Monday, December 26, 2005

Makin' Bacon with bbally, not a Wife alone follow up!



Makin' Bacon With bbally NOT Wife Alone Follow Up!


 



As I have been finishing my own hog that was butchered in early
September I thought it might be good to go through pork fresh side and
converting that belly to bacon.



First, the trichinosis has to be dealt with, I doubt the hogs I purchase
have it, but I am not willing to take the chance. So into the deep
freeze they go after butchering until they have been at 0 F for 3
months. Now the new guidelines allow a shorter period in the freezer,
but I really don't need the meat we butcher for our own consumption
faster so I still stick with what I was taught in the mid 1970s. If you
find references allowing a shorter period from the U.S. FDA or USDA that
is fine have at it. These times and ratios are stuck fast in my head and
so for the same reason I can not get divorced (hate the idea of being
retrained by a new women!) I have not retrained my brain to the new
shorter time tables.



I use the dry box method for bacon curing. We are talking a real cure
here so I am using sodium nitrate to chemically cook the meat prior to
the smoking process. This allows me to use the cold smoke method if I
want to for a deeper smoke flavor.



So first we trim the sides up to square them off and make them even.
This is mostly done so the sides are ready to slice at the end of the
cure period.








I lay them out and wash them, then place them in a bussing tub lined
with plastic wrap or a large plastic bag. The two sides we are working
today will be maple cured with a hickory smoke. So 4 pounds of salt, 2/3
cup of sodium nitrate cure salt (6.25 percent sodium nitrate, pink salt
in most places) 2/3 cup white pepper, and three pounds of maple syrup,
mix the dry ingredients and rub the belly side and the fat cap liberally
and place in the plastic bag. Roll over and coat all surfaces with maple
syrup. I use a squirt bottle to get a nice even coating. remove air from
the bag and tie shut. Place in the cooler for 7 to 10 days. After two
days the meat should be covered and in contact with a lot of juice that
has been created. If not mix a little pickle up at the same ratio and
add to the bag so the bellies are covered. Realize that in three days
the meat is basically cured but the sugar moves into the fiber slower
than the sodium nitrate and salt. The salt is carrying the sugar into
the meat so the salt creates the conduit, but time creates the depth and
strength.



After they have been in the cooler for 10 days they come out like this:








When we add them to the smoker we are looking for low heat and lots of
smoke. So I use a green wood that will smolder for a long long time with
lots of smoke. You can use the dry chunks that the stores sell now in
bags, but soak them in water overnight so they don't just burn up
without creating smoke.



I run my up to 152 F to finish them up in the end. At this point you
don't need smoke at they have already absorbed what they need to absorb
for flavor.



Then I slice them up on a regular deli slicer.







Or if you have Big Dog Chef sousing for you and he has the secret
slicing weapon that Derek sent him for Christmas you can use big Al
and the Ginsu knives








After slicing I am a big fan of these new vacuum packers, my is the
V1205 in stainless steel from FoodSaver. I really think this is one of
the best methods (vacuum packing not necessarily foodsaver) to prepare
food for freezer storage.



This url will take you to a place that sells the rolls in bulk so you
don't have to pay full retail for the bags

FoodSaver supplies
I find this system to be a great way to package
veggies, and soup and anything else you want to put in the freezer to
preserve.







So in the end you produce about 21 pounds of very nice bacon.








So there you have it, makin' bacon with bbally. Next I am going to
create my own proscuitto I will take pictures of the process and post it
when I complete the methodology.



I have a picture story of making the octopus salad I will post in a few
days. Until then cook something you have not tried before, hey if it
turns out bad you can always make one of my favorites for
dinner........... reservations!


 


Til we talk again

Chef Bob Ballantyne

The Cowboy and The Rose Catering

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA

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