Just finished up splicing and vacuum packing our first ever bacon. Pork butt, butchered, all tied back up, rubbed, brined, and smoked. Used your recipe and directions. Came out AWESOME!!! Just the right amount of salt, sugars and maple syrup. Used apple pellets in A-maz-n tube,,,,,,,, Spot on!!! The only things I would change is #1, we need to get some hanging hooks. We smoked it laying on a rack, and never flipped it. It was obvious, when slicing it, that the bottom side got more smoke/heat than the top. (still tasted good) #2, next time I won't cheap out, buying the bone in butt on sale. By the time we got it boned out and the skin off, it was JUST shy of being ready for the grinder ! Not to mention the 4 lb' s of bone and skin that went in the trash, instead of "MORE BACON" Thanks Ron for the tutorial, Thanks Brent for filming and sharing, and Ron,,,,,,,,, now that we are done with your AXE, you should be getting it back in the mail soon!!! LOL. Mark
Mark, so glad it worked well for you! Lol on the ax! Southern Indiana butcher supply for the hangers. Are you sure you didn't make Pancetta? Lol Don't be a stranger, and please share with friends!
Jowl is used to make an Italian style charcuterie bacon known as "guanciale"(sp?). A little more complicated than fresh bacon but can certainly be made as such.
Brent, I used the recipe you showed us, and it's hands-down the best bacon I've ever had. We slaughtered two 350+ lb hogs ten days ago, and I cured the bacon off both. I'm extremely thankful for you sharing your recipe with us!!!! My daughter wants me to cure and smoke our bacon from now on.
My husband had me help him make this a couple of years ago for the first time and it was the best bacon we ever ate. My brother loved it too.. Will definitely make again. Oh, and we didn't use any molasses. Just the maple syrup. But you have to use the good syrup. We tried it with a cheaper brand and it wasn't the same. Thanks for a great recipe. We are from Louisiana.
Nice video. Really appreciate the time that the both of you took explaining things. Keep up the good work. Really enjoyed Ron taking the time. Thumbs up
I watch bbq shows all the time which occasionally have done a little on making bacon! This is the most information I have ever seen. Sure glad I found this site. Hopefully, you will share some of your sausage recipes.
Excellent content, gentlemen! Appreciate the lessons on the smoker. I agree with the comment that seeing some sizzle in the pan would have topped off the video. It's not too late! :)
Brett OBerry, thank you. We did make a little sizzle at the end! Also, I am gathering material to make another smoker so we can show everything in more detail.
Greetings from Thornton Colorado once again. So I made the bacon. Now because of you guys I now have to make for my neighbors Lol. Hope all is going well. Cheers.
With bacon, ask not what you can do for your neighbors, but what your neighbors can do for you! I bet half of what I make I end up giving away! Did you tell them to watch the video? Lol
Hey Ron and Brent. I to found you by chance. Was looking for "how to's" on Canadian Bacon and your 1st making bacon video was on the suggested list. Watched it, was great. Really enjoyed this Q&A show, and am definitely going to try the pork butt bacon. Pork belly here is crazy money for some reason, $4.29/lb and up! Anyway, thanks again for this episode. I have only been smoking meat for about 7 months. Have learned much in just 2 short video's. And just subbed. (hang that ax by the sign on the wall that says, "What happens at the cabin, stays at the cabin") loll. Ok, gotta go watch your new video on breakfast sausage. Happy holidays!
I'm making this. The 10 day curing is up today. I've rinsed and soaked the butts for 2 hours. I dried them off with paper towels and repeppered them with a little fresh coarse ground black pepper. They are resting in the fridge tonight on a cooling rack sitting in a sheet pan and I'll smoke them with hickory tomorrow. Can't wait to cut into this bacon. I've never made bacon with shoulder before. I do have a 10" slicer. Oh yeah.
