Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 37

Thread: Home cured bacon ;P

  1. #1
    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    GB
    Posts
    1,635
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 732 Times in 466 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Cool Home cured bacon ;P

    Anyone else do their own?

    Mine is curing in the fridge right now; just salt, jam, and whiskey - no nitrites.

    Watch this space for further updates!

  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Cullman County, Alabama
    Posts
    96
    Thanks
    54
    Thanked 87 Times in 46 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    My younger son does his own bacon.
    In my mug: Sailor 21 P-P M, Cross Solo M, Online Calligraphy, Monteverde Invincia F, Hero 359 M, Jinhao X450 M, Levenger T-W M, Jinhao 159 , Platinum Balance F, TWSBI Classic 1.1, Platinum Preppy 0.3 F, 7 Pilot Varsities, Speedball penholder, TWSBI 580 USA EF, Pilot MR, Ahab 1.1, another Preppy 0.3, Preppy EF 0.2, ASA Sniper F, Click Majestic F, Kaweco Sport M, Pilot Prera F, Baoer 79 M, Hero 616 M, Jinhao X750

    31 and counting

    DaveBj

  3. #3
    Senior Member FredRydr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Carlisle, Pennsylvania USA
    Posts
    4,908
    Thanks
    1,396
    Thanked 6,390 Times in 2,505 Posts
    Rep Power
    18

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    Tell us about the pig.

  4. #4
    Senior Member jbb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Posts
    843
    Thanks
    359
    Thanked 754 Times in 307 Posts
    Rep Power
    11

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    Is it smoked?
    JBBPensPaper an Etsy store

  5. #5
    Senior Member dfo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Somewhere in the hills of eastern Washington
    Posts
    333
    Thanks
    419
    Thanked 250 Times in 131 Posts
    Rep Power
    9

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    Sir, do you have any suggestions on ingredients for the brine. I plan on cold smoking them afterwards.

    I will be doing this in four months. For now, the pigs are happy eating a field of rye grass.
    "Love is the final fight."

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    SFO USA
    Posts
    1,375
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked 1,113 Times in 573 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    Tell us about the pig.
    None of Farmboy’s pigs could cure bacon but they could make it from corn. Problem was they could only do the trick once; Not one of them ever repeated the feat...

  7. #7
    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    GB
    Posts
    1,635
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 732 Times in 466 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    Tell us about the pig.
    English, free range but not organic as far as I know; will be getting more particular in the sourcing of the raw product as recipe, method, and my own confidence/experience becomes more refined.

    Quote Originally Posted by jbb View Post
    Is it smoked?
    Not yet, but somewhere in the future probably.

    Quote Originally Posted by dfo View Post
    Sir, do you have any suggestions on ingredients for the brine. I plan on cold smoking them afterwards.

    I will be doing this in four months. For now, the pigs are happy eating a field of rye grass.
    So, this is my first attempt, but I read up on the theory and science and watched various youtube vids about how others have done theirs; hence for now, i'm keeping it simple.

    From what I understand, salt is the only essential ingredient for dry curing; however, sugar (or other products that have high sugar content such as jam, honey, and molasses) helps temper the salty flavour, reduces the toughening effect of the salt on the meat, and is a catalyst to the curing process by providing food for the 'good' bacteria... sugar is also a preservative.

    I chose to add whiskey on this occasion as the alcohol is both a preservative and curing agent, and the whiskey flavour will help balance the sweetness of the jam.

    https://www.dartagnan.com/preserved-meat-methods.html

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to SIR For This Useful Post:

    dfo (June 2nd, 2018)

  9. #8
    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    GB
    Posts
    1,635
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 732 Times in 466 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Cool Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    So, I had a kilo of pig's cheeks curing by the same method in a separate dish; this now being the third day, I put most of them into a casserole to braise for a few hours in a bath of stout.
    A couple of cheeks that I had kept aside I sliced and fried, surprisingly they had the texture of back bacon and the flavour was a lot like lamb neck fillets, i'm guessing due to the high fat content; delicious with homemade ranch dressing in a sandwich, quite succulent ;P.

