Bacon Cure and How to Make Your Own Bacon

Snake River Farms Kiribato Pork Belly

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of Kosher Salt
2 teaspoons of Prague Powder #1
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of maple syrup
10 pounds pork belly


Directions for Curing Bacon:
Mix the first 3 ingredients then add the maple syrup and stir to combine. Rinse the pork belly then place in either a 2 gallon ziplock bag or a large pleated food saver bag sealed on one end. Place approximately 1/3 of the cure on the fat side of the pork belly. Rub into the fat side of the belly then flip the pork belly over and place the other 2/3 of the cure on the meat side of the belly and rub into the pork belly. Seal the bag and brine for 7 days in the refrigerator. The pork belly should be flipped every day and the brine rubbed into the meat.

Directions for Smoking After Curing

1. Set up smoker for indirect heat. I use a Big Green Egg so I use the plate setter with the feet up.
2. Start the charcoal
3. Adjust the temperature to 225 degrees
4. Add soaked apple wood chips
5. Rinse the pork belly and dry well with paper towels.
6. Place the pork belly on the smoker with the fat side down. It is ok to cut the pork belly in half if the pork belly is too large to fit on the grill. I had to do this and smoke in 2 batches.
7. Close up the smoker and allow the bacon to smoke for about 2 hours or until an internal temperature of 150 degrees is reached.
8. Remove the pork belly from the smoker and allow to cool then wrap in foil and chill overnight in the refrigerator.
9. Trim the belly into a form that is good for slicing (square up); I also remove the fat cap before slicing.
10. Slice into the thickness desired and package in 8 oz or 16oz packages then vacuum seal and freeze.