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Today marked soak day number seven on the bellies using a dry cure of Mortons Sugar Cure, BP, and garlic powder which started here:
http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11304
Pork Bellies
Cure applied - 1 T Morton's per pound, + 1 T BP + 1 t Garlic powder per belly.
Out of cure
Fresh water soak - I soaked these bellies four times in cold water for 30 minutes each, changing water on each soak. Bathtub seemed my best option..
Fry test... two pieces cut in half to fit the pan. Sliced a little thick... wasn't worried so much about that as I was the salt.
per me and the family, these were spot on, so I pulled them to hang and dry overnight.
Bellies hanging in the belly of the beast.
According to my notes last year, I cold smoked with hickory for 10 hours, let them rest a day in the smoker, then sliced. That's what I'll be shooting for tomorrow.
Notes to self: I used Morton's Sugar Cure this year that was "smoke flavored" instead of TQ that I used last year. WHY? I guess it was because Sugar Cure was what my grandpa always used to use, so I wanted to give it a try... I got stuck with the "smoke flavored" because that was all I could find. I'll admit, I was a bit apprehensive.. but man! this bacon is noticably better than last year with no "smoke flavored" coming through - I think that's good.
Salt - I sliced and test fried a batch after the third soak. I put the bellies back into their fourth fresh water soak as I fried. When the bacon was done, it was spot on perfect, but as I ate the last bit that had cooled after I pulled, dried, and hung the bellies it did seem saltier... If anyone else out there has experienced this, lemme know. I figured that after the fourth soak they should be good.
I suppose I could have gotten a little more creative on the seasoning, but with this being a once a year project, I'm just enjoying doing it and can't wait to have some hickory smoked bacon next weekend for breakfast!
I'll have updates as I smoke and slice over the next few days.
Adding in the smoking posts
Here's this morningings update:
Started a few hickory chunks and little pieces in my chimney. FIRE!!!!
The hickory bath - couldn't waste a cold smoke, so I picked up 5#'s of sharp cheddar at Sam's yesterday and will give them a couple of hours this monrning with the bacon. I have o'l WALLE set at 80*, we'll see if that's enough to keep the fire hot and the cheese solid...
Adding in the Sliced posts
Okay, here's the wrap up:
I smoked the bellies last Sunday, giving them 11 hours under the hickory.
I let them set in the smoker until Monday night, then wrapped them up and let them set in the bottom of the fridge until this morning. I set them in the freezer to stiffen up, then started slicing.
Smoked bellies
Sliced shots
First belly
Second belly
Third belly
Final take
Thank you for checking out my bacon project,
Tracey
http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11304
Pork Bellies
Cure applied - 1 T Morton's per pound, + 1 T BP + 1 t Garlic powder per belly.
Out of cure
Fresh water soak - I soaked these bellies four times in cold water for 30 minutes each, changing water on each soak. Bathtub seemed my best option..
Fry test... two pieces cut in half to fit the pan. Sliced a little thick... wasn't worried so much about that as I was the salt.
per me and the family, these were spot on, so I pulled them to hang and dry overnight. Bellies hanging in the belly of the beast.
According to my notes last year, I cold smoked with hickory for 10 hours, let them rest a day in the smoker, then sliced. That's what I'll be shooting for tomorrow.
Notes to self: I used Morton's Sugar Cure this year that was "smoke flavored" instead of TQ that I used last year. WHY? I guess it was because Sugar Cure was what my grandpa always used to use, so I wanted to give it a try... I got stuck with the "smoke flavored" because that was all I could find. I'll admit, I was a bit apprehensive.. but man! this bacon is noticably better than last year with no "smoke flavored" coming through - I think that's good.
Salt - I sliced and test fried a batch after the third soak. I put the bellies back into their fourth fresh water soak as I fried. When the bacon was done, it was spot on perfect, but as I ate the last bit that had cooled after I pulled, dried, and hung the bellies it did seem saltier...
If anyone else out there has experienced this, lemme know. I figured that after the fourth soak they should be good. I suppose I could have gotten a little more creative on the seasoning, but with this being a once a year project, I'm just enjoying doing it and can't wait to have some hickory smoked bacon next weekend for breakfast!
I'll have updates as I smoke and slice over the next few days.
Adding in the smoking posts
Here's this morningings update:
Started a few hickory chunks and little pieces in my chimney. FIRE!!!!
The hickory bath - couldn't waste a cold smoke, so I picked up 5#'s of sharp cheddar at Sam's yesterday and will give them a couple of hours this monrning with the bacon. I have o'l WALLE set at 80*, we'll see if that's enough to keep the fire hot and the cheese solid...
Adding in the Sliced posts
Okay, here's the wrap up:
I smoked the bellies last Sunday, giving them 11 hours under the hickory.
I let them set in the smoker until Monday night, then wrapped them up and let them set in the bottom of the fridge until this morning. I set them in the freezer to stiffen up, then started slicing.
Smoked bellies
Sliced shots
First belly
Second belly
Third belly
Final take
Thank you for checking out my bacon project,
Tracey
, hope yours turns out great .
My Cousin called today,He had a heifer break a leg loading her so we will be butchering her next weekend 
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