Homemade bacon begins with a simple dry cure of kosher salt, curing salt, brown sugar and maple syrup. The pork belly cures in the refrigerator for seven days, developing its characteristic bacon flavor before it is ready for the next step—drying and smoking.
Yield: About 10 pounds uncooked cured pork belly
Curing Time: 7 days
Ingredients:
- ½ cup kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons Prague Powder #1
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 10 pounds pork belly
Instructions:
- In a bowl, thoroughly combine the kosher salt, Prague Powder #1 and brown sugar.
- Add the maple syrup and stir until evenly incorporated.
- Rinse the pork belly and pat dry.
- Place the pork belly in a 2-gallon zip-top bag or a large pleated FoodSaver bag that has been sealed on one end.
- Spread approximately one-third of the cure over the fat side of the pork belly. Massage it thoroughly over the surface.
- Turn the pork belly over and spread the remaining two-thirds of the cure over the meat side, rubbing it evenly into the pork.
- Seal the bag and place it in the refrigerator for 7 days.
- Once each day, turn the bag over and massage the liquid that develops in the bag back over the pork belly to help distribute the cure evenly.
- After 7 days, the pork belly is ready for the next stage of the bacon-making process.
Important: Prague Powder #1 is a curing salt containing sodium nitrite and is not interchangeable with ordinary salt or Himalayan pink salt. Because curing-salt quantities need to be matched accurately to the weight of the meat, I would verify the Prague Powder #1 amount against the manufacturer's directions before curing a 10-pound pork belly.
Source: Family Recipe