philthy
Active Member
- Messages
- 597
Guess in my older years I've wanted to get back to my childhood, so I decided to make bacon like I used to do with my Daddy and PaPaw when I was a kid. About 11 lbs of fresh skin-off pork belly, cut into 4 pieces.
Used 1 tablespoon Morton's Tender Quick, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 teaspoon course ground black pepper per pound. Dry rubbed, put in ziplock bags, then into the fridge. Massage and flip the bags every day for the recommended 8-10 days until the meat firms up. Because of a deer hunt, I ended up letting mine go for 11 days.
Before smoking, I rinsed off the excess rub and test fried a piece or two (or three haha!) to make sure it was ready. The interesting thing I've learned is store bought bacon is brine cured and that's why there's a disappearing act when it's fried. This stuff shrank maybe 15-20%.
Fired up my smoker and let it cook for about 4 hours at 180 degrees over apple wood. Being I grew up in Southeast Texas as a kid, I just HAD to throw in a couple smaller hickory limbs.
One of the things that's always bugged me is forgetting about a half package of store bought and having it go bad. This time, I put 11 lbs into 20 bags. Problem solved!
Anyway, it was pretty darn easy to do and the result is off the charts! Oh, I hung the bacon with sisal cord after cutting a slit thru the meat....that's the way I do ribs now since it lets all those awesome pig drippins coat the outside while cooking.
Used 1 tablespoon Morton's Tender Quick, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 teaspoon course ground black pepper per pound. Dry rubbed, put in ziplock bags, then into the fridge. Massage and flip the bags every day for the recommended 8-10 days until the meat firms up. Because of a deer hunt, I ended up letting mine go for 11 days.
Before smoking, I rinsed off the excess rub and test fried a piece or two (or three haha!) to make sure it was ready. The interesting thing I've learned is store bought bacon is brine cured and that's why there's a disappearing act when it's fried. This stuff shrank maybe 15-20%.
Fired up my smoker and let it cook for about 4 hours at 180 degrees over apple wood. Being I grew up in Southeast Texas as a kid, I just HAD to throw in a couple smaller hickory limbs.
One of the things that's always bugged me is forgetting about a half package of store bought and having it go bad. This time, I put 11 lbs into 20 bags. Problem solved!
Anyway, it was pretty darn easy to do and the result is off the charts! Oh, I hung the bacon with sisal cord after cutting a slit thru the meat....that's the way I do ribs now since it lets all those awesome pig drippins coat the outside while cooking.
