# Can you make chicken bacon with bacon cure?



## Armyguy2004 (Aug 28, 2019)

call me crazy, but as the war goes on, I will probably not be able to afford pork for sometimes. So, I have this idea, what if, I cure chicken breast with bacon cure?
I know it doesn’t have any fat within, but it’s cheap and I guess good protein for the weight losing?

So, I have this cure ready.
1 cup of kosher salt, which I don’t have, I used 288g of sea salt,
100ml of Brown sugar, I measured 98g.
Instacure 3.5g. Check,
This is for 2kg of pork, which I can’t afford,
But i can do afford 2 kg of chicken breast,
So what say you guys? Should I do it? Would it work? Seven days, flip everyday? Would it get a same flavor as real bacon?


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## Steve H (Aug 28, 2019)

Don't know for sure. I'll be interested in hearing other folks input. Though, I would think a wet cure may work better. Then make certain the "bacon" gets to at least 160 degrees. But the finished results could end up being tough and dry. Nothing ventured.....


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## daveomak (Aug 28, 2019)

WOW !!!!  That's 14% salt...  ~5% sugar...  The cure is a little low... I'd add 5-5.5 grams cure#1...  for a dry rub, up to 200 Ppm nitrite is fine...
2% salt and 1% sugar are my target ranges for curing anything...
Can you get pork butts for around $1/pound...   that makes very good BBB, Buck Board Bacon...  If you can, I recommend removing the shoulder blade and curing the butt in halves... 
I would add 2% salt, 1% sugar and 0.25% cure#1...  zip bag and refer for 14 days turning every day..

Remove the blade..  split the butt into 2 halves where the blade was.....






	

		
			
		

		
	
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Rub in the cure...





	

		
			
		

		
	
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BBB from the fatty side of the butt..






Pictures of Chef Rob's BBB....  thanks Rob...  Your always came out much better than mine...

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## Armyguy2004 (Aug 28, 2019)

daveomak said:


> WOW !!!!  That's 14% salt...  ~5% sugar...  The cure is a little low... I'd add 5-5.5 grams cure#1...  for a dry rub, up to 200 Ppm nitrite is fine...
> 2% salt and 1% sugar are my target ranges for curing anything...
> Can you get pork butts for around $1/pound...   that makes very good BBB, Buck Board Bacon...  If you can, I recommend removing the shoulder blade and curing the butt in halves...
> I would add 2% salt, 1% sugar and 0.25% cure#1...  zip bag and refer for 14 days turning every day..
> ...


my god thats nice!
and i cant. pork butt is about $5 Canadian dollar per pound now. we will soon be going back to the 60s, the government will be limiting the pork supply.
so you could also make bacon with pork butt, thats what i was thinking two days ago. because i saw the belly on the market is a bit too fat, and pork butt is much better with the ratio.
i got this recipe from my cookbook....


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## Armyguy2004 (Aug 28, 2019)

Steve H said:


> Don't know for sure. I'll be interested in hearing other folks input. Though, I would think a wet cure may work better. Then make certain the "bacon" gets to at least 160 degrees. But the finished results could end up being tough and dry. Nothing ventured.....


i cured chicken breast before.
onion powder, garlic powder, salt and honey. cured for 2 or 3 days. and it turned out great. but, like you said, dry, yes.


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## smokerjim (Aug 28, 2019)

I would go ahead and try the chicken, I think the worst that will happen is it will have a more hammie taste then bacon. also you might want to check out pop's brine, it's simple and taste good and it will put some moisture into the chicken.


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## Steve H (Aug 28, 2019)

Armyguy2004 said:


> i cured chicken breast before.
> onion powder, garlic powder, salt and honey. cured for 2 or 3 days. and it turned out great. but, like you said, dry, yes.



I have a few times as well with pops brine. And as a whole breast it was tender and moist. I'm wondering who it'll work when sliced thin and cooked like bacon.


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## chopsaw (Aug 28, 2019)

Turkey bacon you buy in the store is a ground formed product , not whole muscle . No reason you can't do the same with chicken . That way you can add some fat to it . I did it once with ground pork butt .


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## Steve H (Aug 28, 2019)

chopsaw said:


> Turkey bacon you buy in the store is a ground formed product , not whole muscle . No reason you can't do the same with chicken . That way you can add some fat to it . I did it once with ground pork butt .
> View attachment 404257
> View attachment 404258
> 
> View attachment 404260



 Didn't think of that. This should work well.


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## chopsaw (Aug 28, 2019)

Steve H said:


> Didn't think of that. This should work well.


