{"id":1524,"date":"2020-10-30T00:05:05","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T16:05:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meatsmokinghq.com\/?p=1524"},"modified":"2023-04-14T11:40:14","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T03:40:14","slug":"how-to-smoke-bacon-in-a-smoker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meatsmokinghq.com\/how-to-smoke-bacon-in-a-smoker\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Delicious Homemade Bacon in Your Smoker"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We all know that processed meats aren’t the healthiest option out there, but if you’re a fan of bacon, you might be wondering if it’s worth the effort to make your own at home. In my opinion, the answer is definitely yes! One of the main benefits of making your own bacon is that you can control the ingredients. When you buy bacon from the store, you often don’t know exactly what’s in it. But when you make your own bacon at home, you can choose the best quality pork and seasoning to use. Not only is this better for your health, but it also tastes so much better! Making your own bacon may take a little bit more time and effort, but it’s totally worth it in the end. Plus, it’s a fun and rewarding project to try. So go ahead and give it a shot \u2013 you won’t be disappointed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smoking bacon in a smoker is a delicious and rewarding way to make your own bacon at home. The process is fairly simple and only requires a few key steps. First, start by preparing a pork belly with a liquid brine made with curing salts. Soak the belly in the brine in the refrigerator for a week to ensure that it is fully cured. Once the curing process is complete, it’s time to smoke the bacon. You can either cold smoke the belly at a low temperature (80\u00b0F – 100\u00b0F) or hot smoke it at a higher temperature (220\u00b0F).<\/strong> If you cold smoke the pork belly, you’ll need to fry the bacon before eating it, but hot smoked bacon can be eaten as is. When it comes to choosing the wood to use for smoking, hickory is the most common choice, but you can also try a combination of hickory and fruit wood such as apple or cherry for a different flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hot smoking and cold smoking are two different methods of smoking bacon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In hot smoking, the bacon is cooked while it is being smoked. The temperature of the smoker is typically around 225\u00b0F, and the bacon is cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 150\u00b0F. Once the bacon is fully cooked, it is ready to be eaten. In cold smoking, the bacon is not cooked while it is being smoked. The temperature of the smoker is usually around 80\u00b0F to 100\u00b0F, and the bacon is smoked for several hours. <\/strong>The bacon is not fully cooked during the cold smoking process, so it needs to be cooked before it is eaten. Cold smoking is often used to add flavor to the bacon, rather than to cook it fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you’re making bacon at home, you’ll need to start with a whole pork belly from the butcher. Make sure to get it fresh and not sliced. It’s optional whether you leave the skin (rind) on or not, but some people like to remove it because it allows for better smoke absorption. On the other hand, leaving the rind on can make for better bacon and provide extra strength if you want to hang the pork belly in your smoker. If you’re planning to lay the belly on racks instead of hanging it, it’s probably a good idea to remove the rind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you get your pork belly home, cut it into large, square pieces that will fit in zip-lock bags or storage containers. Zip-lock bags are a good choice because you can use them for wet brining, dry brining, and squeezing out the air. This will help ensure that your bacon turns out perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to curing meat, it’s important to do it safely to avoid any health risks. There are three main methods of curing meat: wet brining, dry brining, and injecting. Wet brining is generally considered the safest option because the salt is able to evenly penetrate every part of the meat. Dry brining can sometimes miss certain areas, which means some parts of the meat aren’t fully cured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most important steps in making bacon is weighing the pork belly and calculating the right amounts of salt and sugar. It’s essential to weigh each piece of pork belly so you can figure out the correct quantities for your brine solution. If you want to make sure you get it right, you can use a special calculator to help you determine the right curing quantities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nHot Smoking vs Cold Smoking: Which Method is Right for You?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ingredients<\/th> Instructions<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Whole pork belly<\/td> 1. Remove the rind (skin) from the pork belly.<\/td><\/tr> Curing salts (Prague Powder #1)<\/td> 2. Cut the pork belly into large squares so it can fit inside a zip-lock bag.<\/td><\/tr> Brown sugar<\/td> 3. Weigh the pork belly and use the curing calculator to measure exact quantities of curing salt, kosher salt, brown sugar and distilled water (if wet brining).<\/td><\/tr> Kosher salt<\/td> Brining Option 1 – Dry Brine: 1. Dry the pork belly with a paper towel. 2. Rub curing salts (Prague Powder #1) and brown sugar over every part of the pork belly. 3. Place the pork belly into a zip-lock bag or on a rack. 4. Refrigerate and leave the pork belly to cure for 8-10 days. 5. Rotate and massage the pork belly every day.<\/td><\/tr> Distilled water (if wet brining)<\/td> Brining Option 2 – Wet Brine: 1. Mix the curing salts, kosher salt, brown sugar and distilled water into a zip-lock bag or a deep container. 2. Lay the pork belly into the brine solution, making sure the meat is fully submerged. 3. Leave the meat to soak in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. 4. After the meat has cured, rinse the pork belly but keep it chilled. Some people like to<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Choose the Right Pork Belly for the Best Bacon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Brining Process for Bacon <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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