Marye Audet
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On the old family farms and homesteads of our ancestors smoking meats was a fact of life. It was one of the few ways to preserve meat safely in the days before refrigeration.
When bacon became commercially available consumers snatched it up. It was convenient, inexpensive, and if the taste was inferior the popularity was not. By the time the Baby Boomers started appearing smoking your own meat had become a lost art.
Food Experiences a Renaissance
Food has experienced a Renaissance. Maybe in part due to Julia Child, maybe in part due to the slow food movement, or maybe in part due to the concerns about additives like nitrates the number of artisan food producers, websites, and cookbooks has risen considerably. Twenty years ago it would have been nearly impossible to find instructions for smoking your own bacon however these days it is easy. The hardest thing is figuring out which wood to use to smoke with.
By making your own bacon you can enjoy a far superior flavor to what you have been used to. You can enjoy your bacon without the health concerns about nitrates, and if you get the pork belly from a local butcher you may be able to find a heritage breed.
Here's one more homesteading skill to add to your repertoire.
How to Smoke Bacon
Smoking bacon takes patience because it is time consuming. Remember that the outcome is worth every minute you spent thinking about the crispy reward at the end of the process.
Step One:Trimming
You will need about five pounds of pork belly. Be sure to specify the meat from the back of the belly. This is close to the loin and has more meat than the front does.Trim the bellies so that you have a square or rectangle. This will depend a lot in the shape of the belly. Trim it so you have as little waste as possible.
The point of trimming is to allow you to cut the meat in slices of the same size and thickness. You won't do this until after it has been smoked.
Step Two: Brining
There are a lot of ways to make a brine for your bacon. You can even buy brine mixes at specialty stores. Beware of this however; often these have nitrates added which defeats the purpose of making your own.
The following recipe is based on Alton Brown's brine recipe.
Place one quart of purified water, one inch piece of dry chipotle pepper, 1 teaspoon of whole cloves, one cup organic sugar, one cup Kosher salt, and one cup of organic maple syrup or molasses to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Now add another quart of purified water (at room temperature) and two quarts of raw, apple cider vinegar. Cool to 40F as quickly as possible.
Lay a cookie sheet out on the counter and cover it with cracked black pepper. Place the pork belly on the black pepper and press the pepper into the meat. Submerge the meat completely in the cooled brine. To keep it completely submerged place a plate on top of the meat with a couple of cans on it. This will keep the plate heavy enough to hold the meat down.
Refrigerate at 34F to 39F for 3 to 4 days. After this time remove the pork belly from the liquid and gently pat it dry. Lay it on a rack over a cookie sheet and place it in front of a blowing fan. You want the pork to dry quickly and develop a thin crust or pellicle. This can easily be seen because the meat takes on a sheen.
Home Smoking Bacon
Now you are going to need a smoker. You can use a purchased one or make your own meat smoker. Hang the soon to be bacon on bacon hangers in the smoker.
Smoke the meat at temperatures of not less than 80F and not more than 100F. You don't want it to spoil or cook. Keep in the smoker for 8 to 12 hours. The longer it is in the more intense the smoke flavor will be.
You can use a variety of wood chips for smoking flavorful bacon:
- Apple imparts a delicate fruity flavor with a slight apple undertone
- Pear imparts a hint of pear flavor, not as full or fruity as apple
- Cherry has more fruit flavor than the other two but still not overpowering
- Pecan gives a warm, rich flavor that is very southern
- Mesquite is a smoky, woody flavor that can't be described but is wonderful
- Oak gives a earthy, rich flavor that is unique
- Hickory is a classic country flavor
- Maple is slightly sweet with a delicate maple flavor
You can even make your own blends. Maple and apple wood chips together are an interesting flavor combination.
Finishing and Storing
Remove the bacon from the smoker and wrap tightly. Place in the refrigerator overnight. If there is a rind (thick layer of skin) you should remove it at this time. Just hold a sharp knife horizontally to the meat and slice the rind off.
Place the bacon in the freezer for about 30 minutes. You want it to firm up without freezing. This will make it easier to slice. Slice it in your preferred thickness and wrap it air tight. Plastic wrap just works best for this part of the process. Freezer paper allows the bacon to dry out and take on flavors.
Store your bacon in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months.
More Homesteading Skills
5 Essential Green Living Skills Our Grandparents Knew
Build a Solar Food Dehydrator
15 Homemade Organic Gardening Sprays that Actually Work
Bacon Recipes
Emeril's Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Bacon and Pea Quiche
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