markie_q Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 I have a Buffalo commercial slicer, so plan to slice the bacon with this. I'm guessing, I should chill it down to firm it up? Plan is to vac pack and then gift it or freeze it. All advice appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 (edited) 30 minutes to an hour in freezer then slice helps to hold it firm while slicing. I always freeze mine, after slicing. Edited November 7, 2018 by Smokin Monkey Edited time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markie_q Posted November 7, 2018 Author Share Posted November 7, 2018 As long as two hours? I was planning 30 minutes ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 Sorry I have altered the time now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markie_q Posted November 7, 2018 Author Share Posted November 7, 2018 I'm going to freeze some of it, but have some guinea pigs who want to try it at work. So keeping some fresh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 9 hours ago, markie_q said: I have a Buffalo commercial slicer, so plan to slice the bacon with this. I'm guessing, I should chill it down to firm it up? Plan is to vac pack and then gift it or freeze it. All advice appreciated. I too have the Buffalo and it slices the bacon well. You will have kept the bacon in the fridge before you get round to slice it and so it may be cool enough already. I keep my fridge at between 1-2 C. If yours is warmer then, as has been mentioned above, placing it in the freezer for 30 minutes to drop the temperature a little more will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markie_q Posted November 8, 2018 Author Share Posted November 8, 2018 My fridge runs at 3.5 so may be worth sticking in the freeze still. What width setting do you slice the bacon on? Do you square it up with a knife first before putting it through the slicer? Again apologies for bombarding with questions ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 19 minutes ago, markie_q said: What width setting do you slice the bacon on? Do you square it up with a knife first before putting it through the slicer? Again apologies for bombarding with questions ? After the first couple of slices it will square itself up and the initial trimmings can be cooked straight away and used as the slicers reward. I find "3" on the dial gives me a good bacon thickness and what I use for the bacon I sell. No problem with the questions - that is what we are here for 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markie_q Posted November 9, 2018 Author Share Posted November 9, 2018 Managed to get about 23 slices. Got down to about 3/4 of an inch before i couldn't get it though the slicer. So I've chopped that bit up for use as lardons. Bacon all packed up and half has been gifted to work colleagues, see if they like it. Looking forward to bacon sandwiches in the morning! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted November 9, 2018 Share Posted November 9, 2018 That bit that’s left is great to add to things like Chilli. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markie_q Posted November 9, 2018 Author Share Posted November 9, 2018 59 minutes ago, Smokin Monkey said: That bit that’s left is great to add to things like Chilli. That's a great idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 3 hours ago, markie_q said: So I've chopped that bit up for use as lardons. What about a bacon and pea risotto ??? Ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markie_q Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 8 hours ago, Icefever said: What about a bacon and pea risotto ??? Ice. That's another great idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markie_q Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 So I chilled the bacon for about 45 minutes in the freezer and sliced it on '3' as recommended by Wade, which was the perfect thickness. I think I was applying too much pressure on the first block and curving the bacon, so the slices were a little misshapen and the bottom had some curious angles on it. Second block I just let the slicer do the hard work and glided it by. Much quicker and easier. Great fun 'toy' and didn't lose any finger tips. Thanks again for all the brilliant advice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 If you see it leaving a "tail" and not fully cutting at the end of a slice it is time to run the sharpener over the blade 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markie_q Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 Yes, that's exactly what it was doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotv Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 (edited) Got 2 pretty square pieces of pork belly curing at the moment, should be ready for smoking next weekend Thinking of leaving one unsliced and cut it with a large 10" carving knife as neededfrom the fridge, for the first time. The one I want to keep unsliced is 1.6kg before curing. I don't expect it to last long, but understand it can last for a further period of time in the fridge than if I did it all in one go on my slicer, without