#009

"BUTTER THAT BACON BOY."

MANY OF MY FRIENDS OFTEN ASK ME WHEN I'M GOING TO START MAKING BACONS AGAIN. I KEEP TELLING THEM IT'LL HAPPEN AS SOON AS I GET DONE WITH ONE THING OR ANOTHER.


THE AWESOME STRESS AND SPENDING SPREE WE CALL CHRISTMAS IS MY MOST RECENT ALIBI FOR NOT GETTING AROUND TO IT. SINCE I WANTED TO GET AT LEAST ONE NEW BATCH UP BY THE END OF THE YEAR, AND I HAVEN'T AND THERE'S NOT A SNOWBALL'S CHANCE IN HELL I'M GOING TO, THE LEAST I CAN DO IS SHARE A RECIPE.


READERS PLANNING TO ATTEMPT THIS RECIPE SHOULD KNOW THIS IS JUST ONE RECIPE. THIS IS NOT MY SECRET RECIPE, OR ANYONE ELSE'S FOR THAT MATTER. THIS A STARTER KIT. ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, YOU CAN BEGIN EXPERIMENTING WITH NEW IDEAS. 


BRINES, CURES AND GLAZES ARE A FEW ELEMENTS TO TOY WITH. YOU CAN ALSO WORK WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF WOOD. I USED TO TRADE BACON FOR FALLEN FRUIT WOODS FROM KLUG FARM. APPLE. CHERRY. EVEN PEACH. EACH ONE GIVES THE BACON A SUBTLE, NEW FLAVOR. I ENDED UP PREFERRING CHERRY.


THE CURE:
1g PINK SALT:1# MEAT
GROUND BAY/PEPPERCORN, BROWN SUGAR, KOSHER SALT


*NOTE: I USUALLY EYEBALL THE BAY, PEPPERCORN, ETC. BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF MEAT I'M WORKING WITH. BUT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE PINK SALT IS A CURING AGENT. IT DOES NOT ADD FLAVOR.


IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH 25# OF PORK BELLY, AND YOU ADD 25g PINK SALT TO THE CURE, YOU HAVE ADDED ZERO FLAVOR.

BACON CITY:
1. PORK BELLY 
2. BACON CURE
3. APPROPRIATE SHEET TRAYS/RESTING RACKS
4. FRIDGE SPACE TO HOLD TRAYS/BACON FOR 1 WEEK 
3. A SMOKER
4. WOOD FOR THE SMOKER
5. FIRE


FIRST, THE BELLY. IF THE SKIN HASN'T BEEN REMOVED, START THERE. IF IT HAS, SHAME ON YOU. WE COULD'VE MADE CRACKLINGS. THOSE REMOVING THE SKIN MAY RESERVE, DEHYDRATE AND DEEP-FRY IT INTO SNACKS. 


WHEN SKINNING LARGER CUTS, IT'S HELPFUL TO SCORE THE SKIN INTO SMALLER SECTIONS AND GENTLY REMOVE IT WITH AS FEW EVEN MOVEMENTS AS POSSIBLE. WORKING THIS WAY WILL CREATE LESS WASTE AND A SMOOTH SURFACE ON THE BELLY. ALSO, HUMAN BODY HEAT IS HIGH ENOUGH TO RENDER FAT AND LEAVE DENTS IN THE SURFACE OF THE BACON. HANDLE THE BELLY AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE TO GUARANTEE GOOD RESULTS.


NOW THE CURE. THOSE WORKING WITH MORE THAN ONE SECTION OF BELLY WILL FIND IT BEST TO DEAL WITH ONE AT A TIME. WEIGH THE PIECES INDIVIDUALLY. SET ASIDE. MULTIPLY 1g PINK SALT x 1# MEAT. RECORD THE RESULTS. BACK TO THE LAB.


BRING THE PINK SALT AND A GOOD AMOUNT OF THE CURE BASE. WEIGH OUT THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF PINK SALT, BASED ON THE RESULTS FROM THE FIRST EQUATION. COMBINE THIS WITH THE FIRST BIT OF THE CURE. WHEN MIXED WELL, GIVE IT THE OL' RUB DOWN.


FOLLOW THESE STEPS UNTIL THE BELLY HAS CURE APPLIED ALL AROUND. NOW, IT'S READY FOR REFRIGERATION.


SET UP THE TRAYS AND RACKS. ONE LAYER OF FUTURE BACON PER RACK, PER TRAY. ONCE ALL THE BACON IS LINED UP AND GOOD TO GO, COVER AND WRAP. THE BACON CAN SIT ON CURE FOR UP TO 7 DAYS. THE PROCESS SHOULD END NO EARLIER THAN 5, NO LATER THAN 7. 

SMOKEFEST:

GATHER THE WOOD. SOAK A BIT OF IT IN WATER. SET ASIDE. ADD SOME OF THE DRY WOOD TO THE SMOKER. GET A FIRE GOING. BACON NINJAS WITH FANCIER WEAPONRY MAY HAVE AN ELECTRIC START OR SOME OTHER GUCCI FEATURE. IF THAT'S THE CASE, GOOD FOR YOUS. LET'S SMOKE.


ONCE THE FIRE IS GOING AND THINGS ARE STARTING TO SMOKE PRETTY WELL, BRING THE WET WOOD. ADD THIS TO THE SMOKER. NICE, RIGHT.?


NOW THE BELLIES. AGAIN, THOSE WORKING WITH LARGER QUANTITIES MAY HAVE TO WORK IN BATCHES. I USUALLY HAVE TO DO AT LEAST 2 RUNS IF I'M WORKING WITH MORE THAN 1 BELLY. JUST MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS ROOM TO BREATHE AND THE SMOKER ISN'T OVERCROWDED. A TYPICAL BELLY, WEIGHING ABOUT 10-ISH LBS., TAKES ME A COUPLE HOURS. RESULTS MAY VARY.


IF EVERYTHING HAS GONE WELL UP UNTIL NOW, THE DEAL IS PRETTY MUCH SEALED. KEEP AN EYE ON THE SMOKER. DON'T LET THE BACON BURN. IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE RACKS, AND ONE IS CLOSER TO THE HEAT THAN ANOTHER... IT'S GOOD TO ROTATE THE PIECES ONCE IN A WHILE.


ONCE THE BACONS ARE FINISHED, REMOVE, REST ON A RACK AND ALLOW TO COOL.

GET SOME.
-PETE