nicko

This is what I love about this site and @Wade advice in particular. It has taken curing from a black art and turned it into an exact science. It's brilliant 👍👍👍

Hi wade,

Thank you for taking the time to reply and for giving such excellent advice, I really appreciate it. I have just ordered a vacuum sealer, so once it and the cure arrives I should be good to go for another attempt, only this time done properly. We have only eaten enough of the last batch for a couple of bacon butties so hopefully we won't have done too much harm.

Thanks again and I will post some photos of my next attempt. 

Nick

15 hours ago, Wade said:

Hi Nicko - great looking bacon . What did you use to cure/flavour method did you use and how long did you smoke it for?

Which model of Weber did you buy?

Thanks Wade, unfortunately I got the recipe and method from a friend and I didn't find this forum until I was already half way through the curing process. I made the cure at 8g of saltpeter to 1kg of salt and used 120g  in total on the belly pork. This was a ratio of 75g per kg of meat. I did the "drain the water and top up" method for 5 days and then soaked for 2 hours, did a water change and soaked for another hour. I realise now that this is probably the worst method I could have used, but it got me started and I have since learnt the error of my ways. 😀

I followed your advice on how to smoke using my weber 57cm master touch and the pro q smoke generator. I used oak and smoked it for 9 hours. It is not quite as pink as in the photos but the indoor lighting through the colour off a bit.

As for the finished results, the outside couple off rashers was a little salty but the rest has been fine and the flavour is absolutely delicious. Even my wife who is not a bacon fan said it took her back to her childhood when we used to have proper bacon.

I have since ordered some cure no 1 and have read all the advice on this site, so hopefully the next batch will be perfect.

Nick

Just now, Smokin Monkey said:

Once again Welcome to the Forum.

Once you have made your own Bacon, you will not go back to Supermarket Bacon!

Thank you and you are so right. The first time I cooked that bacon it took me back to my childhood. Its been that long since I had proper bacon, I will never buy supermarket bacon ever again. 

Thank you for having me. 

You might not believe this, but at the ripe old age of 45 I bought my very first bbq just 4 weeks ago, a shiny new weber MT. 

In the past 4 weeks I have done burgers, sausages, chicken, pulled pork, ribs and pork belly burnt ends. Some turned out better than others, but hey, I am still learning. 

But I think my best achievement and with the help of this forum, is my very first attempt at dry cured, smoked bacon.

I am now totally hooked and I just know that I am going to end up spending a fortune on meat. Lol. 

Here is a picture of my first attempt at bacon. 

P.s. I had forgotten just how good proper bacon tasted.