Bacon:
BEWARE: This recipe does not use curing salt or any added nitrates or nitrites. The curing process is refrigerated and the smoking process uses a hot smoke.
This is a simple but very tasty uncured bacon recipe. The reason I make bacon this way is because curing salt gives me heart burn! I do understand the risk of botulism. But reading books on curing and preserving meats I learned you can minimize the risk by curing in a refrigerated environment and hot smoking the meat! So with this knowledge, please enjoy at your own risk/pleasure!
Recipe:
9 to 10 lbs. whole pork belly
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1. Combine kosher salt and brown sugar in a bowl, mix well. Apply salt and sugar mixture evenly on both sides of pork belly. Vacuum seal pork belly with applied mixture. This will ensure the salt and sugar will adhere to the belly.
2. Refrigerate pork belly for 6-7 days. Flip the belly over once a day. The salt and sugar will extract water out of the belly and it will make its own brine. Flipping the belly once a day will evenly brine the meat. After 6-7 days the belly should be firm to the touch. Your meat is now cured.
3. Remove belly from the vacuum seal bag and rinse off all the brine with water. Allow belly to air dry for 45 mins. This will develop a tacky film called pectle. Doing this will aid smoke absorbtion.
4. Smoke belly at 180F. until the internal temperature reads 150F. Remove from smoker and chill in refrigerator. You bacon is now done! Once chilled completely you can slice and package!