  10. #9
    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    GB
    Posts
    1,635
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 732 Times in 466 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    So, five days curing and a further five days drying, and... best bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwich i ever tasted, even if i do modestly say so myself - quite the better than expected pleasant surprise!

    Pictures to follow, and the next one i do will be with honey, rum, and lime juice ;P

  11. #10
    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    GB
    Posts
    1,635
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 732 Times in 466 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Cool Re: Home cured bacon ;P


  12. The Following User Says Thank You to SIR For This Useful Post:

    Sophos (June 10th, 2018)

  13. #11
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Posts
    8
    Thanks
    15
    Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    Great looking bacon! I've cured my own a few times with mixed results...perfect once or twice and way, way too salty a couple times.

    I'm just getting into curing other cuts. Built a curing chamber with temperature/humidity control and hung a few different salumi.
    Since this photo was taken I've added a couple coppa, a bresola, a lamb prosciutto, and a couple of ribeye roasts for dry curing.
    Looking forward to testing some of them next week.

    I play with my food

  14. The Following User Says Thank You to Sophos For This Useful Post:

    SIR (June 10th, 2018)

  15. #12
    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    GB
    Posts
    1,635
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 732 Times in 466 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Cool Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    Excellent!!

    Yeah, i found my bacon too salty at first (actually, it was hardly noticable in meals...), surprising as I used the minimum I thought necessary... but it quickly settled down during drying - i have no idea why that was, but it made good eats so... forget about it?

    I'm thinking the jam i used may have sealed the salt in, or maybe i should make sure the liquid drains away rather than than letting the meat sit in the 'brine'?

  16. The Following User Says Thank You to SIR For This Useful Post:

    Sophos (June 10th, 2018)

  17. #13
    Senior Member FredRydr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Carlisle, Pennsylvania USA
    Posts
    4,908
    Thanks
    1,396
    Thanked 6,390 Times in 2,505 Posts
    Rep Power
    18

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    It's hard to find anything like back bacon in Pennsylvania, and the USA in general. We only have the streaky stuff. I don't know anything about raising or butchering livestock, but I've wondered about back bacon: is it the breed of pig that makes the difference, or is it just the butchering?

  18. #14
    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    GB
    Posts
    1,635
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 732 Times in 466 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    I prefer streaky

  19. #15
    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    GB
    Posts
    1,635
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 732 Times in 466 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Cool Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    Anyone have some tips on super easy home-smoking? My last batch of bacon was a bit 'fragrant' and would probably have benefitted from smoking.

  20. #16
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Posts
    8
    Thanks
    15
    Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    Quote Originally Posted by SIR View Post
    Anyone have some tips on super easy home-smoking? My last batch of bacon was a bit 'fragrant' and would probably have benefitted from smoking.
    Do you have a BBQ? My father in law does some mean smoking with just his BBQ.

    I play with my food

  21. #17
    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    GB
    Posts
    1,635
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 732 Times in 466 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    No, I didn't yet find the inkling to buy/make a BBQ - but I would be tempted to.. tell me more - how do I smoke with a BBQ?

  22. #18
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Posts
    8
    Thanks
    15
    Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    I'm sure there are multiple methods. The way I've seen it done is to soak ceramic tile and wood chips and then place the tile on either your BBQs propane burner or charcoal coals (depending on type of BBQ) and the chips on the tile. Chips start smoking & Voilà!

    I play with my food

  23. #19
    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    GB
    Posts
    1,635
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 732 Times in 466 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    Ok, thanks; i think that's given me some inspiration - especially the ceramic tile part...

  24. #20
    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    GB
    Posts
    1,635
    Thanks
    725
    Thanked 732 Times in 466 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Default Re: Home cured bacon ;P

    Confit'd the remainder of the second batch, then pressed and cooled, then sliced and fried à la Gordon Ramsay - and then awarded myself a BF Goodrich star for the most amazing eating bacon ever!

    Latest batch is black cherry conserve and brandy... have made rillettes with the rib-meat from the previous batches

  25. The Following User Says Thank You to SIR For This Useful Post:

    Sophos (July 6th, 2018)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •