Smoked pork (bacon) is a pork preservation product made from pork belly meat. The preservation process requires a lot of salt which is usually mixed with other ingredients to bring the flavors together. After preservation, people usually smoke pork to give it a strong and distinctive taste. Although the ingredients used when curing or smoking pork are different, the process for curing and smoking is more or less the same. If you're already good at cooking with standard recipes, try adding a variety of flavors and ingredients to create your own signature bacon!
Ingredients
- 2.7 kg pork belly with skin
- cup kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pink preservative salt
- pack of brown sugar
- cup honey
- 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds.
- Liquid smoke (if you don't have a smoker)
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preserving Meat
Step 1. Buy pork
The process of curing meat is probably the most difficult stage because pork belly is rarely available in supermarkets. Try looking for pork belly in traditional markets.
Local butchers may sell higher quality pork from restaurant suppliers. In addition, restaurant suppliers also usually do not sell meat in small quantities
Step 2. Wash the pork belly thoroughly
Immediately wash the pork belly after purchase to clean the blood and other impurities. Pat the pork belly dry and then transfer it to a two-gallon sealed plastic bag.
- After cleaning and patting the pork belly dry, the surface will feel a little sticky.
- Trim the edges of the pork belly if any are thin. Meat to be put in a plastic bag must be rectangular.
Step 3. Make the spice mix
Combine kosher salt, pink salt, brown sugar, honey, red pepper, paprika, and cumin seeds in a bowl: Stir until the honey is evenly combined. This is the standard seasoning recipe for bacon. You can try experimenting to create a unique and distinctive taste of pork belly. Examples of other spice recipes for example:
- 1, 1-1, 3 kg skinless pork belly, cup kosher salt, 2 teaspoons pink pickling salt, cup sugar, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon Bourbon, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and hickory smoke during the smoking process (either hickory wood for a smoking machine, or liquid hickory smoke for an oven).
- 1, 1 kg pork belly with skin, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon peppercorns, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon thyme dry, 2 bay leaves, 1 clove of onion that has been cut into pieces.
- 1/2 kg pork belly, 1 teaspoons Morton kosher salt, teaspoon pink pickling salt, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon ginger powder, 1 tablespoon powdered onion tea, 1 teaspoon Sriracha or other hot sauce, teaspoon 5 spice powder, and 2 tablespoons water.
Step 4. Season the pork belly
Coat the whole pork belly with the spices until evenly distributed. Put the seasoning and pork in a plastic bag and turn it around until the spices soak into the meat evenly.
Step 5. Store the plastic bag in the refrigerator for 7-10 days
Seal the plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator. Turn the plastic bag over once a day so that the spices coat the meat evenly for 7-10 days.
- Storage time depends on the thickness of the meat. Meat that is only 3.5 cm thick is sufficient to store for 7 days, while thick meat (5-7.5 cm) takes 10 days.
- Touch the pork belly to test its preservation. The cured meat will taste solid like a cooked steak. If the meat still feels soft and tender, the meat is not ready for further processing.
Step 6. Wash the meat thoroughly
When the meat has finished curing, remove it from the bag and wash it thoroughly. Remove all the spices that are still attached to the meat. Pat the meat dry after washing.
Step 7. Store in the refrigerator for 48 hours
After washing, the meat needs to be re-stored in the refrigerator unwrapped for 48 hours.
Part 2 of 3: Smoke Meat with a Smoker
Step 1. Prepare the smoker
The smoker will give the bacon the best taste. However, if you can't access the appliance, go straight to step 3 to see how to smoke meat in the oven.
Step 2. Use apple wood
Apple wood is often used to smoke meat because of its mild taste character so it doesn't 'collide' with the taste of pork. Follow the instructions in the manual for instructions on using the apple wood in the smoker. Set the smoker temperature as high as 93.3 degrees Celsius.
- Maple and hickory wood are also often used to smoke pork belly. However, apple wood is most suitable for beginners because of its light character.
- If it's your first time using a smoker, please see this and this article.
Step 3. Smoke the meat for 3 hours
Apple wood smoke takes a long time to process the meat because of its mild taste. Usually, smoking lasts for 3 hours.
Thick meat (5-7.5 cm) may take longer. Use a meat thermometer and make sure the inside temperature of the meat reaches 65 degrees Celsius
Step 4. Cut the meat and cook according to taste
Some people peel the skin on the meat that appears as a result of the pickling process. However, it's all up to you. Now, you can cut the bacon to cook according to your recipe.
Step 5. Save your bacon
Wrap unused bacon in plastic. Smoked meat can be stored in the refrigerator for a week, or frozen for up to two months.
Part 3 of 3: Making Smoked Meat in the Oven
Step 1. Set the oven temperature to 93 degrees Celsius
Even if you don't have access to a smoker, you can still make bacon in the oven. Start by setting the oven temperature.
Step 2. Apply liquid smoke to the meat
While the oven is heating, coat all surfaces of the meat with the liquid smoke. Use a brush to apply the liquid smoke to the meat.
Step 3. Bake the meat for 2-2 hours
Place the bacon on a baking sheet, fat side up, and place in the oven and bake for 2-2 hours.
- You can find liquid smoke or some of its variations online or in supermarkets.
- Check the temperature of the meat with a meat thermometer. Make sure the inside temperature of the meat reaches 65 degrees Celsius.
Step 4. Cut the meat and cook according to taste
Some people peel the skin on the meat due to the preservation process. However, it's all up to you. Now, you can cut the bacon to cook according to your recipe.
Step 5. Save your bacon
Wrap unused bacon in plastic. Smoked meat can be stored in the refrigerator for a week, or frozen for up to two months.
Step 6. Done
Tips
- Pink pickling salt is a mixture of salt with sodium nitrate which keeps the meat pink and protects it from bacteria. This salt can be purchased at specialty food stores or the internet.
- You can experiment in making a distinctive smoked meat seasoning. However, the dose of kosher salt and pink preservative salt should be constant.
