My bacon has a unplesant taste

[Fingers]

Hi Folks

This recent batch of back bacon has what to me would be a slightly rancid taste. I cured this in the usual way I have had success before other than adding a few additional herbs rosemary and thyme.

Disappointed but want to get to the bottom of it, what can cause this, batch of poor quality meat? Morrisons bought, usually ok in the past.

[gsevelle]

Where you using fresh rosemary? The flavor of rosemary can be overwhelming to some and may be conflicting with other sweet elements of your flavor profile. How did you prep the meat, wet or dry cured? What temps and for how long did you smoke it for? Was this rasher or streaky bacon?

[Fingers]

Dried rosemary along with a little sugar
7 days in a bag in the fridge
I then hung it for about 3 days (the temp did go above 10C)
Unsmoked
Back bacon or maybe Rasher in the US.

I think in future I will just go for the standard Salt, Cure#1, Black Pepper and Junipers.

I have another batch just finished and needing sliced. This I went for Bay Leaf, Rosemary, Thyme, Black pepper, junipers and a little dextrose.

!! think I will slice it now to test it.

[gsevelle]

10 C seems a bit high. If I dry hang I use a frig that I have set at 4C to 7C approximation. Give it a good smoke and you should be ok.

[Fingers]

Dried rosemary along with a little sugar
7 days in a bag in the fridge
I then hung it for about 3 days (the temp did go above 10C)
Unsmoked
Back bacon or maybe Rasher in the US.

I think in future I will just go for the standard Salt, Cure#1, Black Pepper and Junipers.

I have another batch just finished and needing sliced. This I went for Bay Leaf, Rosemary, Thyme, Black pepper, junipers and a little dextrose.

!! think I will slice it now to test it.

Just tried the latest batch (Bay Leaf, Rosemary, Thyme, Black pepper, junipers and a little dextrose) which was hung only for 1 day under 10C and it is GREAT! very nice. So I would think it either a bad batch from the butchers, but more likely the 3-4 days hung at 10-12c made the fat go off. In future I will just dry off in the fridge.

[DanMcG]

I rest mine in the frig at 3-4 °c in between smokes and then at lest a week after to mature..

[BriCan]

Dried rosemary along with a little sugar
7 days in a bag in the fridge
I then hung it for about 3 days (the temp did go above 10C)
Unsmoked
Back bacon or maybe Rasher in the US.

I think in future I will just go for the standard Salt, Cure#1, Black Pepper and Junipers.

I have another batch just finished and needing sliced. This I went for Bay Leaf, Rosemary, Thyme, Black pepper, junipers and a little dextrose.

!! think I will slice it now to test it.

Just tried the latest batch (Bay Leaf, Rosemary, Thyme, Black pepper, junipers and a little dextrose) which was hung only for 1 day under 10C and it is GREAT! very nice. So I would think it either a bad batch from the butchers, but more likely the 3-4 days hung at 10-12c made the fat go off. In future I will just dry off in the fridge.

Do not rule out the pork, I hang at 12C in a well vented room with a good gentle air flow between cold smoking (72 hours total) and when aging/maturing (7days) I also do the same with green bacon on the aging/maturing and as yet have not encountered this problem

On a side note, I do this for a living

[Audrey]

Looks delicious BriCan.

[NCPaul]

Welcome to the forum Audrey.

We never get tired of bacon photos from BriCan.