Bringing home the bacon!!!

[gsganzer]

I was getting ready to start brining another one, but I had to back down. A customer needs me to go to FL for 2 weeks and then to Taiwan for 3, with no real gap in between. I was really getting pumped to make another one. I guess it will have to wait.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

IT ON!!!!!

Time to look re read this thread!!

 

[gsganzer]

IT ON!!!!!
View attachment 2263716
Time to look re read this thread!!

Good luck!!! That looks like a really good belly.

When I was looking at recipes, I came across a site that had an ingredient calculator that simply adjusted for the actual weight of your belly. Regardless, adjust your ingredients per the weight.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Good luck!!! That looks like a really good belly.

When I was looking at recipes, I came across a site that had an ingredient calculator that simply adjusted for the actual weight of your belly. Regardless, adjust your ingredients per the weight.

I think I'm going to do clovers dry rub on 5#s and follow the recipe posted on the first page with the other 5. Where does one find this prague powder? Grocery store or an online thing?

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I think I'm going to do clovers dry rub on 5#s and follow the recipe posted on the first page with the other 5. Where does one find this prague powder? Grocery store or an online thing?

Amazon. I've never seen it in a grocer

 

[gsganzer]

I actually found Prague powder (curing salt) at Academy Sports, in the grilling section. It's commonly used in making jerky.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Ok!! Cut an 11 lb belly in half and followed the recipe linked on the first page with the nice calculator. Taking the skin off kinda sucks, but whatcha gonna do? Should be ready to smoke Sunday afternoon!! Stay tuned.

 

[RayIN]

Odd; we were in Sams Club this afternoon, walked by the meat displays and saw pork belly sliced about 3/8" thick. what the heck is that for?

 

[gsganzer]

Ok!! Cut an 11 lb belly in half and followed the recipe linked on the first page with the nice calculator. Taking the skin off kinda sucks, but whatcha gonna do? Should be ready to smoke Sunday afternoon!! Stay tuned.

You mean next Sunday right, or have you already got a few days into brining it? How many days are you brining?

I know when I did mine, the anticipation was a killer. Every day I kneaded the bag to work the brine around was another tease.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I used that little calculator thing and it said 2.8 days of wet brining. Does that sound right?

 

[gsganzer]

I used that little calculator thing and it said 2.8 days of wet brining. Does that sound right?

I think Clover is probably our resident bacon expert. 2.8 days doesn't sound long enough to me. I thought it takes 5-7 days.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Yeah, its interesting the calcualtor goes from 2.8 for a 1.5" slab to 5 days for a 2" slab. Mine is probably right in the middle of that. So i am going to give it another day or 2. Might do it tomorrow evening. Which I am fine with, I am ready to hit the couch anyways!

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Well I smoked this slab on my pellet grill yesterday for a little over 2 hours. Brought it up to about 140 degrees. I tasted a little bit off the side and it was really good. A little on the sweet side almost ham like. I think that is mainly because I was eating a piece off the very end so it is going to have a bit more sweetness than the interior. Looking forward to slicing it tonight and giving it a try fried up bacon style.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I used that little calculator thing and it said 2.8 days of wet brining. Does that sound right?

Seems awful short. May taste hammy

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Seems awful short. May taste hammy

Well I went an extra day. So 3.8 days, and yes it tastes hammy. That is what the calculator in that link on the first page said. It's not bad, but it is not as good as I thought. How long do you usually brine it for? I have another 5ish lb slab so I have a chance at redemption.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Those calculators are not very accurate. I'd go 10 days. 5 days, flip, and 5 more.

Rinse it off, smoke

 

[gsganzer]

I just got back from a month long trip to Taiwan. Dying for some western food and being all caught up in the jetlag and time change, when I "failed open" at 3AM I wandered out to the shop freezer and pulled out a pork belly to thaw.

I'm going for Cajun bacon this time.
Cajun bacon recipe

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I'm curing another 10lb this week too

 

[gsganzer]

I'm curing another 10lb this week too

How well does the cured bacon store if you slice and freeze it in smaller portions?

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

How well does the cured bacon store if you slice and freeze it in smaller portions?

I vacuum seal it and put it in the deep freeze indefinitely. I package it in 1lb packages