The Potting Shed

fish

if you go to sainsburys in the week take a look at the bacon isle,everything from basics at 99p a pound to dutchy originals dry cure bacon at over £18.00 per Lb!!!!!!!!!!! most bacon these days isnt realy bacon as we think of it,pork is injected with brine and left for 24 hours then sliced and packed,thats what the white scum is when you cook it! also the brine adds weight!so you are paying for water!!!! :banghead: also mixed into the brine are artificial preservatives,the product needs this as isnt realy cured and there fore will go off when not in a vac pack! even dry cures contain preservatives in the salt rub.I for one am allergic to the preservatives and cant eat bacon baught from the shop!!! :angry4:
last year i worked at a farm shop cutting plant and there i was given the job of bacon curer,and it is realy easy! i cant see how the shops can get away with the price! i started to make my own bacon at home,minus the preservatives in the rub as i now make my own rub(see this forum for the recipe).
Tonight gareth and i made 20lb of dry cured streaky bacon and it took only 30 minutes! it will take 4 days to cure then i shal smoke it.
below is the basics of bacon making.pork,rubs and knife

firstly the ribs need cutting off and put aside for the BBQ,your butcher will gladly do this for you.also trim the flare fat and trim any mis-shaped edges off the piece.

next turn the meat skin side up,and stab/ pierce the skin all over with a knife point,dont go too deep 1cm should do!(It helps to think of 'psyco'shower scene!)

next spinkle the rub mix libraly onto the skin side and rub in hard ,pushing the rub in with the heel of yer hand:

next turn the meat over and repeat the process,ensuring that you rub the mix into all the seams and folds.

not forgetting the sides of the meat,use plenty of rub,dont be shy!!!

and here you have the final product ! best hung in a fridge or outside in the winter,when hhanging outside i put it in a pillow case to keep the bugs off! this time of year i just pop mine in a bag and place in the bottom of the fridge for 4 days,at which time i pat it dry with a cloth and smoke it,its ready to try now and is fine if you like 'green' bacon.

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Bovey Belle · Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 6:24 am Post subject:

It does look so straightforward I must confess! What "cut" of pork do you ask for please? And what's in your personal rub mix? I really should go and look up my "Preserving" book as well . . .
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fish · Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 8:22 am Post subject:

i used just a whole belly of pork,a smaller piece is fine as is a piece of skin on loin(for back bacon).

heres the rub recipe:dry cure rub for bacon and gammons:

2lb salt,
6 cloves,*
12 bay leaves,*
8 table spoons juniper berries,*
8 table spoons thyme,*
1 table spoon black pepper corns,*
2 table spoons dark brown sugar,
* grind to a course look.
then mix all together,this cure can benifit from leaving for a couple of days for the salt to drawout the juniper ,but i have used it streight away.this amount of rub should do up to 6 loins,or more!
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Leonie2 · Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 9:03 am Post subject:

I have a belly of pork in the freezer still, can I use frozen meat to make bacon? I made bacon from our pig using a bought mix but I'd like to try your recipe fish, it sounds very nice especially with thyme in it. Very Happy

fish · Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 10:34 am Post subject:

defrosted pork is fine leonie! and the rub realy is nice,you can add 1 table spoon of light brown sugar for a sweet cure! Very Happy

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lloyd · 5 Star Club Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 2636

Briliant article Fishy. I did this before but it would have ben far easier using your guide. How do you smoke it?...Did you make your own smoker or buy one?

fish · Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 11:33 am Post subject:

for a smoker i use just a galvanised dustbin! all i did was make a small hole in the top to hang the bacon from. i put the shavings in the bottom and heat from beneath the bin with a burner.ille post pics when i smoke on saturday.
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Bovey Belle · Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 7:18 pm Post subject:

Brilliant - I might even get OH involved in this then! I shall show him this thread when he's next near the computer and see what he says. We have bought some fabulous bacon from a farm outlet near St Clears and not only does it taste wonderful, it is actually thick - not like a sliver of pink clingfilm . . .
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