You can buy the ground formed bacon mix . I got mine from Owens . I hear Curley's has a good one also . Mine was intended to use half deer meat . Had 50 lbs of venison that went in the trash . Was worried about CWD .


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## daveomak (Aug 28, 2019)

Armyguy2004 said:


> my god thats nice!
> and i cant. pork butt is about $5 Canadian dollar per pound now. we will soon be going back to the 60s, the government will be limiting the pork supply.
> so you could also make bacon with pork butt, thats what i was thinking two days ago. because i saw the belly on the market is a bit too fat, and pork butt is much better with the ratio.
> i got this recipe from my cookbook....



$5# for pork butt ???   Time to move...


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## Winterrider (Aug 28, 2019)

daveomak said:


> $5# for pork butt ???   Time to move...


They have free health care though Dave 

Love Canada, some things are very reasonably priced and others are ridiculously priced though.
Our ND butt prices aren't real good lately, $2.89.  Waiting for sale.


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## Armyguy2004 (Aug 30, 2019)

Winterrider said:


> They have free health care though Dave
> 
> Love Canada, some things are very reasonably priced and others are ridiculously priced though.
> Our ND butt prices aren't real good lately, $2.89.  Waiting for sale.


I am currently working in china. i will be back to canada soon...chinese pork price is crazy, the price is going to go much higher, and wont come down for another 2 to 3 years.


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## Bearcarver (Aug 30, 2019)

Is Pork Loin also super high in price??
Around here we can always get it for under $2 a pound.
Here is how you can make Canadian Bacon out of Pork Loin.
**New------Canadian Bacon*

*If it has to be Chicken*, I would agree with above that "Pops' Brine Cure" would be the way to go. However it wouldn't taste like Bacon---More like a little on the Hammy Side.

PS: That "Formed Bacon" from Ground Chicken sounds good too.

Bear


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 30, 2019)

How is the price of DUCK BREAST? Good fat to lean ratio with the skin on and the Dark Meat has a Hammy Flavor when cured like Bacon...JJ


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## Armyguy2004 (Aug 31, 2019)

Bearcarver said:


> Is Pork Loin also super high in price??
> Around here we can always get it for under $2 a pound.
> Here is how you can make Canadian Bacon out of Pork Loin.
> **New------Canadian Bacon*
> ...


everything is sky high. because the african pig virus, if it's called that, has reached here, and the whole country is slaughtering pigs, burning and burying them. so, yeah, no more pigs for this country.


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## Armyguy2004 (Aug 31, 2019)

chef jimmyj said:


> How is the price of DUCK BREAST? Good fat to lean ratio with the skin on and the Dark Meat has a Hammy Flavor when cured like Bacon...JJ


cheap. 
do i treat it like pork, just cure it?


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## daveomak (Aug 31, 2019)

Des Moines, Iowa Fri, DAILY DIRECT HOGS PLANT DELIVERED as of 1:30 PM Negotiated
 Pork Prices 

.


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 31, 2019)

Armyguy2004 said:


> cheap.
> do i treat it like pork, just cure it?


I figured Duck Breast would be cheaper!
Yep, Cure just like Belly Bacon...A dry rub cure would work well. Like DaveOmak suggested...
" I would add 2% salt, 1% sugar and 0.25% cure#1... zip bag and refer for 14 days turning every day..."
Smoke is your choice, or what's available. I like 12 hours of Cold Smoke at 21°C to 78°C (70 - 100°F). Slice and Cook as desired. Freeze 500mg portions. VAC-PACK is best but tightly wrapped in plastic is good too...JJ


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## Aeglo (Dec 3, 2019)

chopsaw said:


> Turkey bacon you buy in the store is a ground formed product , not whole muscle . No reason you can't do the same with chicken . That way you can add some fat to it . I did it once with ground pork butt .
> View attachment 404257
> View attachment 404258
> 
> View attachment 404260


How does this work? Sorry, new here. Do you have a recipe?


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## daveomak (Dec 3, 2019)

Grind the meat...  Add salt, sugar and cure#1....  Then mix and mix until the proteins becomes sticky....  Form into a loaf....   Add smoke...


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## chopsaw (Dec 3, 2019)

Aeglo said:


> How does this work?


I bought a ground formed bacon mix from Owens . Ground the pork butts , mix the seasonings . I put plastic wrap in a foil tray then pack the meat paste in the tray and fridge to form up . 
The plastic wrap helps with removal from the tray when ready to smoke .


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