What to put in the smoker this weekend?

[Great-Kazoo]

I am considering trying to make smoked bacon this fall. Where do you buy the pork bellies at?

Along with suggestions, links for doing it correctly.

[DenverGP]

We scored the pork belly at Costco (the one off wadsworth and quincy). Not sure how often costco carries it, I just happened to spot it while being dragged around costco by my wife. I've also seen it available at Edwards Meats in Wheat Ridge.

As for making the bacon, I use a combination of several different recipes. The main info comes from:

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porkn...m_scratch.html

We added a little regular sugar in addition to the brown sugar, and on the pepper/spicy one we added extra pepper, and paprika, garlic powder and onion powder.

Besides the pork belly, you need to track down some Pink Salt (also known as Prague Powder #1). It's salt+Sodium Nitrite, and is used for short cures.

The process is:

1. mix the cure/rub ingredients
2. rub down the pork belly
3. put it in a sealed bag in the fridge for about 7 days, turning the bag over every day. A lot of liquid will build up in the bag by the end.
4. After 7 days, remove the belly from the bag, rinse it, pat it dry and send it into the smoker. For the pepper bacon i'm doing, I'm going to add a little extra pepper to the surface before throwing it on the smoker.

A few sites out there recommend smoking the bacon at 175-180F, but as mentioned on the Amazing Ribs site, smoking under 200 carries health risks. I've always smoked it at 225F, and it comes out great. The bacon gets smoked for usually 3-4 hours, until it reaches 150F.

Once off the smoker, I usually cut off a few thick slices for immediate "testing" but the rest cools to room temp on a wire rack, then gets wrapped tight in plastic and back in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Supposedly helps the flavor... not sure. I do know that slicing it cold is much easier so thats why I keep doing it.

Those couple "testing" slices I just cook on the grill, moving them around to avoid too much of the fat flare-ups. After eating the test slices, it's really tempting to just good up the rest of the bacon sitting in there cooling.

[MarkCO]

I use amazingribs.com too, so good there. Thanks for all the info.

[DenverGP]

Some updated intel: wife reports they have pork bellies at the Costco at Santa Fe and Oxford, $2.75 a pound.

[Great-Kazoo]

First try at making other than meat. Apple, walnut bread. 350 for 60 min.

[buffalobo]

First try at making other than meat. Apple, walnut bread. 350 for 60 min.

More pics and AAR? Apple wood smoke?

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[Gman]

First try at making other than meat. Apple, walnut bread. 350 for 60 min.

That looks great!

Apple or Pecan smoke would likely work well with that recipe.

[DenverGP]

Looks excellent.. haven't tried anything like that so far.

[Great-Kazoo]

More pics and AAR? Apple wood smoke?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

That looks great!

Apple or Pecan smoke would likely work well with that recipe.

Looks excellent.. haven't tried anything like that so far.

It's done with the mix i've been using of apple, hickory with a handful of mesquite. AAR......BURP. Friends we had dinner with asked for the recipe.

http://www.food.com/recipe/apple-nut-bread-179478

[Gman]

Thanks for the link to the recipe. That was the first question asked upon showing the wife the picture of your two loaves.