I use the Equilibrium dry cure method. After weighing meat, converting to grams, multiplying by 2-2.5% (0.02-.025) to get total salt weight, I do the cure salt like you (1 tsp/5# meat) the cure salt goes in/on scale and add remaining salt to target weight, mix and apply. Gonna try the molasses with the honey for sure. Buckboard bacon seems to be more economical than pork belly.
@@my-back-yardOoooh, that made me think that lesser experienced individuals should be informed of the collagen difference between porkbutt/shoulder & "pinic" shoulder. (I use picnics,trotters, and fresh pork skins for headcheese and some liverwurst recipes when WallyWorld doesn't have whole heads available).
I'm experimenting. doing both the top with the fat cap - and the bottom half. following the same method for both.................I guess we'll find out? so far everyone LOVES this.
the fat side turned out great, the other side to lean. starting next batch tomorrow, only using fat side for bacon, the other for boneless ribs as you suggested. thanks a lot. i did tweak the recipe
Great video. I had to laugh at the comment about the person's time being worth more than the time it might take to make this...a) he's missing the whole point of doing something as a hobby, and b) He did, of course, have time to watch the 1/2 hour video :P
Byron Peterson, exactly! It's a fun hobby the gives you a vastly superior product at a fraction of the price! Especially if you have a grinder and make your own sausage and burger!
LOL. Thanks for answering! I decided to just ride it out with my original rub (2lbs brown sugar, 1 cup of Kosher salt) I ended up curing for 10 days in covered in a Pyrex baking pan in the fridge turning it once 5 days in. I then soaked in cold water for about 45 minutes and air dried for 24 hours in the fridge after adding a lot of pepper. Smoked it this last Saturday for 4 hours to a temp of 175 in the middle. Let it cool and ref ridged overnight.... Cut one of the sections up yesterday and fried it up. Tasted great! (Like..the best bacon I ever had in fact!) Wasn't too salty and.....I didn't die!
Glad to here you didn't die! Lol If you liked that recipe, suggest you add cure #1 to it! Also you could safely some it to 145 internal that way. That would render less fat out, and may make it a little juicer. Nice job, and thanks for getting back to us!
@@ronross6946 Yeah I am going to have to order some cure #1 from Amazon since I can't find it around here anywhere. I still have one section of the belly in the freezer. Might buy a shoulder and do both since it is hardly worth firing up the smoker for just one belly section....also have a pork loin may do some Canadian bacon with. The belly didn't render much fat out in the smoker...but man did it when I fried it up in the cast iron skillet....which is okay because I save that grease for cooking. Yet id didn't seem to shrink down at all....and as I said: best bacon I ever tasted. Thanks again. Look forward to your future curing / smoking adventures.
Salt is salt.....it's the percentage level required that dictates the volumetric measure of any particular type. THAT'S WHY WEIGHING is more accurate. It doesnt matter if it takes 1 cup of this type or 1.75 cups of another, the salinity level will be equal if the weights are equal.
I took a food safety course through the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Department of Health. Their feelings about bare hands versus gloves are the following. Gloves get dirty the same as hands. You can cross contaminate just as easy with gloves. It’s up to you. Cleans hands to start and if a situation arises that you may have contaminated....then rewash......simple. Great video. I have a question about sodium nitrite. I can’t get Prague powder or Quick Cure where I live, can I use 100% sodium nitrite added to salt in a 1 to 16 ratio to make Pink Salt 6.25%?
drifter1dc Thank you for confirming my thoughts on hands! I'm didn't check your math on sodium nitrite mix, but yes, that is fine. BE SURE MARK IT so it doesn't get confused! That's why cure 1 is dyed pink. Cure 1 is available on Amazon and other on line stores. A local butcher shop that smokes may give or sell you some!
Ron Ross I live in SE Asia and don’t have access to Amazon but did acquire sodium nitrite in its base form. Checking the percentage I calculated 16 to 1 to get a 6.25% solution. Thanks.
