What to put in the smoker this weekend?

[TFOGGER]

Took my first stab at making bacon a couple weeks ago:


Tried it out today:


It had a nice sweet smoky flavor. More like maple syrup or molasses than I'd expected -- hadn't used either as a flavor so I was pleasantly surprised. Not all of it was as lean as shown in the slices but the fatty pieces chop up nice for rendered fat and bits to flavor my home fries.

Bacon is my next big plunge. Are you using the recipe off Amazing Ribs?

[Aloha_Shooter]

Bacon is my next big plunge. Are you using the recipe off Amazing Ribs?

Honestly, I don't remember. Most of the recipes I've seen are pretty similar. The one big difference I've seen was that one source recommended "massaging" the juices coming off the meat back into the belly daily while another source said to drain it off. I think I like the idea of draining it off better. If I go that route, I need to get a plastic container with a raised draining rack instead of just putting the bellies in a zipper plastic bag and tossing it in the meat drawer.

The thing I like best about this is that the price is competitive with commercial bacon but I get to see the whole belly and I know which parts become rashers and which parts will be rendered bits for my scrambled eggs, home fries, etc. I'm thinking I may do several pounds for Christmas presents -- something nice and homemade that my family will enjoy almost universally and that won't collect dust.