Pork bellies

Finished up with the 12 bellies today. Average was 10# belly. Dry cured for 7 days. Rinsed and soaked for 16 and changed water once at 6 hours. Let hang for 8 hours and smoked last night from 6 until 2 this morning. Turned out great! Sliced about 1/2 today. Finish the rest tomorrow evening.

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Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm looks yummy!

Another pic.

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One more pic

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Where does one get 12 pork bellies at a reasonable price?

Looks delicious!

Macon Homemade Bacon! I love it!

Distributor out of Madison is where I got mine.

Do you mind sharing your brine/recipe? I make a lot of sausage and use my smoker often and this is the only thing I have screwed up more than once. I followed a brine recipe and steps to a T, too salty. Then purchased a commercial mix and was also too salty. Perhaps it was because they were much smaller pig bellies? A friend of mine butchers two small ones each winter for sausage and gives them to me. Not much too them, so not a big loss but it still bugged me.

Thanks

Alagnak Pete wrote:

Do you mind sharing your brine/recipe? I make a lot of sausage and use my smoker often and this is the only thing I have screwed up more than once. I followed a brine recipe and steps to a T, too salty. Then purchased a commercial mix and was also too salty. Perhaps it was because they were much smaller pig bellies? A friend of mine butchers two small ones each winter for sausage and gives them to me. Not much too them, so not a big loss but it still bugged me.

Thanks

I shared it in my first post. Shawn

Beautiful looking bacon sir!

Thank You. And the taste is better. This is some good stuff. Shawn.

riverruns wrote:

I shared it in my first post. Shawn

@ Alagnak Pete, I guess then that is a “no” on the particulars within the recipie.

Here is the recipe I use. Have tried many now this is the only one I use.
2) Maple Bacon (my favorite)
Ingredients

1 pound of unsliced pork belly

1 1/2 teaspoons Morton’s kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon Prague powder #1

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup

1/4 cup distilled water
Cure 7 days let it dry a day then slice
Art Green we have a distributor in Des Moines sells belly by the case. Last time I checked was around $1:30 lbs.

Richard, do you smoke it before slicing it?

For those that do smoke them, what internal meat temp do you try to achieve and at what cabinet temp do you smoke em at? I assume fairly cool on both items.

Denny O wrote:

Richard, do you smoke it before slicing it?

For those that do smoke them, what internal meat temp do you try to achieve and at what cabinet temp do you smoke em at? I assume fairly cool on both items.

I think you have to keep it at refrigerater temps.

When I smoke pork bellies for bacon they are smoked whole. Cabinet temp is around 90° when I start. I bring my cabinet temp up to around 150° for end of the process. Bacon temp doesnt end up over 110°. The reason I bring the temp up at the end it seams to add good color to the bellies. After that I hang the bellies around 38° for a day or 2. They firm up nice. I also semi freeze them before slicing. Seems to keep the blade of the slicer from getting greasy from the bacon.
Shawn

Picked up 2 more cases yesterday. These bellies will go in brine this Sunday (1-15) and be in the smoke house Tuesday morning (!-24) Midwest Perishables Inc. out of Madison will deliver for free on orders of 300# or more.

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Thanks again for sharing that detailed brine recipe and not just glamour shots of the meat.

Allow me to return the favor and share my detailed venison snack stick recipe.

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Snack sticks look awesome. Nice job done. Now have someone change out your bowl of cereal. I think someone peed in it this morning!

The brine is a cure I get from MPI. Goggle them then call them. They are out of Madison.

Alagnak Pete wrote:

Allow me to return the favor and share my detailed venison snack stick recipe.

Sticks look great. Where is the recipe?

Alagnak Pete wrote:

Allow me to return the favor and share my detailed venison snack stick recipe.

I’m sorry. Missed your recipe. Did you post it? Thanks.

If you need to do Brats look at my Post labelled brats. You will see a picture there also. Sorry to post pictures and not a detailed recipe. I don’t see the reason for a detailed recipe for everyone?

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130# of pork bellies almost finished up tonight. Nothing better than good bacon.

Put it in the smoker at 10 this morning. With the temps the way they are outside, these bellies will rest in smoker until Sunday slicing time.

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You guys are killing me, please keep on making me making me hungry!
I am barely finding the time this weekend to make jerky for an end of the month fishing adventure!

Riv,
You must have a hell of a big fan in your smoke house!

Denny, why do you reference a fan in my smokehouse? it does not have one. What would it do for me?? Thanks. Shawn

River,
Har de Har har!
It is because your pics show your pork bellies in the horizontal position!
My post was TOTALLY in jest!

I have watched many posts and have refrained from a gestures point of view. I just thought that I (if you may allow ) might have a bit of humor, my friend.

Ya come to think of it, it was windy that day.

River,

I tried this a month ago using PS Seasoning’s Maple cure however I did not do a post soak in water like you did……….came out real salty. Got some more bellies to try soon however this time I will do the post soak, hopefully that will draw out the excess salt.

Thanks