Done your recipe with shoulder and loved it, wanting more salt though !! and now going back and trying a belly, should we re-salt before smoking or brine longer ?? .
thank you for your video's! I have been looking at making some bacon, they had pork butt on sale for 96 cents a # so I stared 5 # in your basic recipe and 5# with your recipe and added some different spices also. Hopefully it will turn out!
Tried your recipe on the fat cap side of 6 lbs of a pork shoulder. Turned out great! Gives me less GERD than regular bacon due to the much lower fat content. Mostly made BLTs with it. Also cheaper. Deboning that shoulder blade is a bear. Made pulled pork with bottom (leaner ) half of the shoulder. I'm going to make it again because I bought 20 lbs of pork shoulder on sale on senior 10% off day and got it for 90 cents/lb. Peppered the bacon during cure and after cure but before smoking. Soaked cured meat in H2O for 1 hour to osmosis reduce salt content of meat before smoking. What do you think of augmenting the smoking process with liquid smoke?
Same top and bottom. Pretty crude set up, but sure works! I may refine it some on my next project, but this one has served we well for over a couple decades...
Thanks for sharing!You gained a sub today! I have a couple questions please.I have a place near me that smokes snoots.Have you ever done these,and if so,do you have any tips?Also,I was wondering if you have ever added any scotch to you brines,I would think it would be very tasty....Lastly,I have a new upright charcoal "pill" type smoker I won years ago and never used.Do you think it could be retrofitted as a smoker like yours(heater in bottom),or would I be better to build a "box" type like you have,since the pill type has no insulation.I was wondering if a small refrigerator could be built into a smoker(Never mind.found your fridge video,just leaving the question in case others are curious)?Lastly,if I remember right,your making bacon video said the final product after smoking is fully cooked?Does that mean it's safe to eat "as is",without frying?Sorry so many questions.You guys are awesome!
Bowtie41: Okay, here we go... Never smoked snoots, know Nothing about it. I have never added scotch, but somebody tried bourbon and didn't like it, but it's always fun to try new recipes. I suggest you do it in small batches and keep notes about what you did and didn't like so you can dial it in to your personal preference. I recommend looking or a used Bradley or other brand of electric smoker on Craigslist if you are doing less than 40lbs at a time. I see lots of them for under $100. If you are going to make one, make sure it is metal inside and out. Yes it is safe to eat as is, and the lean pieces left after slicing are excellent! I still fry my slices over low heat to render out the fat. I think that covers everything, but don't hesitate to ask more questions! I try to answer them in a day...
Hi Ron one thing I'd love to know I've been doing bacon at home for a while now and there's no comparison on store bought home bacon is just fantastic like it used to be when I was growing up Ps I'd love to know the ratio of prag number I per kilo of lion of pork thanks
Nice job and great job on the video, kind of crazy, I have almost the exact set up on my smoker, it was a stainless steel small frig from hospital, controller is different, built my smoke can after looking a a smoke daddy years ago, great to attach to any grill or cooking unit, the whole set up has been bullet proof. Cap is a peice of wood, moving to the brick. My out door kitchen is efficient, but not as sweet as yours, I'll have to work on that, I have run hundreds & hundreds lbs of sausage, brisket, and everything under sun in it, I do a lot of cheese, thats what is nice about the type smoke units we use. My Canadian bacon recipe is close to yours but I tie and use pork loins, (your info is spot on )from all my years of experience. Going to run 10 lb of bacon from butts, pulled out a 7 lb belly out of the freezer. Using your recipe for sure. ? If you add and press pepper in before it cools . Enough rambling. Outstanding job on every thing bud, keep giving er p.s try a touch of Jameson's triple dist. 👍👌
Thank you! I too run hundreds of lbs of sausage, burger, and bacon. Also smoke 15 or more gallons of sucked oysters. I'm way more a function over form guy. You sound the same. Our systems are simple, cheap, and work great! Did you watch our building a smoker video? We went into more detail on smoke generator and heat controller. Good luck with your outdoor kitchen, and thanks for the compliments!
