My smoked bacon method - problems with getting a pellicle

[manfran]

Please.

Hey fellas,

Trying to get a load of bacon together for the festive period. Very keen to use my ProQ Cold Smoke Generator - so far I've only used it for smoking salmon. It would be great it one of you old hands could have a quick look at my recipe and method and make any suggestions.

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Making Bacon (smokey)

3000g Pork Belly – skin on
60g salt
35g brown sugar
7.5g Cure#1
2 tsp cracked black pepper
A couple of chopped up bay leaves.

Thoroughly mix the dry cure, divide into thirds.
Rub one third of the cure into the belly. Place in container. Seal/Cover. Put in fridge.
36 hours later, take pork belly out, apply next third of the cure. Place back in fridge.
36 hours later and do the same again.
36 hours later take out, rinse it thoroughly. Dry with kitchen roll. Place back in the fridge for 24hrs to dry some more and form a pellicle.
Cold smoke for approximately 24 hrs. I have cherry, oak and apple I think. I think I’ll use cherry.
Slice into rashers.

Cook, freeze...etc.

Any thoughts gratefully received. Would love to here whether you think this will produce overly salty bacon, and also, adding a little dried sage to the cure, would that be worthwhile? Also, before applying each new round of cure mix, should I rinse the meat and pour away the liquid in the container?

I should say, I have put this method and recipe together using a number of different sources, from internet and books. I feel I've researched it quite carefully, but could equally be heading for a massive ballsup. I do find it confusing that Americans seem to hot smoke their bacon

Thanks in advance.

[NCPaul]

Should be fine but I would let it go longer than 4.5 days. It's easier to me to put all of the curing mixture on (with minimum on the skin side), put in zip lock bag, and wait 10-12 days. I don't worry about the liquid.

I do find it confusing that Americans seem to hot smoke their bacon

Not all of us do. It came about mostly because of the equipment available.

[captain wassname]

Im with NCPaul
All at once then zip lock bag or wrap in clingfilm
10+ days.You cant overcure with this method.
Salt is about the norm you will learn from your first lot of bacon what suits you

Jim

[DanMcG]

With the skin on you could reduce the cure by 10% if you wanted to, but other then that it sounds good to me.
And like mentioned already, I do the cure all in one shot and just overhaul the meat daily
Let us know how it goes

[DiggingDogFarm]

I do find it confusing that Americans seem to hot smoke their bacon.

Not this American!!!!!!

~Martin

[manfran]

With the skin on you could reduce the cure by 10% if you wanted to, but other then that it sounds good to me.
And like mentioned already, I do the cure all in one shot and just overhaul the meat daily
Let us know how it goes

So what you guys are saying is smoother the meat in the cure, stick it in ziploc bag, and just turn it and give it a bit of a rub in the bag each day?

[captain wassname]

yes That easy
Ready in time for christmas.Good luck.

Jim

[Salmo]

I use a Pro Q smoke generator & I find that one "charge" of wood dust gives a good smokey flavour.
Mine runs for about 9-10 hrs on a full charge of dust,so you may wish to rethink the 24 hr smoke.
Depends how smokey you want it.

[manfran]

Hi people.

The bacon was in the cure for 7 days. Fried a little of it up when I took it out/ washed it down...it was great. Like the best bacon you pick up from farm shops.

Next stage is the smoker. However, the cured bellies have been sitting in the fridge for a couple of days now and there is still no sign of a pellicle. Is there anything you think I should do to encourage that clammy, sticky skin?

[NCPaul]

Pat it dry with a paper towel and leave on a rack overnight has worked for me. Do you have a lot of humidity in your fridge?

[manfran]

Sorry, I should have said that I dried it thoroughly with a paper towel.

Don't suppose that my fridge has particularly high humidity. It's funny, the pork feels as though its got fairly dry, and it's toughened up a bit, but not particularly sticky. Maybe it's doing its thing and I'm expecting too much!

Might I be better leaving it in my cellar where I hang my salami? That's roughly 14 degrees C, 70% humidity!

[Wunderdave]

Sounds like you had a pellicle and then it, too, dried out.