Recipe for dry-cured bacon
Try making your own bacon. It’s not difficult at all, but it does require a bit of preparation and that you check on the meat periodically. Otherwise, it takes care of itself both in the refrigerator and on the grill/in the oven, and the result is light years ahead of the bacon you can buy at the supermarket.
Much of the bacon we buy at the supermarket is actually neither smoked nor salted. Instead, saltwater and liquid smoke are injected into the meat. The result is a bacon with a high water content, which is also why it sizzles quite a bit when you fry it.
Homemade bacon, on the other hand, is made by drawing liquid out of the meat instead of adding it. The result is a firm, meaty bacon with a rich flavor that doesn’t sizzle when fried.
Ingredients
- 1 pcs. Rib Roast
- 240 gram Nitrite Salt can be replaced with regular salt, but the color will become more gray.
- 85 gram Sugar
- 4 gram Peppercorns
- 4 gram All Spice whole spices
- 2 gram Thyme dried
- 6 gram Juniper Berries whole spices
Instructions
Preparation
- Put all the spices in a mortar and crush them until they are completely ground. Mix the spice blend with salt and sugar.
- Optionally, remove the ribs from the roast. It is not necessary, but the finished bacon will be easier to cut into slices when the ribs are removed.
- Massage the spice blend well into the meat. The spice blend prevents mold by acting as an antibacterial, so ensure to get it well into all holes and cavities.
- Wrap the meat in a container or a freezer bag, which you tie tightly around the meat. Alternatively, you can vacuum pack it, but the former method works just fine.
Salting:
- Place the meat in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Turn it two to three times during the process so the spice mixture is evenly distributed. When the meat feels firm to the touch, it is ready.
- During the salting process, a significant amount of liquid will seep out of the meat, which will become wet. This is completely normal, but for hygiene reasons, ensure the bag with the meat is completely sealed so that the meat juice does not drip onto other foods in the refrigerator.
- Once the meat is salted, rinse it under cold water. Then pat the meat dry with a napkin or a tea towel and place it uncovered in the refrigerator for a day. The meat will now develop a slightly greasy surface to which the smoke can adhere well.
Smoking:
- This bacon should be cold smoked. This means that the smoking should take place at the lowest possible temperatures. It should be above freezing, and in any case below 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit).
- You can smoke the meat in either a smoker or a grill.
- If using a grill, cover the bottom rack with aluminum foil and place smoking sawdust on top in the form of a thick horseshoe or a circle that does not fully close.
- Light one end with a small amount of alcohol. Then place the lid on and let it smolder. You can optionally light it up in the grill in the evening and let the meat smoke overnight.
- Repeat the process for 2-3 consecutive days.
- Once the meat is done smoking, hang it to dry in a dry and cool place (preferably a dry-aging cabinet) for up to 1 month.
- If you can't wait, you can begin consuming the meat immediately after it is done smoking. However, the flavor will become more concentrated and deep if it is allowed to hang and dry.
Notes
You can skip the smoking and instead place the meat in the oven at 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit) for 1 hour or until the meat has an internal temperature of 65 degrees Celsius (149 degrees Fahrenheit).
Once the meat is cooled, cut it into very thin slices (preferably using a slicer) and use it as bacon. It can be frozen in smaller portions so you always have access to good, homemade bacon.
Alternatively, you can cut thicker slices of the meat and use it for fried pork.
Once the meat is cooled, cut it into very thin slices (preferably using a slicer) and use it as bacon. It can be frozen in smaller portions so you always have access to good, homemade bacon.
Alternatively, you can cut thicker slices of the meat and use it for fried pork.