Thanks Ron, working on watching all your videos bud, if it wasn't for common sence and functional, practical shit I'd be lost, would love to get oysters like that dam, the only oysters we have in northern mich is rocky mountain oysters. Closest I can come to that is I light brine brook trout overnight, bloom until sticky and dry, then smoke at 150' for about 1 hrs or so, then cut into peices to fit in pint jars skin bone and all. Fill with olive oil and can for 20 minutes. It's great with a sharp cheese, and a short one or cold one. Thanks again,,,, have a capital weekend. 👍
I would like to know if there is a preferred direction to slice a pork belly into bacon strips after being smoked. I made some bacon that tasted great but was a bit stringy like I cut it with the grain. When I looked at the whole slab it seems that the grain runs in many different directions. If the whole pork belly is laying on a counter with the long side going left to right and the short side up and down (much like you see on most videos) would you slice the bacon left to right or up and down for strips?
Yes and no... A whole butt is thick enough that it would require injection brining, so I split the butt in half, and use both halves. The fat half is my favorite. I like it better than belly.
@@my-back-yard thanks so much for the response, this day and age I'm desperately doing anything to get some meat saved up for as little as possible. Willing to put some elbow grease into it. Thanks again!
#1. Who makes cure #1? McCormick's? Also, I bought a smaller commercial electric smoker called Smokin' Tex. #2. Jack mehoff is Chris Farley. #3. My only question would be, do you invite the neighbors over or do they just glare at you because they smell heaven? Cheers from Poulsbo!
My understanding is that it's a simple mixture of salt with 6.25% nitrates. A lot of places make it/offer it. Most sporting good stores have some in their meat curing section or you can get it on line at Amazon, etc.
Roy public, I'm going to be getting 20lbs of cure #1 in about a week. It is only about a dollar a pound that way. I would be happy to part with a few pounds if you decide you want more...
I disagree with Brent on this to some degree... I do mostly shoulder, and most of them fit into 8"-10 slicer just fine, or with very little trimming. I use the trimmed parts for soups, burger, etc. If I do bellies, I cut them in half before slicing. A full size belly produces slice that are too long for most frying pans anyway. Besides most commercial slices that can handle a full belly, are BIG, HEAVY, and EXPENSIVE!
Question here in upstate NY u mentioned letting ur bacon air dry my temp will b around 50 so is that a good temp to air dry n not hv to worry about bugs in my webber kettle? Being that there's 2 vents bottom n top maybe close both what do u think .Thanks
@@masaigeraghty3525 I do dry in my smoker. Where is not important. The important part is a cool place where bugs or animals won't get to it. 50 is a fine temperature for drying.
@@masaigeraghty3525 yes, but brine time would probably be different due to thickness, and it could get a bit salty on outside edges, so may need soaked for an hour after coming out of brine. Suggest you experiment with a 1/3 loin to start. Sorry I can't give you better answer, but haven't tried one myself. A few others have said it works great.
Greetings from Thornton Colorado! Nice job you guys. Most people that instruct have a very dry delivery, in fact it can be as dry as a popcorn fart. Not you guys though. Very easy to follow,step by step however, not enough scotch. Lol. You guys must be just miserable having to look out that back door every day. Looks like paradise to me. Btw, nice tips especially the true food cost of products vs yucky store bought. The canning ring trick was awesome. I bet you guys get into all sorts of shenanigans off camera. I am teaching my grandkids outdoor lore,camping and cooking. Making bacon fits the bill. Again nice job and keep up the good work.
Danny, we never get into trouble. Or at least caught! My mom grew up outside of Westcliff, CO. Nice job on the grandkids! If you ever get to the NW, give us a shout!
