Homemade Smoked Bacon Recipe
You could go to the store and buy that mushy watery, greasy, splattery, messy bacon that you usually eat with your weekend breakfasts. But you could buy a slab of pork belly and wait for 10 days to have your own Homemade Smoked Bacon. Not only is it the most delicious bacon you will have ever tasted on the face of this planet ever, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing exactly what's in it; how it was made. And the knowledge, the deep down satisfaction of having made it yourself. Wow your friends and family, if you choose to share, with this most incredible pork creation. It was the longest 7 to 10 days of our lives when we were making this. Waiting for, not only the bacon to cure, but for my husband, the Baron of Baking's, first skydive with a dozen or so friends the same day. I stayed with my feet planted firmly on the ground, catering the event with Curry Beer Butt Chicken and these delightful Burgers. But because we busted out the smoker to make the chicken, we figured it would be a great time to smoke the bacon. I mean the charcoal was already lit and smoldering away. Needless to say, the Baron survived his fall to the earth, probably the best thing he has ever done, or so he says. I, on the other hand, think that making this bacon is probably the best thing I have ever done.
Homemade Smoked Bacon Recipe
PrintIngredients
Method
Photos
14 lbs.
pork belly
1
bag charcoal
1 bag
maple or apple smoking chips
2
heavy duty zippered freezer bags,
11-inches by 10.75-inches
Plain Bacon
1 cup
sugar
2 tbsp.
molasses
2 tbsp.
kosher salt
2 tbsp.
Bone Dust
2 tsp.
curing salt*
Maple Bacon
6 tbsp.
kosher salt
3 tsp.
curing salt*
1/3 cup
brown sugar, packed
7 tbsp.
maple syrup
*Curing salt can be purchased at the butcher when you get the meat. You may have to call ahead. You can also purchase your curing salt online from specialty retailers and even Amazon.
- Lay out your massive slab of pork belly, remove the skin and divide in two. This should give you two portions of 7 lbs. each. This will also fit better into the big Ziploc bags.
- For the plain bacon, combine the sugar, molasses, salt, Bone Dust, and curing salt in a bowl. Pour half of this mixture over the first pork belly and massage it into the meat. Flip the rubbed belly over and massage the rest of the rub into the meat, making sure to get the sides and ends. (If you want just plain bacon double the plain recipe and repeat this process.)
- For the maple bacon, combine the salt, curing salt packed brown sugar and maple syrup in a bowl. It will make a paste-y substance, not like the plain rub. Massage half of the mixture into one side of the second pork belly, and half into the other side of the same belly. (Double and repeat if you are doing all maple bacon instead.)
- Place both portions of pork belly into the oversized freezer bags. Seal them tightly and place into the fridge.
- Flip the bags of bacon daily for 5 to 7 days. 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 bellies should be firm.
- When you're ready to make bacon, remove the pork from the bags, discarding any of the liquids left over. Rinse and dry the pork and lay it out until your grill is ready.
- Preheat your grill to 200°F, and fill a Napoleon Smoker Tube with wood chips, or preheat your Apollo Smoker to 200°F. Smoke the bacon for 3 to 6 hours, until a meat thermometer shows 150°F in the thickest part of the meat.
- Allow the pork to cool and slice it. Divide your slices into servings depending on your family size. Package by wrapping the servings in tin foil, or in smaller Ziploc bags. Freeze. Allow each serving to thaw before frying.
Homemade Smoked Bacon will be the best bacon you have ever eaten. That is unless you somehow A) Don't like bacon, or B) have no taste buds. I mean, we were giving samples to friends and family, much to our own dismay when it was gone, and they couldn't believe it! What they had been calling bacon for years untold, was lower than third rate compared. Or so they praised. Make it yourself. Try it. You will love it.
Rub the pork belly with seasonings
This is what done looks like
Smoke for 3 to 6 hours
Slice it to your preferred thickness
Serve it for breakfast
I used to be the Sultana of Sizzle, but you can call me Andrea. I have always been passionate about food. Even though I was majoring in Art and Graphic Design, I would frequently be found cooking for my friends and family.
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Rub the pork belly with seasonings
This is what done looks like
Smoke for 3 to 6 hours
Slice it to your preferred thickness
Serve it for breakfast
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