NH Homesteader's journal

[frustratedearthmother]

@baymule - I made bacon a few years ago and used a dry rub. After it sat in the dry rub ( I turned it twice a day) then rinsed it off before smoking. Used an offset smoker like you're talking about and smoked until the bacon reached 150 degrees. As best I recall I used apple wood to smoke it and it was GOOD! I'll be doing more pretty soon.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I'll ask DH for the recipe. Maple syrup, pepper, salt and brown sugar I think... Not sure of amounts.

 

[baymule]

@baymule - I made bacon a few years ago and used a dry rub. After it sat in the dry rub ( I turned it twice a day) then rinsed it off before smoking. Used an offset smoker like you're talking about and smoked until the bacon reached 150 degrees. As best I recall I used apple wood to smoke it and it was GOOD! I'll be doing more pretty soon.

How long did you hold it at 150 degrees? Did you use a meat thermometer? The pit has a temp guage, I wonder what it will read when the bacon reached 150?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Should have mentioned that when using the dry rub I still put the bacon slab in a big Ziploc because the rub pulls out some meat juice. The giant ziploc made it easy to turn and kept all the juices inside until it was time to rinse and smoke.

I used a meat thermometer to know when the internal temp of the bacon reached 150. I didn't leave it any longer than the time it took to come up to temp. But, it was a slow process using the offset smoker - and it should because it allows the bacon time to get good and smoky tasting.

I kept the bacon on the opposite side of the smoker from the firebox so it was truly just smoked - not cooked.

There are a lot of recipes out there for bacon and they ALL sound good to me, lol. I need to get mine outta the freezer and get it going!

Let us know how you do yours and how it turns out!

 

[Mini Horses]

Since I have slabs to make into bacon -- frozen -- I've been watching and checking U-tube. Pretty much, I've seen about equal parts Kosher salt, brown sugar, maple syrup. The amount will depend on how much meat you need to cover. The soaking is to draw moisture as well as penetrate the meat with flavors. Most say 5-7 days. Then one guy says, after dumping, rinsing excess off, drying surface with paper towels, he sets the slab onto a cookie rack, set in a pan -- places that into frig for a day to help further dry AND the surface will be a little sticky, which helps to grab & hold the smoke. Smoking seems to be in the 3-6 hr range. Again, depends on heat, unit using, etc. Occasionally, pull slab out, insert thermometer & back into smoke. Idea is to further dry & crust the meat, adding that flavor to it.

I bought some little round chunks of smoker woods to use. And, you could add some liquid hickory to brine near end.

Guess one day in the near future we will all be eating bacon & reporting back. When that happens, ya'll need to also save the drippings from frying, use in something you cook and report those results, also. I love to cook with drippings -- country at it's best.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

And now I'm starving and it isn't close enough to lunch for me to sneak out...

 

[lcertuche]

I'll ask DH for the recipe. Maple syrup, pepper, salt and brown sugar I think... Not sure of amounts.

That sounds a lot like Red the Butcher's recipe from Backyardherds.com.

Someone on here or BYH posted how they make bacon in the refrigerator by marinating the meat with sugars and smoke flavoring. It was said to be quite tasty. I don't have a smoker so I might try something like that one day.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Yeah he's from NH too. It seems to be a local good old boys recipe, lol.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I have a killer headache today. I've been cleaning on and off all day, DD is "helping". I just can't stay on my feet long enough to get much outside work done when I have headaches like this.

@tortoise I thought of you today. I recycled a box one of DD's toys came in and she flipped out. Seriously I need to get my mom to babysit so I can get rid of some stuff! Lol this kid is as bad as her father! When I tell him I donated or threw out a bunch of stuff his reply is always "I hope none of it was mine". Ughhhhh

 

[lcertuche]

I love it when I can get the house to myself and start getting rid of stuff. If I don't mention what I got rid of they never miss it, lol.