I’ve just finally smoked my first batch of Buck Board Bacon. I used a pork shoulder roast and cured it with Hi Mountain Buck Board Bacon Cure, following their directions. At the end of the cure I soaked the product for two hours changing the water every ½ hour. After that I let it rest for an hour or so, dried it off and placed in my PG1000 and smoked it until it reached 140 degrees internal. The next day I sliced some and fried it. I was pretty disappointed as the smell and taste of bacon...

I just bought 2 pork bellies on sale. The price was right, and I got to sort through 2 bins. I like my bacon on the lean side. I have done bacon before, but it turned out way to sweet. There was enough maple syrup that I had to microwave it to keep the sugar from burning. I am looking for a good old fashion brine recipe. Not to sweet, not to salty, with a little pepper. What woods are you all using when you smoke them? Any help would be greatly appriceated.

I have a pretty good cure for bacon but am unsure of the temp and time in the sm025. I plan on using bacon hangers for about a 4 lb piece. Any suggestions on the amount of wood, temp, and time? Thanks!!!

This may sound like a silly question, but the other day on America's Test Kitchen, they did a fresh uncooked ham shank and cooked it to about 200 degrees internal and it was basically falling apart like a pork butt. They chopped it up and made sandwiches like pulled pork. I was wondering what would happen if you used a regular grocery store PRECOOKED ham shank and treated it like a pork butt and cooked it to about 200 degrees, what would it turn out like. Comments? If I can find a...

Yet another round of bacon. These Tamworth pork bellies were off of our pigs, two 8-month old’s, one Gilt and one Barrow. I had he plant cut them in 10x12’’ squares because I had originally intended to ship them to a buyer, but it did not work out. Our farm is not at the ‘fresh meat shipping stage’ yet., but we will be soon. These pieces of belly were superb. Some nearly three inches thick in some places and, as I’ve said many times before, with perfect steaky layering of fat and meat...

Howdy, all. I'm hoping for some advice about how to put 6 to 8 hours of cold smoke on some bacon-to-be in an SM045. I have the cold-smoke baffle for the SM045 and understand how to use it. The problem is that it seems like I can only put on about 90 minutes of cold smoke at a time. But the instructions aren't really clear. They say to add heat for 20 minutes and then turn off the power and let the wood smoke w/o additional heat for "up to 90 minutes." Also, if necessary, turn the heat back...

Making bacon and wondering just how to tell when pork belly is cured enough to then begin to smoke it? Most recipes call for just a certain length of time. Can it be over-cured? What happens if it is under-cured and how do you know if it is under-cured? Reading topics here on the Forum, I don't know what "when it is firm" really means. Any help would be appreciated. Also, if curing multiple pieces of belly to make bacon, can the individual bags be stacked upon each other to save room in the...

I found an almost 10 pound Pork belly at Costco. Since this is my first try at making Bacon, I didn't want to screw up 10 pounds of meat. I have it cut in 3rds and they weight just under 3 and 1/4 pounds each. They are all right at 1 1/2" thick. I have been reading methods and recipes all day. I am hoping that there is a way that I can freeze part of this, and do just a 1/3rd of it so I can make adjustments as I go. I should say that I am going to try shipping this to friends, so if it is...

In the teens today, so a perfect day to cold smoke some bacon. Started it last weekend with a dry brine. Into the FEC this morning with the Amazen tube smoker. Did nine hours on this one. Last time I tried 18 hrs. and it was a bit too smokey for me. Into the fridge to mellow out for a few days, we'll see how this one comes out. Sliced off a small piece, not overpowering, this batch might be pretty good.

Around 13# skinned and made a brine, inject brine until it wouldn't hold any more then into the bucket and in the garage fridge for about 6.5 weeks. Took out of the brine and rinsed off hit with black pepper and and garlic powder and into the SMokette at 225° 6.5 hours later it was getting close on temp so I lowered temp to 180°. then a little later I bumped back up to 225° until internal hit 175°turned out very good.

I received some Isaly's chopped ham BBQ sauce from Shtrdave in the last exchange. I did a little research on the Internet. From what I can tell, this is a dish unique to the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area. Here is the article I used: http://www.mysteryloverskitche...to-make-bbq.html?m=1 I bought a cheap ham at the grocery store, had the butcher slice it so thin that it becomes very feathery and is not whole slices but "chipped". I fried it in a skillet, to brown it, then added the barbecue...

Going to try my first pre cooked ham? Never had tried before. What are the best woods to use for flavor, anyone have any good recipes to use? Thank you

Well, I guess I forgot to mention another round of ham being cured in the last 7 weeks here. We took a two-year old Tamworth Gilt in for processing some time ago I got her hams split and the seams and boned, which leaves eight individual boneless muscles. I still can’t believe I didn’t get her bellies delivered fresh for curing into bacon, but am kicking myself for allowing the plant to make their ‘no-nitrate’ bacon out of it, which cost more and is totally devoid of flavor. On the ham, I...

A reoccurring theme in bacon production is the difficulty of finding fresh belly/side meat. Please post a location and vendor you know of who sells fresh Pork belly and the price., also comments on quality of product.

I have look at many of the post about smoking a precook ham and what temp to take it too. My question is do you cook it in a pan or place it on a rack? Also do you score the ham before placing in the smoker and lastly should it go on the top or bottom rack in a sm066? Thanks for your help!

I am very proud of myself. My bacon came out great. That is because of all the wonderful advice on this forum. It tastes absolutely delicious. This pic is a slab I sliced up for my neighbor.

I am looking in to smoking dry cure bacon , any tips? Is it possible with a CS260?

My wife brought this method from her farming family who used it for generations and no one died. We still use it to this day and love it, but the warming winters in Ohio are making me nervous. Buy or butcher a few fresh hams. We normally have the skin left on but one year the butcher skinned them and it really didn't seem to make any difference. Then for each ham have a heavy sheet of cloth (we usually used old CLOTH feed sacks or heavy muslin big enough to completely swaddle the ham) and...

We've had a fair bit of posts recently about making bacon and ham and with some of the recent posts by the members, I wanted to add this forum to help. It's going to take a few weeks to find/move all the bacon posts, but I think it's worth it. The really good ones I'll feature, especially those from Chaplain Bill, he's got several that are must reads. Let me know what you think.

Mr. T's Sugar Cured Bacon Regarding the process: The following procedure exercises the Morton Tender Quick recommendation of seven days in cure per one inch thickness with a two day salt equalization period in order to reach a total of 100% equalization. Due to the high fat content in belly bacon, it takes a longer cure time to reach 100% equalization than other cuts of pork or beef. There are the pundits who believe the curing process can be accomplished in a much shorter time, some...