Comfort Food, Great Leftovers, Keeps Well, Freezes Well
Making your own bacon couldn’t be easier, and you will be very happy when you eat the results. Keep it in the freezer to add flavor to soups, stews, and pot roasts.
Makes 5 to 8 pounds
INGREDIENTS:
- 6- to 10-pound skinless pork belly
- Basic Wet Brine made with Insta Cure No. 1
- 3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper, (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Cut the belly crosswise into 3 or 4 equal-sized pieces. Lay the pieces in a rectangular storage tub large enough to hold them and the brine. Pour the brine over the meat. If the pieces are not completely submerged, weight them down with a plate. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days for smaller bellies (6 to 7 pounds) and 3 days for bellies more than 7 pounds. After 1 day, remove the belly pieces, stir the brine, and resubmerge the meat, changing the order of the pieces in the brine.
- Remove the belly pieces from the brine. Wash under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. If you desire, sprinkle the belly pieces evenly with the pepper. Smoke the bellies. Cool to room temperature. Use a long, sharp knife to cut into ⅛-inch thick slices, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. (Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.)
- Cook in a skillet over medium heat until nicely browned but not overly crisp and brittle, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
COOK’S NOTES:
- For molasses-flavored bacon, replace ¼ cup of the brown sugar in the brine with ½ cup unsulfured molasses.
- For tropical-flavored bacon, replace 1 cup of the water in the brine with 1 cup dark rum and replace ¼ cup of the brown sugar with ½ cup unsulfured molasses.
- For scotch-and-Drambuie-flavored bacon, replace 2 cups of the water in the brine with 1 cup scotch and 1 cup Drambuie and replace ½ cup of the brown sugar with 1 cup honey.
- For maple-flavored bacon, replace ¼ cup of the brown sugar in the brine with ½ cup real maple syrup (I use Grade B) or replace all the brown sugar with maple sugar. Add 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract to the brine.
- For honey-flavored bacon, replace ¼ cup of the brown sugar in the brine with ½ cup honey.
- For treacle-flavored bacon, replace ¼ cup of the brown sugar in the brine with ½ cup dark treacle.
- For malt-flavored bacon, replace ¼ cup of the brown sugar in the brine with ½ cup malt syrup (see Sources).
- For Kentucky-inspired bacon, replace 1 cup of the water in the brine with 1 cup bourbon and use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar.
