# First Bacon (1 Honey Cured Slab and 1 Maple Cured slab) w/ Family Brine Recipe



## smokin - k (Aug 4, 2011)

Not sure where my brain was when I started this project. I guess because I realized that I missed taking pictures of the first step or two I gave up documenting till the end... This bacon (both kinds) turned out so well that I figured I should share even though the pictures are lacking. I hope you enjoy. 

                The maple brine below is something my uncle Rob (an ex-butcher) shared with me. The Honey Cured bacon was a season packet (that I bought from Michlitch Spice Co) that does a 10 pound belly and all I had to do was add 1 pound of honey and flip it a bunch of times. Both like I said turned out amazing! 

           After both styles of bacon were done curing I let them dry a day or so in the fridge (on a drying rack) and let them get tacky to the touch. I heard somewhere that smoke does not stick to water / moisture. Weird huh...?! 

*Maple Brine Recipe (Great for Bacon and Hams):*

3 Gallons Water

6 cups Brown Sugar

2 cups White Sugar

1 1/2 tsp maplelene (concentrated maple flavoring - blue and white box in the spice section of your local grocery store)

3 TBS Liquid Smoke (I would cut this back a little if not completely out - for heaven sakes I smoked it for 8+ hours)

2 cups Salt

3 tsp #1 Pink Salt

2 TBS of Fennel Seed

Inject Belly with brine then cover pork belly with remainder so that it is completely submerged... 5 to 6 days and you should be ready. Fry test (a little drying out) and then smoke. I cut the recipe in half and was able to do one 10 pound belly in a tub.   

I smoked the bacon with Hickory Pellets in my Amazin Pellet Smoker! Never had to refill it with fuel... 

Temp in my smoker started around 100*F for an hour or two and then climbed it up to 125 to 135*F for the remainder of the smoke until the internal temp of the meat reached around 125*F. 

I cut it extra thick on a 12" Hobart Slicer. My favorite watering hole is 10 houses away and they let me borrow it for a small fee..

Vacuumed sealed in 8 strip packs and in the deep freeze! BLT's Anyone?! 

P.S. Thank you Bearcarver for the behind the scenes advice!  

This is the link for Michlitch Spice Co (AKA Spokane Spice Co) where I purchased the honey cure

http://www.spokanespice.com/products_menu.php    (  

Honey Cure on the right and Maple on the left....


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## tjohnson (Aug 4, 2011)

WOW!

Very Nice Color!

How'd it fry up?

Todd


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## alelover (Aug 4, 2011)

Looks great. How'd you get all those strips to stand up like that.


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## smokin - k (Aug 4, 2011)

Todd,

They both fried up very nicely (I do mine on a cookie sheet/ drying rack at 400* in the oven)... The Maple was a little too smokey as I followed my uncles recipie to the tee (next time I'll eliminate the liquid smoke all toghether). I thought the sugar to salt ratio for both was perfect. My dad who was in town thought that I could have cut back on the salt a little on the Maple kind. Either way you would be hard pressed to find a butcher shop with better bacon here in town. That is unless you own a butcher shop and you follow my recipe. HA! Smokin - K

Ale lover,

  I use super glue... My stupid I-phone likes to flip the pictures around. That one is upside down for sure. LOL! K


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## Bearcarver (Aug 4, 2011)

Those pics look familiar, and they still look great !!!

I still love that color too!!!

You didn't need much from me----It was a pleasure.

Bear


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## tjohnson (Aug 4, 2011)

Yea, the liquid smoke can be overpowering, and sometimes bitter

Oh Well, Just means you gotta make more!!

Todd


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## meateater (Aug 4, 2011)

WOW, looks great, I'll never get tired of bacon pics.


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## smokin - k (Aug 8, 2011)

Here's some after pics... Gotta love it....! Smokin - K


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## fpnmf (Aug 8, 2011)

3 Gallons Water

6 cups Brown Sugar

2 cups White Sugar

1 1/2 tsp maplelene (concentrated maple flavoring - blue and white box in the spice section of your local grocery store)

3 TBS Liquid Smoke (I would cut this back a little if not completely out - for heaven sakes I smoked it for 8+ hours)

2 cups Salt

3 tsp #1 Pink Salt>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   You used this amount???<<<<<<<<<<<<<

2 TBS of Fennel Seed  

   Craig


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## smokin - k (Aug 8, 2011)

I only did a half batch so I only used a 1 1/2 tsp... Why does it seem like too much?


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## fpnmf (Aug 8, 2011)

Smokin - K said:


> I only did a half batch so I only used a 1 1/2 tsp... Why does it seem like too much?


I spend a good portion of the day being kinda curious.... no biggie...

I am going read this a few more times and will prolly PM ya later when I get my thoughts straight.

  Have a great day!! I am going up to Al for a shopping trip...

  Craig


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## SmokinAl (Aug 8, 2011)

No it's not enough.


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## Bearcarver (Aug 8, 2011)

MMMMmmmmm---Looks Great !!

I love that plate----5 of my favorites!!!

Bacon

Eggs

Bacon

Fruit & Berries

Bacon

Bear


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