Making Bacon

[Wewild]

I would like some recipes to make pork belly bacon. This is my first time and didn't have nitrite so as I understand the meat will not maintain its color.

Mixture of salt and brown sugar.

[HerefordSire]

Looks good.

[1982vett]

It't been a decade or more since Dad buchered and cured hams and bacon. Best I recall he used a product called Mortons Sugar Cure or something like this. http://www.mortonsalt.com/products/meat ... lavor.html

This sounds close except for the smoke flavor part. He did that over real smoke.

[MO_cows]

You can still buy Mortons Sugar Cure, I saw it recently in small town grocery store. Also there's "Buckboard Bacon" cure made by Hi Mountain. www.himtnjerky.com. I have used it to cure bacon but it had already been sliced raw, so it didn't take long. A solid piece of meat like that is probably a 7-10 day cure?

[Wewild]

You can still buy Mortons Sugar Cure, I saw it recently in small town grocery store. Also there's "Buckboard Bacon" cure made by Hi Mountain. http://www.himtnjerky.com. I have used it to cure bacon but it had already been sliced raw, so it didn't take long. A solid piece of meat like that is probably a 7-10 day cure?

Yeah 7-10 days or till firm in the middle. I ordered the Morton's Tenderguick and Sugar cure but don't have them yet. Thinking about hot smoking 1/2 of it as a comparison.

Thanks for the link and Thanks Vette.

This was a 6# slab and I froze the other 25 till I get the stuff from Morton's. You can't seem to buy it around here. $50 for 31# of meat.

[Wewild]

Day 1 and moisture is being pulled out.

[MO_cows]

Wondering if the vacuum sealing might help it cure faster? Maybe a 5 day cure?

[Wewild]

Wondering if the vacuum sealing might help it cure faster? Maybe a 5 day cure?

Don't know. They say botulism doesn't like oxygen. I did a partial vacuum with a vacuum seal bag for the durability of the bag. I read that somewhere. I finally got the cure salts with the nitrates and nitrites. Might do some next weekend. The prepared bacon has browned but is firm. It should be ready this weekend.

[Jogeephus]

Wondering if the vacuum sealing might help it cure faster? Maybe a 5 day cure?

Don't know. They say botulism doesn't like oxygen. I did a partial vacuum with a vacuum seal bag for the durability of the bag. I read that somewhere. I finally got the cure salts with the nitrates and nitrites. Might do some next weekend. The prepared bacon has browned but is firm. It should be ready this weekend.

Wewild I think you have this confused with pseudomonas bacteria cause this is not correct. Botulism LOVES anaerobic conditions for it is in these anearobic conditions that it produces the lethal spores. Botulism can grow in temps ranging from 40 - 140 F so simply chilling the meat is not enough. The best method to prevent botulism in bacon is to use nitrates or nitrites otherwise boiling the meat for 10 minutes is the only other way. Botulism is rare but you rarely get second chance with it so I'd be careful curing stuff without the nitrates/ites.

Here is some info. Read the introduction.

http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArt ... ticleId=43

[Wewild]

Thanks Jo. I appreciate the concern and have the same. Help me though I thought an anearobic condition is "the absence of oxygen, preventing normal life for organisms that depend on oxygen". The frig has been at 37 degrees this whole time so any presence of bot hasn't been able to grow since the animal was processed. I used a recipe from

http://www.legourmet.tv/cooking/homemadebacon.html

minus the molasses but who knows if he is still alive.

I am now thinking about scraping the batch. How could it be safely tested?

[cross_7]

Thanks Jo. I appreciate the concern and have the same. Help me though I thought an anearobic condition is "the absence of oxygen, preventing normal life for organisms that depend on oxygen". The frig has been at 37 degrees this whole time so any presence of bot hasn't been able to grow since the animal was processed. I used a recipe from

http://www.legourmet.tv/cooking/homemadebacon.html

minus the molasses but who knows if he is still alive.

I am now thinking about scraping the batch. How could it be safely tested?

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09305.html

[Wewild]

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09305.html

Thanks. I have read a bunch on it. You can't be to careful.

[Wewild]

The bacon is excellent (in my mind of course since I made it). Cooked up good and the tasted great. It isn't like store bought and I couldn't slice it as thin as store bought. Slicing is going to need some work and I want to get a slicer next. I figure I got about $1.50 a pound in it not including my time and refrigeration.

[hillsdown]

The bacon is excellent (in my mind of course since I made it). Cooked up good and the tasted great. It isn't like store bought and I couldn't slice it as thin as store bought. Slicing is going to need some work and I want to get a slicer next. I figure I got about $1.50 a pound in it not including my time and refrigeration.

Sounds like it turned out fab, btw thin sliced is overrated you just gave everyone a better serving.

[Wewild]

Sounds like it turned out fab, btw thin sliced is overrated you just gave everyone a better serving.

I agree. I like it thicker. I just ain't too good at maintaining the same thickness yet but then it was my first time.