Pork belly bacon

[otterman91105]

Hey everyone my wife bought me a pork belly to try to smoke and make bacon out of it. Does anyone have any advice i have never done one before. Sounds like your brine it for a while then smoke then let cool and slice. But it would be nice to hear from people that have done it.

[Getanet]

You've got the right idea. There are a ton of bacon recipes here on HSO if you search for bacon - I've pasted one here to what seemed like one of the more popular brines. I made bacon once, and it turned out OK, but it's a long process.  Good luck and let us know how it turn out.

 

[Grainbelt]

Dry brine with Mortons Tenderquick, amount directions per pound are on the package in a ziplock in the fridge. Add seasonings like onion, garlic, black pepper, maple sugar or brown, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg. What ever you prefer. Take meat out of brine and let sit in Fridge overnight. Smoke around the 130 degree mark for 12 hours (for my liking) or as smokey as you like. Cut into 1/8" slices and cook in the oven 425 degrees for 20 to 30 min to your desired crispness. 

[bobberineyes]

I've done both wet and dry brines with much better results with the dry. As grainbelt stated you can mix up whatever sweetness you like. Here's a simple one but pretty good. Its ALL per pound of meat.

 

1- Tbsp of tenderquick 

1.5 Tbsp brown sugar 

1/4 tsp black pepper 

1 tsp garlic powder ( optional)

Mix all the spices together and coat the belly , depending on the size you might have to cut it in half,  this is when you do that and stuff em in two 2 gallon ziplocs.

  You can add some maple syrup to the bags as well,flip them  every day for 6 or 7 days then rinse them off real well,  put them on a wire rack and place back in the fridge uncovered. Next day smoke , and like grainbelt said your target internal temp is around 130, let them cool off and wrap up in plastic wrap for the next day of slicing. It might sound a lot of steps but its not that bad, with great results!! Good luck.

 

 

Edited June 18, 2018 by bobberineyes

[otterman91105]

Thanks for some of the tips. I will try it in the next couple of weeks when i have time. I have read to smoke till about 150 internal temp does it make a diffrence if it goes to 130 or 150?

[bobberineyes]

My slicer works well yet at 130 and it's not almost fully cooked.

[otterman91105]

Hey everyone i'm doing bacon but also doing some pork belly burnt ends just wondering what is a good wood for burnt ends

[Grainbelt]

I just picked up two packs of bellies also. We used up all our bacon on BLT's, I am going to have to plan to have plenty made for next year at this time. We love the thick cut homemade bacon on a BLT. 

[otterman91105]

So i just put in 5lbs of pork belly burnt ends in the smoker. I have never had them before can't wait to try them. I also have two slabs of belly in a cure will be smoking that next week for bacon.

Edited August 24, 2018 by otterman91105

[Grainbelt]

My bacon is cold smoked for 12hrs and  has rested overnight. Time to slice some and get into the oven for a nice treat. I coated with real maple syrup before smoking this round.

Edited September 7, 2018 by Grainbelt

[otterman91105]

Looks good next time i do another i would have done the whole belly. I did some in burnt ends and some into bacon. Next time it will all be bacon family loves it.

[Jim Almquist]

Last weekend I noticed that our Sam's club in Duluth now carries pork belly's. The price was $3.79lb and the size looked to be around 4-5lbs. What are you guys paying per pound?

[Grainbelt]

I get mine at Sams in Maple grove. I don't recall the exact price but I remember it was under $4. I am going to get another couple this week and start the process again. If the slabs are pretty stiff when you pick them up, it may have more fat than you want.

Edited September 8, 2018 by Grainbelt

[otterman91105]

I think they were around $4 a pound at costco as well.

[delcecchi]

Don't know about Costco, but Sam offers case prices that are a little cheaper 

[otterman91105]

A case of pork bellys would be quite the investment. At costco just the one i got was $32. 

[Grainbelt]

I like that at Sams, I've gotten cases of pork shoulder for $.40 a pound cheaper. I usually split it with a friend. 8 shoulders in the last case. I am down to my last shoulder, I've been making venison sausage lately.

Edited September 9, 2018 by Grainbelt

[Twin bunks]

I"ve bought mine, full bellies, at Costco for less than $3/pound. Split into 3rds for zip lock brining.

Use the amazingribs.com "bacon" and "cure calculator" and read the "science of curing".  Very interesting about why not to cold smoke and using the pink salt, prague #1 vs. Mortons TQ.  Overall the site just offers good science about  WHY? and myth busting.

With my pellet smoker, GMG, I like to use one of the extra smoker tubes (Premium Pellet Smoker Tube 12") to get some extra smoke on the bacon.  This is  $16 on Amazon and equal to A-Maze-n for $28 in the store.  Last batch I smoked at 180 vs. 225 but to an internal of 155 none-the-less.  It's fully cooked this way, you wont cook off all the fat, and fries  and slices just like any other bacon.  Best part is you can slice off the ends and eat them hot from the smoker.  Science says you need at least go to 131 to kill even heat loving bacteria.

[snagfinder]

Kinda late on this but it would be hard TO PAY $4 LB for the belly. Im trying to make bacon for the first time now. Went to meat market and bought half a pig $85. Kept 15lb of belly that would cost almost as much as half pig. plus you get loin, tenderloin, ribs, hams, butts and lots of leftovers to grind in your deer sausage. Was easy to cut up. No brainer for me.

[delcecchi]

Good price.    Pork should be cheaper looking at the quote for "lean hogs" on cme.   Just over 50 cents a pound...  too bad a contract is 40,000 pounds of carcasses.  Probably get the heads and feet and tail for your money too.  

 

 

[rl_sd]

....I agree. I just got into making bacon and was going to make belly bacon, but went the buckboard/cottage bacon route instead..... actually have 24# of cottage and 8# canadian bacon finishing their cure right now. After eating it, I am hook on cottage bacon.For $1.18 case price at sam's, it is hard not to go w/ the pork shoulder.