AmazingRibs.com Bacon

My second attempt at making bacon, based on the “Simple Bacon Recipe” at AmazingRibs.com

Ingredients

(scaled for 1.78# belly, using calculator for Prague Powder scale)

• 1.78 lb. pork belly
• ~23g 50/50 mix (by weight) of diamond crystal kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 T golden brown sugar
• ½ C filtered water
• 1.5 g prague powder #1 (or whatever pink stuff I got from the Meating Place)
  • This results in a ~9.6% brine

Process (started 1/24/2019)

1. Mixed everything except belly into FoodSaver zipper bag
2. Removed skin from belly and weighed
3. Added belly to bag
4. Removed air from bag using FoodSaver
5. Massaged belly
6. Placed bag in aluminum tray in refrigerator
7. Flipped and massaged one morning and one evening prior to smoking (curing calculator suggests only ~1.5 days are needed – the slab of meat was fairly thin)
8. Removed from fridge, performed a quick rinse, and then added some fresh coarse ground pepper
9. Smoked at 225° – 250° F for a few hours until a probe read 150° F
   • Honestly, it’s been a couple weeks and I forget how long it took. I had to baby sit the Weber grill’s exhaust vent to keep in the right temperature range, but it mostly worked out

Images

Side-on with edge sliced off

Top view of specimen

Impressions

This is some really good bacon. Not nearly as salty as my dry cure. It’s got a little sweetness, but not too much. I’m someone that hates syrup on my bacon (I don’t like sweet stuff, except in desserts, generally), so this level’s about as much as I can still enjoy.

Modifications for Next Time

I think I’ll try the “Asian Bacon” version next time. Otherwise, this doesn’t need any modification in my book.