How To Cure Bacon At Home
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
21 d
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Total Time
21 d 15 mins
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Servings
1000 g
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Course
Side Dish, Main Course, Lunch, Dinner
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Cuisine
American
How To Cure Bacon At Home
Description
How To Cure Bacon At Home instructs on preparing bacon starting with skinless pork belly measured by weight to scale the curing ingredients. Maple syrup is first rubbed on the pork for flavor and moisture. A dry cure blend of kosher salt, curing salt #1, and coarsely ground black pepper is then applied evenly. The meat is sealed in a bag and refrigerated for 7 to 21 days, flipping occasionally to ensure uniform curing.
After curing, excess seasoning can be removed before slicing and cooking. Hanging the bacon to dry at controlled temperatures post-cure can improve flavor and shelf life. If the curing salt is used, cold smoking at low temperatures is an optional final step to impart smoky aroma and taste. The recipe also notes the substitution of curing salt with kosher salt if desired and adjusting maple syrup to alter sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1000 g pork belly 2.2 lbs; skinless
- 22.5 g kosher salt 1 1/4 Tbsp
- 2.5 g salt 1/2 tsp (see notes, curing salt #1
- 10 g black pepper coarsely ground; about 4.5 teaspoons
- 25 g maple syrup 1 Tbsp; see notes.
Instructions
- Weigh the pork belly in grams. Divide by 1000, then multiply each ingredient by that number. For example, if your belly weighs 2650 g, you need to multiply the ingredients specified above by 2.65.
- Rub the belly with maple syrup.
- Combine the salt, Cure #1, and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Apply the dry cure mix evenly on all sides of the pork belly.
- Place the pork into a Ziploc bag, or vacuum-seal, and refrigerate for at least 7 days and up to 14 days for regular thickness pieces (less than 3") and up to 21 days for thicker bacon pieces (3" or thicker), flipping occasionally.
- Remove from the bag, pat dry with paper towels, scrape off excess seasonings with the back of a knife if you desire, slice, cook and enjoy.
- You may also hang the bacon to dry for a week or so, at temperatures below 40F if not using Cure #1 or at 55F or below if using Cure #1. This will improve shelf life and intensify flavor.
- If you used Cure #1 to cure the bacon, you can smoke it at low temperatures (below 200F) to obtain smoky flavor.
Notes
- If opting out of Cure #1, replace its amount with extra kosher salt.
- Increasing maple syrup makes bacon sweeter with less salty taste.
- Flipping the pork belly occasionally during curing ensures even flavor distribution.
- Drying bacon at low temperatures before smoking enhances shelf life and intensifies flavor.
- Cold smoking after curing is optional when using Cure #1 for added smoke aroma.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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