Making bacon

[Green Aura]

I'm wondering if you're both being a bit too quick to eat it. We left it for a few days after washing all the rub off and drying it. I don't know if that makes a difference. Plus we were using a joint, not slices. It's about 10" x 6" unrolled.

[wulf]

Way too quick on my part - it was only a couple of days since the curing was started so I definitely want to try again.

Wulf

[Odsox]

This is rather opportune.
After saying that we are off to the big shops tomorrow and I would get some belly pork.
Last night a local farmer called round with a car bootfull of pork from one of his pigs he just had slaughtered, so I now have a fridge full of pork chops and 3 large pieces of streaky.
Now all I have to get tomorrow is some Muscavado sugar

I say "local" farmer, and he is as his farm is only about 5 miles away, except it is across the bay and by road he is about 25 miles away.
Still local though.

[Green Aura]

A lot more local than most people's Tony - even if it came from the neighbouring farm it'll have travelled miles to the abattoir then to a central distribution point then back to their nearest supermarket!

[Big Al]

I'm wondering if you're both being a bit too quick to eat it. We left it for a few days after washing all the rub off and drying it. I don't know if that makes a difference. Plus we were using a joint, not slices. It's about 10" x 6" unrolled.

Thats the greedy pig in me GA !! At least this lot didn't put any mingy white muck in the pan. I used 200g of salt and 200g of sugar for four bits that measured about 1" thick and 6" long so put all together my bit would have been about 4" x 6".......

Your recipie is certainly much better than my first attempt at curing pork which was only with salt so I thank you for that...

[Odsox]

Well I am almost at the stage when I stop rubbing in the mixture ... I forgot to score the rind and by the time I realised it was far too hard to cut, so I am giving it an extra rub instead.
How long do you think I should leave it after I wash and dry it tomorrow Maggie ?

[Odsox]

I keep forgetting to tell you Maggie, we have been eating the bacon for two lots of weekend breakfasts now and it's gorgeous. Not too salty even though she fries it, and of course no gunky white goo coming out of the rashers.
When I get a spare 5 minutes I'm going to have a go at smoking the other half.
Thanks Maggie.

[Green Aura]

Sorry Tony, I missed your previous post! But it sounds like you sorted it.

Glad it worked - I forgot to put some more on so we dipped in to some shop bought bacon we bought for my mother and it wasn't good at all.

Fortunately the next batch is now ready so breakfast on Saturday will be homemade bacon butties I need a supply of milk now so I can make some butter.

Oh and did I mention I've got a recipe for making HP sauce!!!!! (Never tried it though so I don't know if it's any good).

[oldjerry]

My favourite cure(and I never thought I'd share this, but you people are really nice) is to use honey rather than sugar. it probably doesn't keep very long,wouldn't know as the kids just eat it' but it's damn good.

[Odsox]

Thanks for that Jerry especially as I'm a honey lover and get through a jar a week (really must get some bees).
But how do you use it ? Do you make a brine and dissolve honey into it, or what ?
I can see this bacon making is going to become a regular occurrence in this household.

[Green Aura]

Honey cure does sound lovely! The original recipe for the rub I use said that in the final rub you could use honey, maple syrup, molasses, herbs, spices or even whisky! Another recipe I found suggested a strip of orange peel

It's not the type of cure that seems to make for the best bacon, though - I'm sure there are loads of tasty ones - but the length of time taken in the cure. A slower cure taking a couple of weeks instead of the few days mentioned in all the recipes I found, seems to give a much better flavour.

I think I'll give honey a go (or maple syrup - but definitely not whisky - I want bacon, not a divorce).

[oldjerry]

Well if you're dry curing(which always seems like a bit of a slog) instead of the last couple of rubs, coat in thick honey and leave long as poss.If it's in a wet cure dry thoroughly then do the same. The whiskey sounds interesting,definetly worth a divorce.Just a thought,I always had a prob with slicing,by hand,loved the thick slices but it didn't last long enough,and most machines too dear.Then one day when I was wondering round a carboot sale looking for the mother in laws birthday present,I bought an electric bread slicing machine for a quid it lasted 4 pigs before the bearings gave out.I've had 3 since never paid more than a couple of quid(not very green to use then dispose of,but they were going to be dumped anyway).

[Green Aura]

Yup, slicing can be a bit of a problem - I'm not so bothered by the thickness as by the uneven slices we often get. But having just used some shop bought "see-through" bacon, I've decided to take that off my list of moans

[Odsox]

Isn't it strange ... I like thin crispy rashers but all Irish rashers are thick and chewy, and the only thinly sliced bacon we can get here is from Lidl.
I have had a slicing machine for years and it certainly makes life easier and was originally bought for slicing rashers off of shop bought bacon joints.

[wulf]

Results are in from my second attempt (the first one inadvertantly got cooked up early by my wife, who hadn't been fully briefed on the process). Actually, to be honest, I don't think I got it quite right myself. I started on 24 November and every three days dried the bacon and added a new sugar / salt mixture. The last lot got left on for just over a week and then I dried it off tonight.

I've used about 2/3 of my sample to cook dinner tonight - very nice although a bit salty. The rest is dried off and I'll probably consume it at the weekend. I will definitely try again although observing the instructions a bit more closely this time. The end of my dependence on shop-bought bacon rashers might be nearing an end!

;)

Wulf