Homemade cold-smoked bacon is a delicacy that surpasses even the best store-bought bacon by a long shot.
Recipe for homemade smoked bacon
Homemade cold-smoked bacon is a delicacy that surpasses even the best store-bought bacon by far.
Homemade bacon is made by extracting the liquid from the meat before smoking it. The result is a firm and meaty bacon with a rich flavor. Additionally, it does not splatter when fried as there is no excess water in the meat to seep out during cooking.
I usually let my bacon hang in my dry-aging cabinet once it is finished smoking. This way, it develops a deep and concentrated flavor while the texture becomes firmer.
Servings: pcs.
Homemade Smoked Bacon
Homemade cold-smoked bacon is a delicacy that surpasses even the best store-bought bacon by a long shot.
Equipment
- Bowl
- Smoking Oven (option 1)
- Grill (option 2)
- Chef'S Knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 2 pcs. Rib Roast deboned
- 75 gram Nitrite Salt
- 375 gram Salt
- 125 gram Sugar
- Pepper freshly ground
Instructions
Curing:
- Mix nitrite salt, salt, sugar, and pepper in a bowl.
- Massage the mixture into the two roasts—it’s important to get it into all the crevices. If the roasts are already scored, massage the mixture well into the cuts.
- Once done, vacuum pack the two roasts separately and let them rest in the refrigerator for 3 days. If you don't have a vacuum packer, wrap them in freezer bags, seal the opening tightly, and place it upright.
- The meat will release a lot of liquid during this process, so ensure it doesn’t spill all over your fridge. Additionally, the roasts should be turned daily if they are not vacuum-packed.
- After the 3 days, remove them from the bags and rinse in cold water to remove all the salt, sugar, and pepper from the meat. It’s crucial to be thorough here to stop the curing process.
- Place the uncovered meat back in the refrigerator for about a day. This makes the surface sticky, allowing the meat to absorb the smoke more easily when it’s smoked later.
Smoking:
- This bacon needs to be cold-smoked.
- This means the smoking needs to occur at the lowest possible temperatures.
- However, it must be above freezing and under any circumstances below 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit).
- You can smoke the meat in either a smoker or a grill.
- If using the grill, cover the lower rack with aluminum foil.
- Place smoking sawdust on top in the shape of a thick horseshoe or a circle that doesn’t completely close.
- We used smoking sawdust that had been dried in the oven for 2 hours at 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Light one end with a small amount of alcohol.
- Then place the lid on and let it smolder.
- You can, if desired, light the grill in the evening and let the meat smoke overnight.
- Repeat the process for 2-3 consecutive days.
- When the meat is fully smoked, hang it to dry in a cool, dry place for up to a month.
- If you can’t wait, you can start eating the meat immediately after smoking.
- However, the flavor becomes more concentrated and profound if the meat is allowed to hang and dry.
- We typically place our finished smoked bacon in a meat aging cabinet, where it can be kept for a couple of months.
- Additionally, it becomes firmer in the cabinet, making it easier to slice into nice pieces before cooking.