@@ronross6946 My ex Father in law was superintendent of lake union school district. Had a 42ft hunter in Bellview Wa. You guys are my kinda people. Also have home in Yreka California so not terribly far away from you guys. Thanks for invite.
S Baker, assuming cured means cured and smoked to an internal temp of at least 145, about 2 weeks. If you mean just out of brine, and left uncooked, about a week. It freezes very well sliced or unsliced. I chill mine in refrigerator overnight, the slice it, vacuum pack it, and freeze it. I've found that my bacon never lasts long enough to go bad! Lol
People hands are the most dirtiest thing, on the human body. I'am for ever washing my hands👏👏Think your hands are clean? Go look at the door handles, and the cabinet doors handles. THEY TELL THE TRUTH!
CZcams introduced me to Ron who drink scotch and makes his own bacon. I like Ron.
I like you too Jack! Lol
When I saw he always has a drink while working in the kitchen is when I really identified with Ron.
Just finished up splicing and vacuum packing our first ever bacon. Pork butt, butchered, all tied back up, rubbed, brined, and smoked. Used your recipe and directions. Came out AWESOME!!! Just the right amount of salt, sugars and maple syrup. Used apple pellets in A-maz-n tube,,,,,,,, Spot on!!! The only things I would change is #1, we need to get some hanging hooks. We smoked it laying on a rack, and never flipped it. It was obvious, when slicing it, that the bottom side got more smoke/heat than the top. (still tasted good) #2, next time I won't cheap out, buying the bone in butt on sale. By the time we got it boned out and the skin off, it was JUST shy of being ready for the grinder ! Not to mention the 4 lb' s of bone and skin that went in the trash, instead of "MORE BACON" Thanks Ron for the tutorial, Thanks Brent for filming and sharing, and Ron,,,,,,,,, now that we are done with your AXE, you should be getting it back in the mail soon!!! LOL. Mark
mark t old garden gnome awesome Mark, thanks for the feedback!
Mark, so glad it worked well for you! Lol on the ax! Southern Indiana butcher supply for the hangers. Are you sure you didn't make Pancetta? Lol Don't be a stranger, and please share with friends!
Thanks for the heads up on Southern Indiana,,,,, great prices, however,,,, They didn't have any Panetta hooks!!! LOL, go figure.
Read closer! Sorry, I'm slow sometimes!
Jowl is used to make an Italian style charcuterie bacon known as "guanciale"(sp?). A little more complicated than fresh bacon but can certainly be made as such.
Just wanted to take a minute to thank you for this video, i make this stuff all the time. It's fantastic. Thanks again.
Thank you for the feedback, glad we got another convert!
Just used your shoulder bacon recipe and everyone loves it. Best bacon ever.
That's what we like to see! Thank you!
Just stumbled onto your site. Was looking for making bacon videos. Enjoyed this one and one other. Thanks!
Thank you. Ron’s got it down.
Brent, I used the recipe you showed us, and it's hands-down the best bacon I've ever had. We slaughtered two 350+ lb hogs ten days ago, and I cured the bacon off both. I'm extremely thankful for you sharing your recipe with us!!!! My daughter wants me to cure and smoke our bacon from now on.
pdnkrdnk5 that’s what we want to hear!
Thank you so much!
My husband had me help him make this a couple of years ago for the first time and it was the best bacon we ever ate. My brother loved it too.. Will definitely make again. Oh, and we didn't use any molasses. Just the maple syrup. But you have to use the good syrup. We tried it with a cheaper brand and it wasn't the same. Thanks for a great recipe. We are from Louisiana.
Thanks for the feedback, glad it worked out well for you!
y'all gonna be well rewarded for being so kind ... thanks for all you've shared. Means a lot!
Thank you Louie!
Nice video. Really appreciate the time that the both of you took explaining things. Keep up the good work. Really enjoyed Ron taking the time. Thumbs up
Thank you, really appreciate your response.
