We ran out of bacon, again!!! I think somebody's eating the stuff)!
The Cider Mill bacon is a favorite around here, so a few weeks ago we started a double batch. Half of it went to the H.S. band director who split the cost with me (his kids love it too and they were out as well).
Two fresh pork bellies (about 24 lbs) picked up from the butcher.
Skinned & trimmed into slabs.
For 2 bellies I'll need to mix a double batch of brine.
Single batch:
4 Quarts Water (preferably filtered or distilled)
2 Quarts Apple Cider
1.25 cups Pickling Salt
6 tsp. Curing Salt #1
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar (packed)
Cover the slabs with brine, add a weight to keep them submerged, cover and into the fridge for a 7 day cure. Overhauling (flip & rotate) every couple days.
Cured and, air drying on racks under a fan to form a pellicle.
I like to start off with a good 5 - 6 hour cold smoke using 100% Apple pellets to compliment the apple cider flavor.
Getting some color. Time to turn on the MAK to smoke mode (170°) with apple pellets.
Hot smoking to an I.T. of 145° - 150° sets the bacon a little better than cold-smoking alone.
Cooled, back into the fridge to rest for 48 hours before slicing to let the smoke permeate.
Yeah baby, that new-to-me slicer is working just fine!
Thanks for looking!