the need for freezing? Will it keep just fine in a normal food bag, or need to be kept in a ziploc bag in the fridge (don't want to vacpac it every time it has been used). Can bacon be cut against the grain or best to always slice with the grain? Edited November 2, 2019 by sotv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 @Wade can answer your questions regarding storage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotv Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 On 11/2/2019 at 12:49 PM, sotv said: Got 2 pretty square pieces of pork belly curing at the moment, should be ready for smoking next weekend Thinking of leaving one unsliced and cut it with a large 10" carving knife as neededfrom the fridge, for the first time. The one I want to keep unsliced is 1.6kg before curing. I don't expect it to last long, but understand it can last for a further period of time in the fridge than if I did it all in one go on my slicer, without the need for freezing? Will it keep just fine in a normal food bag, or need to be kept in a ziploc bag in the fridge (don't want to vacpac it every time it has been used). Can bacon be cut against the grain or best to always slice with the grain? Sliced both slabs this morning using my 30cm blade knife, that I usually use to carve and slice meat with. Pleasantly surprised it did a much better job, than my bacon slicer. Uniform pieces and able to cut 50 + slices from each 1.6kg slab of meat straight form the fridge. No scraggy tail ends after running through the machine. like normal, full length slices of streaky bacon. Takes a little longer than the machine but will be cutting mine with the knife in future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 I have found that on my slicer, if you widen the slice by a further 1/2 to 1 on the dial the tails go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotv Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 1 hour ago, Wade said: I have found that on my slicer, if you widen the slice by a further 1/2 to 1 on the dial the tails go away. Mine is a quite old machine, not the best, it does have a dial for increasing /decreasing slice size. The main problem is the meat slipping and sliding with something the width of a pork belly, when using it. Found it much easier and neater with this 12" carving knife certainly wouldn't do it with a normal kitchen knife, as this knife length covered the full width of the belly and enabled it to be kept flat against it whilst cutting, without the need to move it along the meat to complete the slice. Compared to my aged slicer, it gave me much more uniform slices and less waste overall along without having the clean up of all the parts afterwards. The slicer may have got another couple of slices from the end of the meat, that I couldn't manage with the knife. But got a good quantity of lardons for some pasta and paella from that anyway. I got about 50+ slices from the 1600g pieces of belly minus lardons. So I make it approx 30g a slice on average, which is about the weight of an equivalent Supermarket slice of thick bacon. So pleased with that. May invest in a better slicer in the future, but for the quantities I currently do, the knife will suffice as well as being a great knife for carving and slicing larger cuts of smoked meat for the rest of the year. Just my personal experience and sure many people have better slicers than mine and find it much easier with theirs anyway 😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markie_q Posted December 1, 2019 Author Share Posted December 1, 2019 8 hours ago, Wade said: I have found that on my slicer, if you widen the slice by a further 1/2 to 1 on the dial the tails go away. So 3 1/2 to 4 on the dial? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted December 2, 2019 Share Posted December 2, 2019 16 hours ago, Wade said: I have found that on my slicer, if you widen the slice by a further 1/2 to 1 on the dial the tails go away. I will have to try this because it's the one thing about my slicer that pee's me off...😈 Ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted December 2, 2019 Share Posted December 2, 2019 11 hours ago, markie_q said: So 3 1/2 to 4 on the dial? Yes - It works on mine. I have moved mine up to 3 1/2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul C Posted October 9, 2021 Share Posted October 9, 2021 Whoop! Whoop! Thread resurrection alert! I'm using a (new) M4Y electric slicer which I suspect is sold under many other names on the usual websites, I paid just under £100. The problem I'm having seems to be a common one, it doesn't cut all the way through and stays joined at the tail. The block of uncut meat also sticks to the face of the blade and is either flipped out onto the worktop or loops 180 degrees and comes back at me. I've tried cutting at 3, 3 1/2 and 4. I've left the meat in the freezer until very firm too. I wondered if the blade was sharp* but proved it was after cleaning by slicing my thumb open. Where am I going wrong? * How do you sharpen a circular blade? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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