Rosemary Sugar Cured Bacon – Homemade Smoked Bacon Recipe

1. Trim the pork belly, remove the skin, rinse, and pat dry. 
2. In a bowl, combine the salt, curing salt, and sugar. Remove the rosemary leaves from the stems and then, using a mortar and pestle, bruise the rosemary before adding it to the salt mixture. 
3. Thoroughly rub the pork belly with the salt mixture and place into a large ziplock bag. Remove as much air as possible before sealing. Set the belly into the fridge on a tray to cure for 7 days. Flip the (soon to be) bacon daily. You will notice an accumulation of liquid in the bags. That is something you want. The rubs are drawing out the moisture. That is what makes supermarket bacon shrivel and curl. At the end of the curing period, the pork belly should be firm.
4. When you are ready to smoke the bacon, remove it from the bag in the fridge and rinse thoroughly. Pat it dry.  
5. Prepare your smoker for a longer smoke by filling the charcoal basket ¾ of the way full with premium lump charcoal. Place 4 or 5 chunks of smoking wood like hickory amongst the charcoal. Light ¹/₃ to ½ of a load of charcoal using a charcoal chimney. Dump the lit charcoal into the center of the unlit charcoal and allow your smoker to preheat to 200°F. Fill the water pan with hot water. 
6. Place your cured pork belly onto the cooking grids and smoke for 3 to 6 hours, until an internal temperature of 150°F. Using a wireless or Bluetooth BBQ thermometer with multiple probes will allow you to keep an eye on both the internal temperature of the bacon and the temperature of your smoker. 
7. Slice the bacon, once off the grill and cooled, into your desired thickness. Package it for storage depending on your family size. Freeze it in freezer bags or wrapped in foil, thawing completely before cooking up for a delicious breakfast or addition to carbonara. 

Store-bought bacon cannot ever compare to the glory of this homemade Rosemary Sugar Cured Bacon smoked on your own smoker. Through the curing process, much of the water is removed from the pork belly. So, instead of the watery mess of store-bought bacon, you have a much heartier, and far more flavorful slice of heaven for breakfast. What is your favorite thing to smoke? Share your recipes, stories, and photos to our social pages like Grills Facebook and Instagram using the hashtags #SmokerRecipes and #NapoleonGrills.

Happy Grilling!