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Post by Gus65 on Feb 15, 2014 11:48:00 GMT 10
Gents,
Been wanting to make my own bacon for a while and as summer comes to an end I'll get to be home a bit more so I thought I'd give it a crack.
Read heaps of posts for and against the use of nitrite on ABBQF and have only ended up more confused than before.
Any tips or recipes on doing this without using nitrite. I'm not too worried about it if I have to get some and use it but if I don't have to source another ingredient to add to the shelf full of rubs, spices etc. it would be good.
Have a cold smoke generator, pro q, vac sealer and a beer fridge that I will allow food in if it's BBQ related so I reckon I've got the basic tools to do it.
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Post by smokey on Feb 16, 2014 13:49:37 GMT 10
There is nothing wrong with making such a product but strictley speaking is not "Bacon" but rather "Salt Pork" The good thing about it is that its easy and safe to do, You dont have to worry about such minute (for home amounts) of Nitrite ratio to salt and weight of product. Therefore the amount of salt and sugar need not be perfectly measured out. There are two ways that I use. 1) Wet cure in cryovac 2) Dry cure in a tray so that liquid seeps to the bottom and drained or poured out (Same as id do with smoked salmon) This used more salt and sugar but is my prefered way. Option 1 The Flavours you add are up to you but the basic per kg of belly for option 1 is; 3/4 cup salt 3/4 cup dark sugar 1 tsp ground black pepper Honey or maple syrup can be added . Rub belly all over and cryovac adding any left over cure into the bag. Place in fridge and turn every day for seven days. Rinse belly and soak in fresh water an hour and test fry a bit. To salty? soak another hour in more clean fresh water until you are satisfied. Option 2 This uses lots of salt and lots of sugar but same ratio as above. The difference is that the liquid is drained away from the belly instead of sitting in a bath of brine in the bag. Same time of seven days, pending on size, can be done in five days for a little one like you cooked last night. But the more it dries out the more you get a hard Speck like product and that shaved fine is yum It wont be pink like bacon, Rather a mixture of colours and mostly greys. It will also need care when hot smoking. I recomend hot smoking as there are no nitrites to keep it safe during cold smoking. Or you could slice raw, not smoke and fry "Green Bacon" ,, More an Irish thing. Once cooked/ smoked, Use within seven days from the fridge or vac pack and freeze. Experiment mate, As long as your fridge is cold your sweet Beef can also be done like this and eaten raw finely shaved in salads etc
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Post by Gus65 on Feb 16, 2014 14:42:00 GMT 10
Thanks Mick,
As soon as I get my head around the CSG and get some dust that actually burns I'll have a crack.
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Post by smokey on Feb 16, 2014 16:20:47 GMT 10
You dont use the cold smoker, Cook the salt pork like doing a pulled pork at 225F with wood chunks until the pork is 165F then rapid cool in ice. If you use Nitrites, you can cold smoke. Do you want a sample of kwikCurit? I can send you a sample of enough to do several bacons.
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Post by Gus65 on Feb 17, 2014 10:48:37 GMT 10
Thanks Mick,
Will try the hot smoked version first, have a mate who makes his using nitrite and he has offered to give me some if I want. Plan is to make it then freeze until required.
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Post by shayneh2006 on Feb 23, 2014 17:35:09 GMT 10
When I started making my own Bacon, it was always done the natural way and like Mick said, hot smoking was the option I used.
And then I learnt about Cure#1.
No turning back here
Shayne
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aydee
New Member
Posts: 17
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Post by aydee on Nov 1, 2014 12:16:18 GMT 10
I bought some Cure#1 last weekend. I got it from Melbourne Food Depot. Cost $10/100gm. Fairly expensive as far as cure goes, but then, it's one of the few places I've found that actually sell it in small 'home user' quantities, and further, without additives.
I'm looking forwards to making my first batch of bacon starting today. (I've just mixed the salt, sugar and cure). I've got 1kg of porkbelly (Cut from a 4kg slab). And about to go to town on the rubbing in of the cure.
AD
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Post by smokey on Nov 1, 2014 13:08:59 GMT 10
Welcome to the forum AD That 100g of cure will do enough bacons to take the cost kind of moot. There is a calculator somewhere around here that Hoddo put up. Hoddo could you make a new thread with the link in charcture General and I'll make it a sticky. it's an excellent tool. I could do it but it's your find.
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Post by chrisg on Nov 1, 2014 13:58:35 GMT 10
Hi AD, lots of fun to be had here I'm going to be giving the homemade bacon a go as well, just a case of finding some time (To explain, known AD for years ) Cheers
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Post by smokey on Nov 1, 2014 15:45:11 GMT 10
Hi AD, lots of fun to be had here I'm going to be giving the homemade bacon a go as well, just a case of finding some time (To explain, known AD for years ) Cheers Then a double welcome AD, we like friends of friends Do take pics of your bacon, We like those to
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Post by chrisg on Nov 1, 2014 18:01:10 GMT 10
I said I'd known him for years... Joking, AD is a very good friend, haven't seen him for ages but spoke to him this year I'll let him tell you about himself and his other hobbies, you might find them very interesting if he so wishes Cheers
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Post by smokey on Nov 1, 2014 18:37:17 GMT 10
I said I'd known him for years... Joking, AD is a very good friend, haven't seen him for ages but spoke to him this year I'll let him tell you about himself and his other hobbies, you might find them very interesting if he so wishes Cheers A crazy automatic watch collector?
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Post by chrisg on Nov 1, 2014 18:47:08 GMT 10
Not that I know of, more hands on and artisan Cheers
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aydee
New Member
Posts: 17
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Post by aydee on Nov 2, 2014 11:26:05 GMT 10
Ahoy. Yeah. Homebrewer (From grain. Grow my own hops). Blacksmith. Electronic tech.
Crazy mix of skills.
Adding bbq expert to the list would be cool.
AD
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aydee
New Member
Posts: 17
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Post by aydee on Nov 9, 2014 16:08:52 GMT 10
And a quick update. No photos. It turned into a hot smoke. I just couldn't create a smoker in time. So hotsmoked the bacon. It was awesome. It's the best bacon I've ever had. I've only ever had store bought bacon. I've got 2kg of pork belly defrosting now. I play on starting the curing of it tomorrow. My sister in law has put in an order for a few kg of bacon for her birthday party in 6 weeks.
Friends are now going off and making smokers.
I think we can call it a success. And it was a plain bacon too! no flavours. No maple syrup or anything.
Still on a bacon high about 24 hrs later. (It all was finished as of this morning really...) 1kg.. 4 people. Can't be healthy but don't care.
AD
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