Salt

9.13g Cure #1 

43.2g Dark Brown Sugar

Since I was going to be out of town for 6 days I applied all the cure and vacuum sealed them, they were flipped and massaged every day, 10 days total.

I rinsed them and tried a couple slices from the 3% and 4% and thought the 4% was slightly too salty but not enough to soak, will see how it ends up after smoking and resting.

I marked and hung the slabs in my garage beer fridge for 1.5 days to develop a nice pellicle.








I pulled slab #1 and Slab #4 out and brushed #1 with a 75/25 mix of maple syrup and molasses, slab#4 went in the smoker commando.

 
	

		
			
		

		
	







 
	

		
			
		

		
	






	

		
			
		

		
	
     

 
	

		
			
		

		
	







I filled the A-MAZE-N-TUBE-SMOKER with Pitmaster's Choice pellets 1/3 Hickory/Cherry/Maple Let it go till it burned out (5.5 hours) then I filled the A-MAZE-N-PELLET-SMOKER with the same pellets and lit both ends.






	

		
			
		

		
	
   







After 5.5 hours: 







Outside temps today were 72º at start up and 84º now. The smoker cabinet temp started at 100º and has got as high as 134º

I am thinking of leaving the remaining two slabs dry age a week or two more before smoking.

Update: The AMPS lit on both ends burned for 4.5 hours the temp got as high as 150º the bacon ended up at 120º internal

 
	

		
			
		

		
	






	

		
			
		

		
	
   












	

		
			
		

		
	
   

Left in the fridge overnight and sampled.

They both tasted great, #1 that had the maple sugar and was brushed with the maple - molasses wins by a nose.

The 4% cured piece was just a touch saltier and I will probably use the 3% calculator from now on, it was by no means excessive though.







Got the old trusty craigslist Hobart slicer out and sliced them nice and thick.



















All sealed up, now I still have the last 2 pieces hanging in the beer fridge, maybe Sunday I will smoke them up.


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## xutfuzzy (Jul 2, 2012)

Looks great...I've just convinced the wife to let me try my own bacon, and your documentation is terrific information!


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## southernsausage (Jul 2, 2012)

Wow that looks great. I bet it tastes stellar! Thank you for the recipe details!


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## diggingdogfarm (Jul 2, 2012)

Very nice!!!


~Martin


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## navigator (Jul 2, 2012)

Thanks everyone.

I cold smoked my last batch and kept the temp below 80º this time I just didn't feel like messing with ice so I let it go hoping for some better color and more smoke flavor, this turned out exactly how I like it. Kind of tasted like my favorite commercial bacon from _Nueske's_

I might just set the FEC to 140º for the last two slabs and see how it goes. I had less than 1 teaspoon of fat render off of the12 lbs.


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## chef jimmyj (Jul 2, 2012)

Wow...Pretty Bacon and all the cool toys! I'm Jealous...JJ


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## gersus (Jul 2, 2012)

Looks mighty tasty!!! Great color! I have a hard time keeping the pieces together in a nice slab like that after slicing.


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## jp61 (Jul 2, 2012)

Bacon looks great!


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## smokinhusker (Jul 2, 2012)

Wow looks great and those are some fine looking bellies!!! Great job!


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## deuce (Jul 2, 2012)

Looks Great!! Nice Thick Slices Too!!


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## moikel (Jul 2, 2012)

Great work looks outstanding. Big belly to start with helps I am sure.


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## navigator (Jul 3, 2012)

Thanks guys,

It makes some tasty BLT's too


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## smoke_chef (Jul 3, 2012)

Wow... very cool. I've never done it but your pics make me want to try. WOW!


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## navigator (Jul 4, 2012)

I just put slabs #2 & 3 in the smoker after letting them hang for 3 more days. (4.5 days total)

This time I lit both the A-MAZE-N-TUBE-SMOKER & the [color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]A-MAZE-N-PELLET-SMOKER the outside temp is 71º and the smoker temp is 100º but I am sure it will start climbing.[/color]


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## navigator (Jul 5, 2012)

The AMPS burned for 11 hours, smoker temperature got as high as 140º but averaged 115º. Internal temp was also 115º when pulled.

Off to the fridge for a day or two before slicing.


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## alelover (Jul 5, 2012)

Nice. Great color. Great instructions too.


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## tjohnson (Jul 5, 2012)

Agree, Very Nice Color

Todd


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## bigkahunaranch (Jul 6, 2012)

Really sweet looking bacon.

I hope mine turns out close to yours and I will be happy.

BTW- Where did you get those cool hangers for the belly's ???


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## navigator (Jul 6, 2012)

bigkahunaranch said:


> Really sweet looking bacon.
> 
> I hope mine turns out close to yours and I will be happy.
> 
> BTW- Where did you get those cool hangers for the belly's ???


http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14&products_id=65


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## daveomak (Jul 6, 2012)

Navigator, evening..... If your butcher was my butcher, I would be buying him gifts galore so he would keep providing me with bellies that looked like that...... Awesome bellies and beautiful smoke.....  Dave


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## moikel (Jul 8, 2012)

DaveOmak said:


> Navigator, evening..... If your butcher was my butcher, I would be buying him gifts galore so he would keep providing me with bellies that looked like that...... Awesome bellies and beautiful smoke.....  Dave


I am with Dave you had a great raw product  to begin with.You then took it to another level from there.


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## navigator (Jul 8, 2012)

I had bought a single frozen slab from him once before and it was just average, then I asked him if he could get me a case of skinned slabs and he said he had a place he could get some really nice ones from so I  said I'll take them.

They ended up being $2.69 a lb, and the case weighed 49lbs with 4 slabs, the single slabs with skin I got from him were $3.19 a pound so I got much nicer skinned slabs for less money too :)


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## java (Jul 9, 2012)

your bacon looks great! ive been makin bacon of my own and store bought does not compare.

i have one question if nobody minds. when slicing mine on a comercial slicer, i get a few (6 or 8 )

good slices, then the rind seems to curl under and not cut but curl undr and really mess things up.

i cant get the slices to be even and be 1/2 as good looking as yours. any suggestions?


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## navigator (Jul 9, 2012)

java said:


> your bacon looks great! ive been makin bacon of my own and store bought does not compare.
> 
> i have one question if nobody minds. when slicing mine on a comercial slicer, i get a few (6 or 8 )
> 
> ...


I usually leave mine in the fridge for a day or two, sometimes i throw it in the freezer for a couple hours if I am in a hurry.

If that doesn't work you may need to sharpen your blade or just flip the bacon end for end every 6 pieces.


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