Pork Bellies from Cash and Carry

[DaveMonti]

Hello folks,
I picked up a pork belly at Cash and Carry.  It is a 5.5 lb belly labeled "IBP Pork Belly".  I am going to give my own bacon a try, and I've researched quite a bit on prep and curing. 

I realize that taking the skin off the belly is part of the prep process, but it's not necessarily easy.  My belly seems to be "dimpled" on one side with meat on the other, so I'm assuming the dimpled side is the skin side.  However, I'm wondering if the skin has already been removed.  The dimpling looks like a machine has "shaved" off the belly skin. 

Is it possible that the belly is skinned already?  While it looks like there is a definite 'layer" on what is the skin side, I'm wondering if it is just a thick layer of fat. 

I'll try to post a picture of a cross section and the dimples. 

Thanks for any advice.

Dave

[92xj]

Skin is on cash and carry bellies. I'd highly recommend, next time, buying a belly from Costco. They are the best prepped bellies I've found, even from local butchers. Take out of package, wash and put on your cure, no knife work needed at all on the Costco belly.

[NRA4LIFE]

If the skin is on, it will be slightly browner than the other side.  You definitely want to remove it.  5.5 lbs sounds like only half a belly.  I use Buckboard Bacon cure with some extra brown sugar and ground black pepper. 

[carpsniperg2]

  Spot on and same as I do.

[DaveMonti]

Thanks for the replies.  There doesn't seem to be a color difference between what is clearly fat and what might be skin.  The attached photo is of a cross section and the dimpled top layer.  I have peeled off the top layer a bit (and took some of the meat and fat layers below it!), but I think I have to be very careful to get only the top layer off. 

It's always a learning experience the first time!
Dave

[pianoman9701]

Skin is on cash and carry bellies. I'd highly recommend, next time, buying a belly from Costco. They are the best prepped bellies I've found, even from local butchers. Take out of package, wash and put on your cure, no knife work needed at all on the Costco belly.

If you have an Asian market nearby, they have the best pricing on good quality pork bellies. They're also skinned. Make sure to get some Yeo's Sesame oil for cooking while you're there. I use it for everything in the fry pan. high smoke point and adds great flavor.

[DaveMonti]

Got it skinned and in the wet cure.  Looking forward to some bacon in a week or so!

[KFhunter]

Thanks for the replies.  There doesn't seem to be a color difference between what is clearly fat and what might be skin.  The attached photo is of a cross section and the dimpled top layer.  I have peeled off the top layer a bit (and took some of the meat and fat layers below it!), but I think I have to be very careful to get only the top layer off. 

It's always a learning experience the first time!
Dave

That's not skin, it's dimpled because the skin was pulled off forcefully instead of being skinned off with a knife.

[Whitpirate]

Thanks for the replies.  There doesn't seem to be a color difference between what is clearly fat and what might be skin.  The attached photo is of a cross section and the dimpled top layer.  I have peeled off the top layer a bit (and took some of the meat and fat layers below it!), but I think I have to be very careful to get only the top layer off. 

It's always a learning experience the first time!
Dave

That's not skin, it's dimpled because the skin was pulled off forcefully instead of being skinned off with a knife.

Yeah that. 

[Blcktaildreamer]

Looks good I just put 50 pounds in the brine myself


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[Jim/WA]

I've been buying pork bellies at Costco for about a year now. They have the same look to them. Kinda threw me the first time as I expected the skin to still be on it.

[DaveMonti]

Yeah, that's what I suspected, already had the skin removed. 

Blacktaildreamer, what is your brine recipe?

[Blcktaildreamer]

It’s a very simple salt sugar and insta cure #1. Same recipe I learned from my grandpa along time ago. Just add the bellies to the brine and put in the walk-in or refrigerate for 14 days then cold smoke for 6 hours.


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[mossy8352]

I have used this sites method for a few years now and I use the same recipe for Canadian style bacon. always good and tasty. I use a Traeger but he explains different smokers and ways to get it done safely. The hardest part when I started was finding the pink salt.
https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/pork-chops-pulled-pork-ham-and-more-pork-recipes/makin-american-style-bacon-scratch
It is a good site go to tested recipes and then to the bacon section, happy smoking!

[Gobble Doc]

Thanks for the replies.  There doesn't seem to be a color difference between what is clearly fat and what might be skin.  The attached photo is of a cross section and the dimpled top layer.  I have peeled off the top layer a bit (and took some of the meat and fat layers below it!), but I think I have to be very careful to get only the top layer off. 

It's always a learning experience the first time!
Dave

That's not skin, it's dimpled because the skin was pulled off forcefully instead of being skinned off with a knife.

Do you remove any of that top layer of fat before curing or would you cure as it is shown in the picture?