I watch bbq shows all the time which occasionally have done a little on making bacon! This is the most information I have ever seen. Sure glad I found this site. Hopefully, you will share some of your sausage recipes.
By the way, I love my scotch too!
We have a sausage recipe up!
Excellent content, gentlemen! Appreciate the lessons on the smoker. I agree with the comment that seeing some sizzle in the pan would have topped off the video. It's not too late! :)
Brett OBerry, thank you. We did make a little sizzle at the end! Also, I am gathering material to make another smoker so we can show everything in more detail.
Greetings from Thornton Colorado once again. So I made the bacon. Now because of you guys I now have to make for my neighbors Lol. Hope all is going well. Cheers.
So glad to hear that you've developed that new problem. Lol
Thanks!
With bacon, ask not what you can do for your neighbors, but what your neighbors can do for you!
I bet half of what I make I end up giving away! Did you tell them to watch the video? Lol
I like this one as well as your sausage making videos. I have been making sausage for a tew months now and I think that I will try the bacon soon.
Let us know how it turns out!
Hey Ron and Brent. I to found you by chance. Was looking for "how to's" on Canadian Bacon and your 1st making bacon video was on the suggested list. Watched it, was great. Really enjoyed this Q&A show, and am definitely going to try the pork butt bacon. Pork belly here is crazy money for some reason, $4.29/lb and up! Anyway, thanks again for this episode. I have only been smoking meat for about 7 months. Have learned much in just 2 short video's. And just subbed. (hang that ax by the sign on the wall that says, "What happens at the cabin, stays at the cabin") loll. Ok, gotta go watch your new video on breakfast sausage. Happy holidays!
Mark t, If you have any questions I'll try to be way more prompt in answering! Lol! Welcome to the channel!
Thanks Mark! We love helping people out!
I'm making this. The 10 day curing is up today. I've rinsed and soaked the butts for 2 hours. I dried them off with paper towels and repeppered them with a little fresh coarse ground black pepper. They are resting in the fridge tonight on a cooling rack sitting in a sheet pan and I'll smoke them with hickory tomorrow. Can't wait to cut into this bacon. I've never made bacon with shoulder before. I do have a 10" slicer. Oh yeah.
Please let us know how it goes!
I use the Equilibrium dry cure method.
After weighing meat, converting to grams, multiplying by 2-2.5% (0.02-.025) to get total salt weight, I do the cure salt like you (1 tsp/5# meat) the cure salt goes in/on scale and add remaining salt to target weight, mix and apply. Gonna try the molasses with the honey for sure.
Buckboard bacon seems to be more economical than pork belly.
Good call. Buckboard has some connective tissue.
@@my-back-yardOoooh, that made me think that lesser experienced individuals should be informed of the collagen difference between porkbutt/shoulder & "pinic" shoulder. (I use picnics,trotters, and fresh pork skins for headcheese and some liverwurst recipes when WallyWorld doesn't have whole heads available).
I'm experimenting. doing both the top with the fat cap - and the bottom half. following the same method for both.................I guess we'll find out? so far everyone LOVES this.
Excellent video! 😊
Great show boys,,back in Australia they are now producing “Lamb Bacon” I haven’t tried any bit would like too soon,,,regards Frank
Frank Pattaya thanks!
No lamb for me. Lol
oh.. ive seen that smoked/canned oyster video.. it is why im subscribed here
Best bacon recipe you can find i just finished slicing and is pure gold. lol pork gold
So glad to hear that Zac!
ZAC, Thank you!! So glad it worked good for you! Now spread the bacon love by sharing the finished product with friends and family!
the fat side turned out great, the other side to lean. starting next batch tomorrow, only using fat side for bacon, the other for boneless ribs as you suggested. thanks a lot. i did tweak the recipe
Love me some Captain Ron bacon!! Love his home as much!! Take care boys. Nice video
Thanks Ryan. After the Alaska trip Dick watched the videos and has been making a ton of sausage and bacon. Maybe he can hook you up!
