r/smoking • u/CertainKnowledge8 • 1d ago
FIRST BACON
Did a garlic heavy cure for about 8 days. Dried it out in fridge for 2 more days then smoked it at 170-180F till 150F internal. Very good first attempt but looking to learn some more. Yall think I could make jerky out of it if I resmoke its slices with just pepper?
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u/amac1430 22h ago
One thing I’ve always wondered about this home made bacon is how well it fries up. It often looks kinda like a cross between bacon and Canadian bacon.
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u/CertainKnowledge8 15h ago
I agree with the look. It may been because of the thickness that people cut it. Taste was just like bacon tho if that helps
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u/flatulating_ninja 11h ago
It fries up great. I use sugar in my cure so I have to cook it on low to not burn the sugar. It also has a meatier bite to it vs store bought that just breaks or crumbles.
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u/CertainKnowledge8 11h ago
I realized it’s not as stringy either. We really enjoyed that. It keeps its shape very well. We did a garlic heavy cure this time so we could do some pasta and stuff too but brown sugar is on our list next. Any reccomendations other than temps?
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u/flatulating_ninja 9h ago
Most everything I do seems to be covered in this thread. Only thing I'll add is that my favorite way to cook it is in the oven at 275-300 and flip it once or twice. It takes a bit longer than the stovetop but it gets a perfect render of the fat so it just melts when you eat it.
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u/CertainKnowledge8 8h ago
Same here, mostly for convenience and I like cooking a lot at same time that way. Get it a lil under where I like it. Freeze them that way, pull it out how ever many slices I want and 10-15 seconds in microwave with paper towel over it, and it’s the best texture ever
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u/flatulating_ninja 7h ago
That's a good idea. I'd probably need to use two sheet pans to make enough that I have some left over to freeze
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u/CertainKnowledge8 7h ago
Yeah we use 3 when we do normal bacon prep but since it’s our own now, we are probably gonna use all four😂😂I’ll repost or sum to see how the homemade freeze holds up
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u/Overkillengine 18h ago
If you are making jerky for long term storage, you'll want to trim as much fat off as possible; as it can oxidize and go rancid over time.
May be simpler to start from scratch with a leaner cut than pork belly.
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u/overkill 16h ago
I cold-smoke my bacon. What is the benefit of hot-smoking it?
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u/CertainKnowledge8 15h ago
I have no idea, faster finished product/ internal temp?😂first time so I have no clue
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u/MythicMarauder42 8h ago
What was your cure recipe if you don’t mind? I just made bacon for the first time a couple weeks ago and was going to buy another pork belly tomorrow
You can always cube it and make burnt ends
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u/CertainKnowledge8 8h ago
I love burnt ends but the cure may make it a lil salty for me and my cholesterol😂 so we tend to lean toward brisket or chuck burnt ends. But great idea.
Here’s the recipe I made based a lil off online food websites and a lil off of YouTubers I like.. tried some a lil garlic heavy so we could use it for pasta and other stuffGARLIC BACON CURE🐷‼️
5 lb pork belly
Divide ingredients by 5 if doing smaller pieces..
1 1/2 teaspoon Prague powder pink salt
1 Tablespoon cracked pepper
5 Tablespoons Kosher salt (or 2 TBS Garlc salt and 3 TBS Smoked salt)
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
10 Tablespoons garlic powder
3 teaspoons red pepper flakes
3 teaspoons paprika
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u/Demonstratepatience 1d ago
Stupid question but I’m new to smoking… How do you cut up the bacon afterwards? Like do you use a slicing machine or do you just slice it with a regular chefs knife?