Pork belly bacon.

[Blacktail Sniper]

Got a question for the bacon makers...

Was killing time in Costco yesterday waiting on a presciption and cruised through the meat section.

I see they have large sections of pork belly and was wondering about smoking some bacon.

I have seen where some do smaller sections and some do the entire slab.

Any benefit more so one way vs the other?

[Ddouble]

I get the 2 gallon ziplock bags and cut them to size that fits in there. Brining them in the ziplocks makes it easy to flip every other day.

[NRA4LIFE]

I cut the belly in half and also use the 2 gallon ziplocs for curing.  The halves fit and hang better than a whole one in my big smoker.  I love that Costco is carrying the bellies.  I did a 10 pounder at Christmas.  It's awesome looking in the pork box in the freezer and seeing it flooded with packs of bacon.

[Carl]

 
I did the same.

[brewzer13]

Would one of you mind sharing details on the recipe. I picked up the pork bellies from Costco as well and just got a new electric smoker waiting to get something inside. What do you use for rub/cure, temps and durations etc. All would be helpful for a novice.

[Southpole]

Don't do anything with it. Slice up, salt, pepper, garlic, place on a cookie sheet and cook in the oven on 350 until browned... I must be the only person on earth that likes side pork. I'm on a Korean pork belly kick right now as well, it's all I can think about 

[Boss .300 winmag]

Don't do anything with it. Slice up, salt, pepper, garlic, place on a cookie sheet and cook in the oven on 350 until browned... I must be the only person on earth that likes side pork. I'm on a Korean pork belly kick right now as well, it's all I can think about 

How do you do the Korean?

[Southpole]

Don't do anything with it. Slice up, salt, pepper, garlic, place on a cookie sheet and cook in the oven on 350 until browned... I must be the only person on earth that likes side pork. I'm on a Korean pork belly kick right now as well, it's all I can think about 

How do you do the Korean?

Not necessarily pure Korean but on Pinterest there is a pork belly slider recipe I've done. There are countless others but I'm too retarded to figure out how to attach them here 

[carpsniperg2]

All I do is use buckboard bacon cure. The side pork is thinner so most the times I only let it go about 5-6 days before smoking it.

[Southpole]

I think it was Andrew Zimmerman that I was watching. He was at a Korean restaurant eating BBQ pork belly dipped in some kind of sauce. I've been infatuated about pork belly ever since. When we process our pigs we always skip curing the belly into bacon and just stick with side pork. If I want bacon I just buy commercially made bacon. I've never had good homemade bacon from any local butcher shops around Snohomish county, it usually turns out too tough and / or too salty. I hope you find a good recipe to try and make your own bacon, it'll be fun to try 

[Blacklab]

 Homemade bacon  When I do it's BBB as the base then I'll add to it. Such as fresh cracked pepper, honey, maple syrup any flavors you like. 13 day cure smoked with pecan or hickory are great flavors great stuff always thick slice.

[bearhunter99]

I use this one and have never gone wrong:
Savory Bacon Brine

1gal of water
1 cup + 1tbl sugar
1 cup of kosher salt
1tbl pink curing salt
2tbl of ground pepper
2tsp ground fennel seeds
2tsp of ground caraway seeds
2tsp of ground rosemary
2tsp of thyme
4 crushed bay leaves

Mix all ingredient together til salt and sugar is dissolved and brine pork belly 24-48 hours, drain and pad dry, smoke til internal temp reaches 145-150
I grind all my spices in a coffee mill to approximately a medium to coarse grind.
If you dont have a smoker, you can do this in the oven on 250 til internal temp is reached.

[Whitpirate]

I think it was Andrew Zimmerman that I was watching. He was at a Korean restaurant eating BBQ pork belly dipped in some kind of sauce. I've been infatuated about pork belly ever since. When we process our pigs we always skip curing the belly into bacon and just stick with side pork. If I want bacon I just buy commercially made bacon. I've never had good homemade bacon from any local butcher shops around Snohomish county, it usually turns out too tough and / or too salty. I hope you find a good recipe to try and make your own bacon, it'll be fun to try 

You need to drive a belly of your pork up to Del Fox Meats in Stanwood.  Best bacon short of making it myself.  I use them for my farm sales.

[206]

Get an accurate scale.  Cut belly in 3 pieces.  1TBL tenderquick and a couple Tsp brown sugar per pound.  10 days in fridge. Rinse, soak 1/2 hour in ice water.  Air overnight in fridge.  Smoke at 120 degrees with hickory for 12 hours.

That's the summary of what I have done 3 times now.  Best bacon we have ever had.

[Carl]

Lots of information and variations out there.  Here's some info.

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/making_bacon_from_scratch.html