Makin' Bacon.

Just finished eating my second batch mad it last week. :p

Use some Loin to make non-streaky back bacon... was very nice but to be honest the next batch will be streaky again
 
Just finished eating my second batch mad it last week. :p

Use some Loin to make non-streaky back bacon... was very nice but to be honest the next batch will be streaky again

I was tempted to make some back bacon this time but there was a nice piece of belly in Tesco for a fiver and no loin so it was an easy choice.
 
I tried it with some loin a few weeks ago but to be honest it just tasted like slices of roast pork. Not really bacony at all. Maybe something went wrong..

How long did you cure it for and how much salt did you use? Loin is thicker than belly so would need a longer curing time than belly.
 
Sorry been out at work all day.
Was 1.25 kilo so I used 40g salt, 15g Demerara.
4 day cure in ziplock. 4 day (hang)

On day two of the curing the zip lock started to seep and I had to double bag. Maybe I should have added more cure? Also should I be adding more cure daily?

I'd definitely try this again. But the wife hates streaky so a belly joint isn't an option😟
 
You shouldn't need more cure even if you had a slight leak, but you may have needed a couple of days longer.
 
The rule of thumb I use is to cure for 1 day for every half inch thickness of meat plus 2 days, how thick was the loin?
 
Defo prefer the streaky bacon, crisps up much nicer in the pan.

Out of interest, how long does everyone's bacon last? Mine seems to last about a week past the first sitting...
 
I suddenly remembered this thread whilst in the supermarket this evening, so I bought some pork belly! Is usually buy my meat from the farm shop but they weren't open after work, so Tesco it is!

I've followed the instructions and sealed it up in a bag in the fridge. I'll keep you up to date with progress!
 
Just a couple of dodgy filtered iphone photos!

I also boiled and then roasted a gammon joint. Boiled with cinnamon, peppercorns and star anise, then roasted covered in honey sitting in some orange juice. It's delicious! It's going to make awesome sandwiches for work.
 

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What a great thread to revive, got to try this.
After reading it through im absolutely famished :)
 
Just a quick question. There seems to be a lot of liquid in the bag already, I assume this is normal. So I keep this in the bag for the entire curing time?
 
Just a quick question. There seems to be a lot of liquid in the bag already, I assume this is normal. So I keep this in the bag for the entire curing time?

Yes, this liquid is perfectly normal and needs to stay in the bag for the entire curing time.
 
Great timing seeing this. My British Saddlebacks are ready in around 12-14 weeks so I have been ringing around the abattoir/butchers for costings on butchery/preserving/sausage making. It's not cheap so was planning on doing a bit of research on the DIY methods and i bump into this.

This thread has me salavating but imagine all these pictures but with top knotch, slow grown, rare breed pork and thats what i am going to be dealing with! The trouble is that i will have so much that i dont think i could manage it without a proper set up (now theres and idea!) so i might give my own a trial run with this lot and see how i get on. I've also got a mate thats a blacksmith who's in the process of making me a cold smoker conversion for the massive BBQ he made me last year. This is going to be joyus. Many folk struggle with sending there pigs off to slaughter..............not me.
 
Yes, this liquid is perfectly normal and needs to stay in the bag for the entire curing time.
Agreed: turn the bag over every other day dan.
 
What sort of cold smoker are you going for?

Basically he's making a fire box that fits onto the side of the bbq he made for me, then the smoke will run through some pipes too cool down en route the oil drum which will act as the smoking chamber and will also have a small chimeny added. Thats the plan anyway but I'm leaving the design it to him.
 
Going to give this a go, is there any disadvantage to taking the rind/crackling off the belly joint at the start?
 
Going to give this a go, is there any disadvantage to taking the rind/crackling off the belly joint at the start?

At the end of the curing process the rind goes a bit like cardboard and is relatively easy to remove without removing any of the fat. At the beginning the rind isn't like cardboard and I imagine it would be very difficult to remove without also removing large amounts of fat at the same time. Your butcher might be able to remove it though.
 

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