About 6 weeks ago, I bought a 7lb boneless pork loin, brine cured it for 2 days and then smoked it to make smoked pork chops which I vacuum sealed and froze. I used the Bradley Cure I got at Cabelas to make the brine. I looked all over for the "curing salts" before I finally found them at Cabelas.
It turned out very good, so I decided my next "cured" project would be to get some pork bellies and make some side bacon.
Two weeks ago I got 5lbs of pork bellies from Zehrs in Barrie, removed the skin/rind and then rubbed the Bradley Cure into the meat. From there the pieces went into a Ziplok bag and were "overhauled" every 2 days (see recipe).
I was surprised that little or no liquid came out of the meat, but followed through on the complete 2 week curing process as the thickest part of the bellies was 2 inches thick.
Yesterday, I removed the pieces from the bag, rinsed as directed in the recipe and then smoked as in the recipe. I used Maple/Hickory/Apple Bisquettes-alternating.
Today, I used my slicing machine to slice the bacon so that I can freeze it, and then vacuum seal for future use.
I fried some for lunch today and my wife and I found it very good. Nice mild flavor and not the least bit salty. I sliced it the same thickness as when I do my back bacon (smoked whole peameals). Next time I would slice it thinner, so that I would crisp up more.
I'm posting the recipe here as well as 3 pictures. What the pieces looked like after coming out of the bag and ready to go in the Bradley, what they looked like when they came out of the Bradley and how things looked after they were sliced.
Fair bit of work to get to the end product, but I would do it again, even though it probably cost me a lot more than what I could have bought good side bacon from the store.
For those of you into smoking or thinking of doing it, hopefully you will find this helpful. Anyone with questions put up a post or send me a PM.
SDC
Latest Adventure with the Bradley Smoker, Home Cured and Smoked Side Bacon
