5 Bellies Resting

Needed to get 5 bellies done by next weekend. 60# of pork bellie. Itll yeild around 53# bacon.

Usually I will do a dry rub and leave for 7 days. These i injected a solution and then dry rubbed.

Plan is 4 days to smoke maybe 5.

4 of the bellies I did as normal. 1 bellie I am using my dry rub I use for my dried venison. Good experiment.

Cure #1 in the injection and dry rub?
Where did you get the full length bellies?

I’m pretty sure its the cure #1 in the solution. I’d like to latch onto a belly slab but I’m not set up to do 60 pounds at a time. I may have to check around and see if there’s a source I can get one belly at a decent price. I did my own bacon when I slaughtered and dressed out my own hogs at home ,but that’s been a while.

Sam’s club and FAREWAY SELLS 4/5 POUNDERS.
My observation was because if he is injecting cure I could not detect any on the exterior. Guess the pic was maybe before it was added? Ya I know this isn’t his first rodeo.

My cure is a purchased cure. Typically I use Witts product #G20387 for my bellies. I’m getting low on this but have alot of WItts product #G20334. You can google the rubs. Both are real similar. The G20334 I use for my turkeys, chickens and dried venison. Figured why wont it work for bellies into bacon.

What I did was mixed up a water solution to no particular ration of water and cure. Injected the bellies and then applied the dry rub. I’ve never injected them before. Always a dry rub only, for 8 days. Also I’ve never used the #G20334 for bellies.

Bellies came in a case of 4 I believe this time. Got them from a distributor in Eleva Wi. Average weighed around 12# each bellie. All bellies were squared up and really nice.

I’ve seen the ones at woodman’s. No thanks. Price is high and the are not of good quality.

Here is a picture of the meat side. Realized last picture was all the (fat) side.

Dennyo You can get a case of bellies at Brewers Inc. in Des Moines. They use to split a case for me but won’t do that anymore.

Here’s the meat side of the pork bellie.

Bellies are done. 8 hours smoke 90°, 1 hour at 150°, 1 hour at 180°. Color is good. Internal temp got up to 112° at the end of smoking. Taste test tomorrow when slicing.

Picked up a case of bellies today from Heritage Sausage in Galesville, Wi. 4 bellies individually vacuum sealed. The case weighs just over 50#. Average pork bellie weight of 12.5#. These are trimmed up nice.

If you wanted to purchase individual bellies that are vacuum sealed it might be worth a call. I’m sure they’ll sell them individually, instead of a full case.

You can always make fresh side pork? These bellies are fresh and never frozen.

riverruns wrote:

If you wanted to purchase individual bellies that are vacuum sealed it might be worth a call. I’m sure they’ll sell them individually, instead of a full case.

what does a case end up running per lb??
Are these nicer bellies than say the Kirkland brand from Costco for 1.99lb?

looking into having a little stock for making burnt ends!!

what does a case end up running per lb??
Are these nicer bellies than say the Kirkland brand from Costco for 1.99lb?
looking into having a little stock for making burnt ends!!
[/quote]

Best would be too call them on the pricing. It changes weekly. The owners are also my sister-in-law and her husband so I don’t want to say what I got charged. I don’t know nor ask how they charge me for my purchases. I just pay the amount they charge me.

As far as the comparison to Costco, that I cannot tell you. We do not have a Costco store anywhere near us. If the price of $1.99/lb is correct for a whole bellie trimmed up and nice shape, that’s a steal.

Justin Laack wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>riverruns wrote:</div>
If you wanted to purchase individual bellies that are vacuum sealed it might be worth a call. I’m sure they’ll sell them individually, instead of a full case.

what does a case end up running per lb??
Are these nicer bellies than say the Kirkland brand from Costco for 1.99lb?

looking into having a little stock for making burnt ends!!

Never made my own bacon but I am liking the idea. Your thread has me thinking! Looks great!

I’d be elated to find bellies even at $3.00/lb anywhere down here!

