Thread: Smoke House - Curing Meat

Backyard Bacon.
I just finished my first atempt,it was loverley.As I went to Albany I put the pork belly on for a second go in the sealed bag.I washed the belly,dried it then treated it again.
The result was great,not salty like normal bacon,only stored the finished product in a freezer bag in the fridge,didnt go smelly or slimy like ham or bacon does,going to try chicken next.
I reccomend using an IGrill mini(BBQ galore $50,you need a smartphone/tablet,it produces a bar graph of internal temp,cheating Im told) to get the correct internal temp.Used the same device to cook 2 pork roasts to perfection.You cook on internal temp not weight.1 roast was ready 1 hour earlier than the time/weight method due to me letting it get too hot at the start whilst trying to establish the bluetooth connection.Pork was perfect,if I let it run another hour as per the normal roast pork weight/time it would have been ruined.

Anyhow the recipe,the rub works great on steak and chops before BBQing


Daks,I mentioned I had a recipe to try.Ive just made the rub,and treated the pork belly.It was easy.

Part 1 BBQ Rub.suits all meats you want to grille(BBQ).Seasons the meat,helps seal in moisture.Makes 2 cups,will last 12 months in a sealed container.

1 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chilli powder
2 tablespoons mustard powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cayenne powder
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in large bowl,put in airtight container.Rub into any meat .

Backyard Bacon.
1 tablespoon of the above rub
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 pound fresh pork belly.

In a small bowl mix sugar/rub mix.

Evenly coat the pork belly including the sides pressing it in to ensure that it adheres.

Place pork belly in zip tie bag,squeeze out as much air as possible.Refrigerate for 1 week massaging daily to redistribute the cure liquid.

After a week the belly should be entirely firm in texture.if it has soft spots give it an extra day or 2.

When fully cured,remove from the bag,rinse thoroughly under cold water,pat dry with paper towels.

Prepare a smoker to 225degF,or a charrcoal or gas grill with smoke chips to med/low(150degF)

Lay pork belly in aluminium pan put in smoker/grille and close the lid.Smoke the bacon for 45mins or until it reaches an internal temp of 150 to 155degF.Remove from smoker cool on a rack.

Bacon is fully cooked and ready to eat as is.You can fry it at a low temp,it will not shrink as much as store bought bacon.

ENJOY
Andrew

These work well, so far I havent had much use but the cooks done thus far have been good