First time trying to cure bacon

[winshooter88]

All the talk on here about Buckboard bacon prompted me to get some Costco pork bellies and try it out, I wanted to use the Hi Mountain Buckboard bacon cure but couldn't find any here in Wenatchee, So after doing a little research I made my own, maple and brown sugar on one belly and brown sugar and molasses on the other. Both came out pretty good even for a first try. Top picture is Maple and brown sugar, second picture is Molasses and brown sugar.

[Jason]

  let us know how they taste.

[winshooter88]

I've tried both already and the maple & brown sugar tastes better than anything I ever had from a store. The molasses & brown sugar has a deeper richer flavor that I really like. The only thing I ever had close to either one was when dad butchered a pig years and years ago and sugar cured the bacon and the hams. I used alder and maple wood to smoke it with.

[Speyrod1]

Would like to try your recipe.  I used the Hi Mountain cure and it came out pretty good.  I used apple chunks in the smoker.  Pretty good stuff. 

[winshooter88]

Speyrod1,

I'll have to sit down when I get a minute and write it down, I went through and looked at several websites and combined what I liked about their recipes. The process itself is basically the same as Buckboard Bacon just using my own cure recipe.

[Blacklab]

They have great color   

[Speyrod1]

winshooter88,

Thanks.  That would be great.

[winshooter88]

Speyrod1, here is what I did:

Home made bacon cure

1/3 cup kosher salt

2 teaspoons  Morton’s Tender Quick curing salt

1/3 cup maple sugar or Packed Dark Brown sugar

1/3 cup + 1 tbls maple syrup or if you prefer molasses
 
This is enough for a 4-5 pound pork belly.

Mix it all together and apply to your meat, I used  Costco pork bellies, put you meat in a plastic or stainless steel container and put it in the fridge, I left mine in the fridge for 10 days and turned it over after 5 days. You can take it out sooner or later as you choose but you should leave it in for at least 7 days to let it penetrate the meat well.

Then take it out and rinse it off and soak it for an hour,  cut off a small piece and fry it up, if it tastes ok to you then dry it off and put it in the fridge overnight to form a coating before smoking,

I smoked mine at 200 degrees until the meat internal temp was 140 degrees.

Then cooled it in the fridge and sliced it up.

Blacklab,

Thanks, it tastes pretty good too.

[Speyrod1]

Thanks winshooter88.  I will give it a try.  Looks great.

[villageidiot]

All of the ready made bacon cures have a specific number of days to,leave in the brine or dry rub. Be sure to adhere to the dates because any longer will make the bacon too salty. Longer doesn't mean tastier just saltier.