How To Make Homemade Bacon Recipes

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BACON

Steps:

• Purchase the pork belly. Procuring the pork belly can be the hardest part of the entire homemade-bacon process since most grocery stores don't carry it. Try a local butcher or a restaurant supplier in your area to find the pork belly. Local butchers tend to have better quality pork bellies available than a restaurant supplier. Also, a restaurant supplier may only sell in bulk quantities much larger than what you need.
• Rinse the pork belly thoroughly. Once you get the pork belly home from the butcher, rinse it thoroughly to remove any blood or anything else on the meant. Pat the pork belly dry and then transfer it to a resealable two-gallon plastic bag. After you've cleaned and patted the pork belly dry, the surface will feel slightly tacky. You may also want to trim any thin edges off the pork belly if it has any. You want to place roughly a long rectangular piece into the plastic bag.
• Make the spice rub. To make the spice rub, mix the kosher salt, pink salt, brown sugar, honey, red pepper flakes, paprika, and cumin in a bowl. Mix until everything is spread evenly throughout the honey. This recipe is just one of a near endless variety you can use to create unique flavor profiles for your bacon. Other spice rub examples include: 2.5-3 pounds skinless pork belly, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 2 teaspoons pink curing salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) Bourbon, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and hickory smoke during the smoking process (whether actual hickory wood in your smoker or hickory liquid smoke roasted in your oven). 2 1/2 pounds skin-on pork belly, 2 1⁄2 tablespoons (37.0 ml) kosher salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, a tablespoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon fennel seed, 1 teaspoon caraway seed, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped. 1 pound of pork belly, 1 1/2 teaspoons Morton's kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pink curing salt, 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) soy sauce, 1 tablespoon powdered ginger, 1 teaspoon powdered garlic, 1 teaspoon Sriracha or other hot sauce, 1/4 teaspoon 5 spice powder, and 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) water.
• Coat the pork belly. You'll have enough of the spice rub to evenly coat the until piece of pork belly. Roll the mix around with the pork belly in the plastic bag until everything is coated.
• Refrigerate the pork for 7-10 days. Seal the plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator. You'll flip the bag once a day to keep the even coating, and the process will take approximately 7-10 days. The duration ultimately depends on the thickness of the pork belly. A thin belly (around 1.5 inches thick) will take seven days while a thicker belly (2-3 inches) will take the entire ten days. You can test how cured the pork belly is by touching it when you think it's close to ready. The cured meat will be firm to the touch all over like a cooked steak. If it still feels spongy and soft, then it needs more time.
• Rinse thoroughly. Once the meat has cured, you can remove it from the bag and rinse it thoroughly. Discard any solids from the rub on the meat as well. Pat the meat dry once you have rinsed it well.
• Refrigerate for forty-eight hours. After thoroughly rinsing the meat, you will need to refrigerate it again. Refrigerate it uncovered for a full forty-eight hours.

HOMEMADE BACON

Steps:

• **REFER TO BLOG POST FOR A COMPREHENSIVE TUTORIAL AND STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS****You can vary the flavors according to your preferences (see Recipe Notes) but do not adjust the salt or Prague powder amounts**
• For the Wet Cure Method:Add all the cure ingredients together in a large bowl and stir. Place the pork belly in gallon ziplock bag or container that just fits the size of the pork belly and pour the brine over it. If using a ziplock bag, place the bag in a container in case there is any leakage. Place it in the refrigerator for 7 days, flipping the bag over (or the pork belly itself if curing it in a container) every 2 days to ensure both sides of the pork belly are equally cured.**A one-gallon bag will hold a 3-pound pork belly. If you're following the recipe to use a 5 pound pork belly and plan on using the wet cure method with ziplock bags you can cut the pork belly in half and divide the brine equally between the two bags.
• After 7 days the pork belly will have firmed up. Remove the pork belly from the brine and thoroughly rinse it off. Some people say you should let the slab of bacon air dry for up to 24 hours before you smoke it. But many experts agree there is no need to do this. These experts argue that in leaving it wet the smoke actually sticks to the bacon better than if it's dry. At this point if you like you can rub it down with some cracked peppercorns and, if you want it sweeter, some brown sugar, honey or maple syrup. Proceed to smoking (see below).
• For the Dry Cure Method:Place all the dry cure ingredients in bowl and stir to thoroughly combine them. It is essential that the pink curing salt is evenly distributed across the whole pork belly. We recommend using a spice/coffee grinder, a small blender or a mortar and pestle. Thoroughly and evenly rub down all sides of the pork belly with the dry rub. Place it in a ziplock bag or container (like a casserole dish), with the fatty layer side down, and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for 5 days. Flip the bacon over, redistribute the liquid that will have formed (if it's in a ziplock bag simply turn the bag over and give it a massage), and refrigerate for another 5 days. After 10 days the pork belly will have become quite firm and stiff. Remove it from the the container or bag, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry with paper towels. At this point if you like you can rub it down with some cracked peppercorns and, if you want it sweeter, some brown sugar, honey or maple syrup. Proceed to smoking.
• To Smoke the Bacon:Preheat your smoker to 175-180 degrees F (do not exceed 200 F). (We use and love the Masterbuilt Digital Smoker). Smoke the bacon fat side up (as the fat renders it will run down over the meat) for 3+ hours or until the internal temperature of the bacon reaches 150 degrees F. (We use and recommend this instant read thermometer.) Add a handful of wood chips a couple of times during the smoking process. (Good options include hickory, apple or cherry.)If you're using a grill, set up it up for 2-zone cooking and smoke the bacon over indirect heat at 175-180 degrees F (don't exceed 200 F) for about 3 hours or until the internal temperature of the bacon reaches 150 degrees F.Once the bacon reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F, transfer the bacon to a plate and immediately place it in the fridge to cool down.
• To slice the bacon, slice it across the grain. You can use a large sharp knife or, for perfectly uniform/professional slices use a meat slicer.
• To store the bacon: If you plan on using the bacon within 2 weeks, wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap followed by an outer layer of foil and keep it refrigerated. If you're not going to use it within 2 weeks you can freeze it for up to 3 months. To freeze the bacon: You can either use a vacuum sealer like Food Saver or you can lay the slices out on wax paper in the same fashion as store-bought bacon and place another sheet of wax paper over it. Fold the sides around the bacon. Place the wrapped bacon in a ziplock bag. If you prefer the pieces not to stick together you can cut strips of was paper and place them between each slice of bacon. When you're ready to use it, simply remove the bacon from the freezer and let it thaw.

OVEN-BAKED BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place bacon slices one next to the other on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Flip bacon slices with kitchen tongs and return to oven. Bake until crispy, 15 to 20 minutes more. Thinner slices will need less time, about 20 minutes total. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

HOMEMADE CANADIAN BACON

Steps:

• Bring all ingredients except loin to a boil for 10 minutes.
• Trim fat from loin.
• Cool the brine to 38 degrees F and strain if desired.
• Add loin and put a plate on top to keep submerged.
• Cover,Put in fridge and let sit 7 days turning once at 4 days.
• Remove and rinse in cold water. Soak for 45 minutes in cool water.
• Get smoker to 225 Degrees F. Use a good hardwood of choice.
• For breakfast bacon cook to 145 degrees F.
• For finished bacon cook to 155-160 degrees F.
• Cut to desired thickness. 1/4" for me.
• Keeps in fridge same as commercial bacon.
• Keeps in freezer longer if left unsliced.