Great job Brent! I bet people would use Amazon affiliate links for the equipment/supplies you use!!
We did.
Great video. I had to laugh at the comment about the person's time being worth more than the time it might take to make this...a) he's missing the whole point of doing something as a hobby, and b) He did, of course, have time to watch the 1/2 hour video :P
byron peterson bazinga!
Byron Peterson, exactly! It's a fun hobby the gives you a vastly superior product at a fraction of the price! Especially if you have a grinder and make your own sausage and burger!
LOL. Thanks for answering!
I decided to just ride it out with my original rub (2lbs brown sugar, 1 cup of Kosher salt) I ended up curing for 10 days in covered in a Pyrex baking pan in the fridge turning it once 5 days in. I then soaked in cold water for about 45 minutes and air dried for 24 hours in the fridge after adding a lot of pepper.
Smoked it this last Saturday for 4 hours to a temp of 175 in the middle. Let it cool and ref ridged overnight....
Cut one of the sections up yesterday and fried it up. Tasted great! (Like..the best bacon I ever had in fact!)
Wasn't too salty and.....I didn't die!
Glad to here you didn't die! Lol If you liked that recipe, suggest you add cure #1 to it! Also you could safely some it to 145 internal that way. That would render less fat out, and may make it a little juicer. Nice job, and thanks for getting back to us!
@@ronross6946 Yeah I am going to have to order some cure #1 from Amazon since I can't find it around here anywhere.
I still have one section of the belly in the freezer. Might buy a shoulder and do both since it is hardly worth firing up the smoker for just one belly section....also have a pork loin may do some Canadian bacon with.
The belly didn't render much fat out in the smoker...but man did it when I fried it up in the cast iron skillet....which is okay because I save that grease for cooking. Yet id didn't seem to shrink down at all....and as I said: best bacon I ever tasted.
Thanks again. Look forward to your future curing / smoking adventures.
The fatty half of a shoulder is my favorite! Half the price and way leaner. Good luck on your future curing.
rob black Sporting goods stores (Sportsman’s Warehouse here) usually have curing salt in their jerky ingredients section.
If you use lots, I get mine 20lbs for $20 from Southern Indiana butcher supply. Amazon has it too
Who would ever thought? a shoulder roast. Can make bacon from "Brilliant idea" 👍👍
7:01 Good answer! Great interview.
Salt is salt.....it's the percentage level required that dictates the volumetric measure of any particular type. THAT'S WHY WEIGHING is more accurate. It doesnt matter if it takes 1 cup of this type or 1.75 cups of another, the salinity level will be equal if the weights are equal.
I used my mission smoker. did 3 pieces and it came out great!
Awesome! Glad you tried it and liked it! Thanks for letting us know!
Looks good thanks
I took a food safety course through the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Department of Health. Their feelings about bare hands versus gloves are the following. Gloves get dirty the same as hands. You can cross contaminate just as easy with gloves. It’s up to you. Cleans hands to start and if a situation arises that you may have contaminated....then rewash......simple. Great video. I have a question about sodium nitrite. I can’t get Prague powder or Quick Cure where I live, can I use 100% sodium nitrite added to salt in a 1 to 16 ratio to make Pink Salt 6.25%?
drifter1dc Thank you for confirming my thoughts on hands! I'm didn't check your math on sodium nitrite mix, but yes, that is fine. BE SURE MARK IT so it doesn't get confused! That's why cure 1 is dyed pink. Cure 1 is available on Amazon and other on line stores. A local butcher shop that smokes may give or sell you some!
Ron Ross I live in SE Asia and don’t have access to Amazon but did acquire sodium nitrite in its base form. Checking the percentage I calculated 16 to 1 to get a 6.25% solution. Thanks.
Done your recipe with shoulder and loved it, wanting more salt though !! and now going back and trying a belly, should we re-salt before smoking or brine longer ??
.
