# My first try and making bacon



## mackconsult (Dec 9, 2012)

I just went to Gartners and spent $20 on a 5 lb piece of pork belly.  It has the skin on it and is completely frozen so I threw it back in our freezer for now.

My cold smoker is pretty much done.  

I am thinking of trying the following:

http://www.imafoodblog.com/index.php/2009/02/25/how-to-cure-and-smoke-bacon

Using Kosher salt, garlic, black pepper corn, little creo, and real maple.  Going to do the 5 day cure I think.  Then smoke it in my cold smoker at 180F till the internal temperature gets to 150F.

Any thoughts on it being frozen?  Should I just go ahead and take it straight from the freezer and start curing it?


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## shoneyboy (Dec 9, 2012)

My 2 cents, is it needs to thaw completly first for it to cure properly......


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## desertlites (Dec 9, 2012)

yes I also feel that a thaw would be needed prior to curing with that method. I have never used pure salt to cure my bacon and after reading that link I think your gonna end up with more a salt pork product than a bacon, and if you don't soak it several times for hours on end I feel it's going to be to salty to eat. keep us posted please.


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## diggingdogfarm (Dec 9, 2012)

I personally would not do bacon the way it's done on that blog.

Whatever course you take, make sure the meat is fully thawed before curing and only the right way, in the fridge, don't be tempted to speed thaw it.


~Martin


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## mackconsult (Dec 9, 2012)

Yes I did research on how to thaw this hunk a meat and the fridge is the way to go.

Guess I will do this ....

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/124885/bacon-made-the-easy-way

Should I get needles for injection or do I really have to worry about that if I go for say 10 to 12 days with this cure .....


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## fpnmf (Dec 10, 2012)

mackconsult said:


> Yes I did research on how to thaw this hunk a meat and the fridge is the way to go.
> 
> Guess I will do this ....
> 
> ...




You dont need to inject bellies....thats usually for a much thicker piece of meat...

  Craig


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## shoneyboy (Dec 10, 2012)

After careful research, this was the first way I tried making bacon. I have to say, I feel that if anyone would just give it a try, they would never buy store bought bacon again..... I feel Pops6927 and his dad got it right the first time and haven't had a reason to try any other way .......


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## chef jimmyj (Dec 10, 2012)

You made the right choice for your Bacon. I have used that method and it is easy and awesome...JJ


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## mackconsult (Dec 18, 2012)

Well I started to make the recipe from the link in this thread .... only to realize I didn't have pink salt.  Went to gartners and got some of this stuff thinking it was equivalent to pin salt.













hellers-cure.jpg



__ mackconsult
__ Dec 18, 2012






So my daughter and I had made a one gallon batch of cure that had sugar, salt, & brown sugar ..... put 1 TBSP of this heller's cure in then started scratching my head and went to the computer to look at the instructions for the heller cure.  That is when I noticed it says 1 LB of cure for 2 quarts of cold water ....

So we dumped out half of the one gallon batch and put the rest of the heller's cure in.  The belly is in this cure in the kegerator at around 35F.  Will pull it out on Saturday, add garlic & pepper, and give it a good hickory smoke until internal temperature gets up to about 160F and see how it turns out.

Has any one ever done a cold smoke on belly's?


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## go4abliss (Dec 18, 2012)

Good choice going to Gartner's for your meats.... I love going there


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## mackconsult (Jan 2, 2013)

IMG00068-20130102-0748.jpg



__ mackconsult
__ Jan 2, 2013






My daughters mouth was watering when I opened up the mini fridge cold smoker.  First attempt at smoking bacon with hickory dust in the amazen smoker.  The heater gave out over night so I need to implement a different heater solution, and still need to setup the PID on the temp controller.  But in general I would say its a success, and I will be smoking more often.  Just need to invest in a meat slicer now.


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## dave17a (Jan 4, 2013)

Readin all this bacon. Told my wife I'm going to build a smokehouse. Can't stand readin all this and not doin it!


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## anylizer (Jan 8, 2013)

If you have a smoker at all, or even a BBQ, no need to build a new one.... Just pick up one of Todd's pellet or dust smoking mazes and your ready to go!  

http://www.amazenproducts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AMNPS5X8

although... home built projects are cool!!!


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