Tom Sawvell wrote:

I’m pretty sure its the cure #1 in the solution. I’d like to latch onto a belly slab but I’m not set up to do 60 pounds at a time. I may have to check around and see if there’s a source I can get one belly at a decent price. I did my own bacon when I slaughtered and dressed out my own hogs at home ,but that’s been a while.

When you did your bacon how did you cure them. I got most things in the smoker down but have not perfected bacon yet.

Denny O wrote:

I’d be elated to find bellies even at $3.00/lb anywhere down here!

Pork is expensive…in IOWA??

I thought this post was going to have a pic of Riverrun’s rela-tics an hour after Christmas dinner.

Well those bellies sure look good. I have 38 lbs curing now. Some in brine and some dry rub. Last attempt was good but to much like ham. I don’t think I cured them long enough.

Scenic wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Tom Sawvell wrote:</div>
I’m pretty sure its the cure #1 in the solution. I’d like to latch onto a belly slab but I’m not set up to do 60 pounds at a time. I may have to check around and see if there’s a source I can get one belly at a decent price. I did my own bacon when I slaughtered and dressed out my own hogs at home ,but that’s been a while.

When you did your bacon how did you cure them. I got most things in the smoker down but have not perfected bacon yet.

When I did my bacon I dry cured it. It turned out pretty good but I would inject and do a dry rub to boot the next time. Injecting just shortens the cure time from the inside out but also adds moisture to a certain degree. Both methods of curing work but the immersion is fastest.

Let me know how I can help specifically. Most of what I do is in this thread. I’d be happy to help explain it in a PM.

I’ve done bellies for about 15 years. Bacon is one of the simplest things to do.

Cure 5-10 or more days it’s very forgivable as long as its controlled at temperature while curing. Soak it out. That’s important. Hang to dry. I like to do over night. Then smoke as I described in this post.

Thank you. I’m going to smoke these on Monday so we will see.

Let us know how things turn out. I got your PM and responded. Bacon is easy to do.

Got it. Thank you.

Scenic wrote:

Thank you. I’m going to smoke these on Monday so we will see.

How did they end up?

Richard Jorgensen wrote:

Dennyo You can get a case of bellies at Brewers Inc. in Des Moines. They use to split a case for me but won’t do that anymore.

Richard, I somehow missed this earlier! Sorry.
How many are in a case? I assume about 40 pounds?

Scenic, got any pics?

Actually turned out pretty good. I messed up the smoking some as like normal the wind had to blow 50 mph when a person wants to smoke. Made it a bit tough to regulate the smoker.

I also know that I like the dry cure better than the brined method of curing.

I just got another case of bellies so I am going to start another batch. Practice until I get it just right.

I’ll try to get some pictures posted later today.

The Hobart got a work out.

Sorry for the duplicate pics. Not sure how to delete them

Scenic, those are not worthy at all!
The color is all wrong and there looks to be no meat in them just all fat, plain and simple..

Throw them out at once!!

By the way just where is it that you live? Oh and text me the time when you are setting out your garbage, I wouldn’t want the varmints to get sick scarfing those down.

Nice lookin product sir!

Tom Sawvell wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Scenic wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Tom Sawvell wrote:</div>
I’m pretty sure its the cure #1 in the solution. I’d like to latch onto a belly slab but I’m not set up to do 60 pounds at a time. I may have to check around and see if there’s a source I can get one belly at a decent price. I did my own bacon when I slaughtered and dressed out my own hogs at home ,but that’s been a while.

When you did your bacon how did you cure them. I got most things in the smoker down but have not perfected bacon yet.

When I did my bacon I dry cured it. It turned out pretty good but I would inject and do a dry rub to boot the next time. Injecting just shortens the cure time from the inside out but also adds moisture to a certain degree. Both methods of curing work but the immersion is fastest.

I disagree with Tom here, I would not inject bacon. It is not thick enough to need it. That is also why I prefer my own. You almost won’t need a splatter shield when you fry it. The injected water in the bacon is the reason commercial bacon splatters and pops so bad while it is dancing on the stove top.