On Sunday, I finished the long process of making bacon. I will attempt to explain the 2 week process here. Bacon comes from the pork belly but can be made from any part of the pig. Using shoulders gives me a less fatty bacon with more lean meat to enjoy.
I bought a 60 pound box of pork trim for sausage making. From this, I set aside 15 pounds of the fatty trim for this bacon. This trim is 72% fat.
The seasoning, I used was a high Mountain brand. I have had good luck with this brand so I gave it a try.
I sprinkled the dry cure and seasonings over the meat and mixed it well
I then placed all the pieces in a container and refrigerated it for ten days. After ten days, I soaked the pieces in cold water for two hours to remove any surface cure.
I placed the pieces of pork on racks and into my pre-heated smoker at 150F.
For smoke, I use hickory sawdust. I cover the pan with a lid to starve it of air. This allows smoke but no flare ups.
With lid removed
I smoked the meat until the largest piece reached an internal temp of 165F and then let it cool in the smoker.
I sliced one piece while it was still warm and the fat was still transparent so it's hard to see the fat lines like you see on store bought bacon
After cooling overnight I will vacuum seal the pieces whole and slice when I want to fry some
