Bacon

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 pounds pork belly
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt (or other coarse, non-iodized salt)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon curing salt (see “About Nitrates” below)

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

1. Rinse the pork belly under cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels.
2. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, pepper, and optional curing salt in a small bowl.
3. Rub the seasoning mixture into all sides of the pork belly, using your scrupulously clean hands. Spend a couple of minutes massaging the seasoning/curing mixture into the meat.
4. Place the pork belly, along with any leftover curing mixture, into a plastic bag and seal it shut. Store it lengthwise in the refrigerator for 10 to 14 days, turning the bag over occasionally. The bacon should be fully cured at this point, with a firm texture and no soft spots.
5. Rinse the bacon and again pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels.

Cook or smoke the cured bacon.

1. Roast the cured bacon in a 200 F/93 C oven until the internal temperature reaches 150 F/66 C. This should take about 2 hours.
2. Store the bacon in a tightly sealed container or bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 1 year.

Using Real Smoke

1. If you have a smoker or want to make a simple smoker, you can use that to smoke your bacon. Use hickory or apple wood shavings for the best flavor.

Skip the roasting described above.

1. After rinsing off the cure, place the bacon on a rack and let it dry for 1 to 2 hours to form a pellicle (sticky surface layer of proteins that forms on the surface of the meat: the smoke will cling to it resulting in more flavorful bacon).
2. Smoke the cured, air-dried bacon at approximately 200 F until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 F/66 C, which should take between 1 and 2 hours.
3. Roast the cured bacon in a 200 F/93 C oven until the internal temperature reaches 150 F/66 C. This should take about 2 hours.
4. Baste the cured and roasted bacon with the liquid smoke. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat all sides.
5. Place the bacon on a rack over a pan (to catch any liquid smoke drippings) and air dry for 30 minutes. Transfer to a tightly sealed container or bag and refrigerate for up to 1 month, or freeze for up to 1 year.

Notes

Nowadays, so few people cure their own bacon or salt pork at home that most butchers don’t carry fresh pork belly. Order yours from a local farm or ask the butcher at your local supermarket if it is possible for them to order it for you. Pork belly is usually a very inexpensive cut.

Once cooked or smoked, cut the bacon into several pieces and then freeze those individually for the most convenient use later on.

Try making this variation: Beef Bacon.