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The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread #6614512 01/03/17 07:43 PM
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Yessirs and ma-ams, this is all about BACON. One of the areas I wanted to branch out to this year is making my favorite food group. I'll warn you right now. You arent going to save money. But you will be able to flavor in any variation you want. You can't buy that at the store.

I'm starting out small. Anyone that has ready my other sausage posts knows that I like scaling. I even made a spreadsheet for that. So, I asked for 2 lbs and that's just what I got. If this "sails" as judged by my family, I'll order 5 to 10 lbs at a time.

For today's start, I found some pork belly at the local Asian market. It was cut kinda weird, like a big long strip with a big fat end, kinda like a brisket. It would take longer than 7 days to cure so I cut it off. That will get used in future sausage recipes that have venison.

I also removed the skin. It was my preference to do that and it will make some cracklins in due time.




Next come the spices and additives. I'm keeping it simple today - instead of making a bacon cure, I'm using Mortons Tender Quick mixed with cinnamon, pepper, and dark brown sugar. This is going to be an oven cure, so I also added a couple dashes of Colgans liquid smoke.




Here's what it looks like before the packaging. I'm using my Foodsaver and stopping it just short of a hard vacuum. I want the juices, spices, and cure circulate when I flip it over each day.




And finally - the product going into the meat keeper in the fridge. Only one more pic to post after this one, but that won't be for 7 more days!




PS. Some of the pics haven't shown up yet but they were saved. I think the server is resizing then because they were too large. I'll check back later and if they aren't there I'll resize and repost.

PSS. I fixed it





Last edited by decook; 01/03/17 11:04 PM.

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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6615764 01/04/17 02:28 PM
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oven cure? how long and what temp? did you put in the oven prior to sealing?


"everyone that lives dies but not everyone who dies lived..."

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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6616270 01/04/17 07:27 PM
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Hi PMK, it is still curing in the fridge and it'll stay there for 6 more days. Each day I flip it over.

On the 7th day I'll insert a meat thermometer and finish cure in the oven until it gets to 155 F. It still needs cooking on a skillet before eating.

Here's the process I'm testing. This info comes from a lot of internet sources, but it is my my own. I'm documenting my process and recipes for my kids in case they want it someday. That's why it reads like a manual (cause it is). I tend to over explain, which is better than leaving questions on the table.

Bacon Cure with Morton Tender Quick
Provides a properly cured and cooked bacon slab or Canadian bacon. For bacon, go to an Asian market and buy a pork belly. For Canadian bacon, go to any store and buy a loin (backstrap). If this is wild hog, freeze it for 1 month at 0 F. before proceeding.

1. Trim the pork belly as needed to remove any loose ends and fillet off the skin.
2. Dry rub Morton Tender Quick on all surfaces of the meat.
3. Dry rub all additional spices, syrup, etc. on all surfaces of the meat.
4. Place meat into a Foodsaver bag and vacuum seal on the wet setting.
5. Place into the refrigerator and flip the meat once daily until cure time is over.
6. Cure time at a rate of 7 days per inch thickness using one application of Tender Quick.
7. Remove meat from bag and rinse thoroughly.
8. Soak meat in ice water in the refrigerator for 3 hours, then rinse again.
9. Cook in smoker at 200F with light smoke until internal temp reaches 150F.
10 Set in freezer until very firm and slice into desired strips.
11 Package as desired, vacuum seal and freeze for long term storage.


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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6616951 01/05/17 01:38 AM
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This his intrigued me. Really want to see how this turns out up


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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6617053 01/05/17 02:35 AM
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Stay tuned 2Beez. Here's day 2 flipped over. The juices are developing into a brine just as expected; and it's starting to take up a red color.



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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6617817 01/05/17 04:34 PM
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up I might have to give this a try.

my dad used to do all sorts of stuff like this including a wide variety of sausages. some how when we were cleaning out the house when my parents passed, the sausage cookbook with all of dad's little tweaks on their recipes got misplaced ... man oh man how I wish I still had that book!!! he had perfected several different sausage recipes that were as good or better than I have ever had since. He did bacon too but I don't recall him ever using syrup (none in our family were big on maple).


