# Nothing better than home-cured bacon!



## Quills (Jun 14, 2011)

I just took 8 lbs of home-raised pork belly out of the smoker... I think I know what's going to be on the breakfast table! All of the meat we eat is home-raised, but I think I like the bacon best of all :-D


----------



## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Is there there a flight that will get me there In time? I'll check....


----------



## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Once ya eat craft bacon, ya won't really be happy with the stuff from the store!

Enjoy breakfest!


----------



## pawpaw (Dec 21, 2011)

Anyone got a brief 'How-to' on making some? I've got a local-owned store that I can still buy belly from.


----------



## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

Oh man, I can't wait...I have pigs ready, and we just made the plan on Thursday, to butcher 8 of them on Jan 4th. I've been okay, ignoring the fact that it's coming soon. But now that I read your posts, I'm all giddy and getting really hungry!!


----------



## CapnJack (Jul 20, 2012)

Would love to make my own bacon!

That being said:


OldCootHillbilly said:


> Once ya eat craft bacon, ya won't really be happy with the stuff from the store!
> 
> Enjoy breakfest!


I don't care if it's home-made, fat and crispy or thin rubbery strips at Denny's. Bacon is bacon, baby! And bacon is food for the soul artydance:


----------



## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

There be good bacon, better bacon an bacon what ya would kill fer.

Yup, bacon be good know matter what!


----------



## Quills (Jun 14, 2011)

pawpaw said:


> Anyone got a brief 'How-to' on making some? I've got a local-owned store that I can still buy belly from.


I use a salt cure on the belly for three days, use it like a rub, sprinkled over all surfaces of the meat and rubbed in, then sprinkle the meat with various seasonings (at the simplest, I use a handful of pickling spices).

I place the treated belly pieces in a large tupperware container (I have used freezer bags, too -- doesn't really matter what you use, so long as it keeps the juices contained and is non-reactive), and put them in the fridge. I take them out and flip them around every day.

On the third or fourth day, I take them out, rinse them off with fresh water and pat them dry, and put in the smoker. I have an electric smoker which has a small wood chip pan in the bottom. I smoke them for about five hours. Take them out of the smoker, cool, and then wrap and store.

This is easier than making sausage, and that's pretty darned easy!

ETA -- I cut the belly into manageable pieces before starting -- probably 8X8 chunks. It's easier than handling one big piece.


----------



## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

I take a shortcut. I sprinkle a little alder smoked sea salt on pork belly and cook it in the oven, or slice it really thick and fry it up in the pan.


----------



## bbrider (Sep 27, 2013)

I currently have about 40 lbs curing in the fridge right now. We will be giving it out as christmas presents along with homemade bees wax candles. We've never used all homemade gifts before. It's more work than I thought.


----------



## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

DAMN, ya'll just talked me into doing it, getting a hog butcherd in Jan!


----------



## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

*bacons done*

Well the bacons done, made a few mistakes it's just a little on the salty side but still good, tomorrow I start on the Canadian bacon.


----------



## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

I did mine for the first time just this month. I did it to 1 - 5lb bacon.
The recipe I used was : 
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 gallon apple juice ( I just used a bottle of Kroger brand apple juice)
1/2 gallon of water.
I soaked it for 7 days, in a Tupperware container. Turned it over everyday. (Supposed to be in frig, but my garage was cold enough)
After the 7 days, I rinsed it and dried it. I cut it in half.

I built a 2'x2'x4'tall smoker out of plywood. I hung 1/2 the bacon and smoked it for 3 hours over apple wood chips. It's tasty!

I smoked the other 1/2 for just 2 hours over hickory chips. It tastes great too!

I have a cheap electric slicer that did a great job of slicing after I put the bacons in the freezer for about 6 hours to stiffen them up.

I'll probably use this recipe again next year, But I will try a different recipe too to see if I can find my favorite. I could have done 20 lbs, but was afraid to do too much and not like it.


----------



## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

*Canadian bacon*

Canadian bacon, came out perfect about ten pounds, next is hams.


----------



## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

talob, the bacons and the Canadian bacons look really good. Care to say how you did them? 
Oh, and is that a hand crank slicer in the bacon pic? If so, how do you like it? I bought one years ago at an auction, and have never used it because I have a cheap electric one. Was just thinking about getting it out and trying it a couple of weeks ago.


----------



## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

*Bacon*

Thanks Jeff, the bacon, this was my first attempt at smokeing I just used Mortons sugar smoke cure then smoked it, to much smoke, befor I smoked it I soaked it for about an hour should have done it twice a little salty not perfect but still very edibile, wife canned most of it. Canadian bacon came out a lot better heres the recipie I got it online it's for a five pound pork loin so I doubled it.
five lbs pork loin
1 gallon water
1 1/4 cups mortons tender quick
3 garlic cloves
3 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 ounces gin
1 1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns
bring ingredients to boil for 10 minutes then cool then add pork loin submerged in refrigirator for 7 days, soak for 45 minutes then smoke. I'm thinking about useing the same recipie for the hams with maybe a little more sugar and cureing for a longer time. Yeah the meat slicer is a hand crank I got off Ebay I was impressed how well it works only thing is capacity is a little on the small side blade is 6.5" I'm trying to go hand power with most everything now, now I'm looking for a hand crank meat grinder.


----------



## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

talob said:


> Well the bacons done, made a few mistakes it's just a little on the salty side but still good, tomorrow I start on the Canadian bacon.


How could I have missed this before! That is one good looking fridge, beer and pork candy, what more would anyone need.


----------



## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

Woody said:


> How could I have missed this before! That is one good looking fridge, beer and pork candy, what more would anyone need.


Yeah, times are tough down to the basics now.:laugh:


----------



## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

talob, do you ever go to antique stores? A lot of them around here have hand crank grinders for $8-$15. Some antique stores that I've gone to in other parts of the country are priced very high because they are for tourists and décor. But lots of times, you can find them that have great prices. And it's just cool to go through antique stores to see what prep items they have for you.

Also, in warmer months, we have lots of estate auctions around here, and almost every old farm family had grinders.


----------



## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

jeff47041 said:


> talob, do you ever go to antique stores? A lot of them around here have hand crank grinders for $8-$15. Some antique stores that I've gone to in other parts of the country are priced very high because they are for tourists and décor. But lots of times, you can find them that have great prices. And it's just cool to go through antique stores to see what prep items they have for you.
> 
> Also, in warmer months, we have lots of estate auctions around here, and almost every old farm family had grinders.


Actually Jeff I did pick one up at a flea market a couple of trips ago when we were visiting the kids in MI it's a universal I dont remember the number got it home found the cutter knife was missing, tried to find parts for it online cant seem to find parts for this particular one oh well 5$ lesson learnd on the other hand now I have a handle for a cloths wringer I want to build Problem is I dont get out to yard sales and junk stores much around here I need to get out more.


----------