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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6621748 01/08/17 01:42 AM
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Day 4, Keeping the thread alive. Another expected change, the meaat is firming up nicey. Here it is fat side up again.



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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6621757 01/08/17 01:51 AM
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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6621871 01/08/17 03:08 AM
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Looking good. Tuesday here we come. Thanks for updating it with a pic of the process cheers


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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6624644 01/10/17 12:42 AM
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Twas the night before bacon
all is curing real nice
The burger is jealous
My taste buds are a-akin

Just 24 hours
and we leave the brine
And if this was a wasted effort
It will get no more time

So I leave one more photo
for ya-all to enjoy
Cause I'm sure after tomorrow
It'll be et by the boy



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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6628483 01/12/17 04:35 AM
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Where ya at decook peep


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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6628577 01/12/17 10:11 AM
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LOL, I'm still here and waiting just like you. The supreme owner of the kitchen wife told me to wait till the weekend confused2

I have Friday off banana and she don't so this is goin' down tomorrow.


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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6630748 01/13/17 05:14 PM
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It's Friday.... We are all waiting for the results!!!! popcorn


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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6630756 01/13/17 05:20 PM
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Try just slicing the raw bacon and package, then freeze. When you're ready to cook, season with black pepper, onion and, garlic powder, and a little salt. Beats cured and smoked bacon hands down.

Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: booger] #6631101 01/13/17 08:45 PM
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Originally Posted By: booger
It's Friday.... We are all waiting for the results!!!! popcorn

It's in progress booger. I unpackaged it and it is resting in a fresh water ice bath to leach off excess salt.

Smelled great!

Here we are just rinsed and going into the water bath. Color looks great.


Last edited by decook; 01/13/17 08:52 PM.

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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: fmrmbmlm] #6631104 01/13/17 08:47 PM
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Originally Posted By: fmrmbmlm
Try just slicing the raw bacon and package, then freeze. When you're ready to cook, season with black pepper, onion and, garlic powder, and a little salt. Beats cured and smoked bacon hands down.


fmrmbmlm I'll remember this for another time. I'll work out this process as planned but will consider what you posted.
thanks!!


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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6631387 01/14/17 12:08 AM
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Here we go, the final cure at a leisurely 200 deg. sauna. I'll pull it out at 155F, then put it back in the fridge until tomorrow, when it gets sliced up,fried, and tried! I ground up some more fresh pepper over the meat side to replace what was washed off.



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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6631631 01/14/17 02:19 AM
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Looks awesome! chef


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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6631904 01/14/17 12:59 PM
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** Major Update - NEWS FLASH **
This stuff looks great, and the smell is even better. Wow, it came out better than I thought.

What say THF, and yes I know it isnt fried up yet. That'll be the next pic.
Now, back to slicing up the other hunk. Those small pieces go to the next pot of Texas beans I make.



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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6631908 01/14/17 01:09 PM
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clap

Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: skinnerback] #6631909 01/14/17 01:12 PM
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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6632842 01/15/17 02:09 AM
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That looks legit Decook clap Very well done and we need more pics cheers


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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6632912 01/15/17 03:00 AM
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2Beez, it is stupid simple to make too. The hardest part is choosing the dry rub spices. Final pics tomorrow because after all this we didn't have eggs bang

So, I went hunting instead. Oh, speaking of, I met a lot of your namesakes, but there were a lot more than 2 (bees). I hunted SHNF so I had hunter orange on and every bee in the territory beelined right for me.

Last edited by decook; 01/15/17 03:02 AM.

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Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: decook] #6632917 01/15/17 03:03 AM
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That bacon looks great!

Re: The 2017 Makin' Bacon Thread [Re: StretchR] #6632922 01/15/17 03:06 AM
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Originally Posted By: StretchR
That bacon looks great!
flehan


Originally Posted by Sneaky
I believe in science and I’m an insufferable [censored]
Originally Posted by beaversnipe
Actually, BBC is pretty damn good

"You Cannot Simultaneously Be Politically Correct And Intellectually Honest!"
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