Do a video on deer and pork sausage and by the way great JOB!
robert rodriguez that’s a great idea!
Can do! Basically you just add about 35% pork to your venison.
thank you for your video's! I have been looking at making some bacon, they had pork butt on sale for 96 cents a # so I stared 5 # in your basic recipe and 5# with your recipe and added some different spices also. Hopefully it will turn out!
Please let us know!
Love Bacon!
Tried your recipe on the fat cap side of 6 lbs of a pork shoulder. Turned out great! Gives me less GERD than regular bacon due to the much lower fat content. Mostly made BLTs with it. Also cheaper. Deboning that shoulder blade is a bear. Made pulled pork with bottom (leaner ) half of the shoulder. I'm going to make it again because I bought 20 lbs of pork shoulder on sale on senior 10% off day and got it for 90 cents/lb. Peppered the bacon during cure and after cure but before smoking. Soaked cured meat in H2O for 1 hour to osmosis reduce salt content of meat before smoking. What do you think of augmenting the smoking process with liquid smoke?
tru fom glad it worked!
We usually use boneless shoulder.
@@my-back-yard Ever try liquid smoke instead of real smoke?
I have not
You worked in my question! but didn't hang the axe back there. Nonetheless another great vid!
Eric J-Ha! We aim to please.
You never know what the future may hold.
The ax was being used by people splitting wood for bacon...
We just shot a series of videos and you’re going to like the axe placement
Wondering if the smoke genater has the same amount of air going into the bottom as the top or if you have like a control valve on bottom line?
Same top and bottom. Pretty crude set up, but sure works! I may refine it some on my next project, but this one has served we well for over a couple decades...
Here in Blighty i'm going to try the belly and back smoked using ground and chipped whisky barrels. Mmmm
Chris Smith that sounds great! I gotta get me some whiskey barrel for smoking!
I want a full whiskey barrel to drink, then use the barrel for smoking!
Pig bowls are fantastic
Thanks for sharing!You gained a sub today! I have a couple questions please.I have a place near me that smokes snoots.Have you ever done these,and if so,do you have any tips?Also,I was wondering if you have ever added any scotch to you brines,I would think it would be very tasty....Lastly,I have a new upright charcoal "pill" type smoker I won years ago and never used.Do you think it could be retrofitted as a smoker like yours(heater in bottom),or would I be better to build a "box" type like you have,since the pill type has no insulation.I was wondering if a small refrigerator could be built into a smoker(Never mind.found your fridge video,just leaving the question in case others are curious)?Lastly,if I remember right,your making bacon video said the final product after smoking is fully cooked?Does that mean it's safe to eat "as is",without frying?Sorry so many questions.You guys are awesome!
Bowtie41: Okay, here we go... Never smoked snoots, know Nothing about it. I have never added scotch, but somebody tried bourbon and didn't like it, but it's always fun to try new recipes. I suggest you do it in small batches and keep notes about what you did and didn't like so you can dial it in to your personal preference. I recommend looking or a used Bradley or other brand of electric smoker on Craigslist if you are doing less than 40lbs at a time. I see lots of them for under $100. If you are going to make one, make sure it is metal inside and out. Yes it is safe to eat as is, and the lean pieces left after slicing are excellent! I still fry my slices over low heat to render out the fat. I think that covers everything, but don't hesitate to ask more questions! I try to answer them in a day...
@@ronross6946 Thank You for the rapid answers!
breakfast sausage was great bacon is next thankyou !
Great to hear!
Hi Ron one thing I'd love to know I've been doing bacon at home for a while now and there's no comparison on store bought home bacon is just fantastic like it used to be when I was growing up
Ps I'd love to know the ratio of prag number I per kilo of lion of pork thanks
One teaspoon per 5 lbs
Thanks Ron I gather its a level tsp
Ps love your videos
Nice job and great job on the video, kind of crazy, I have almost the exact set up on my smoker, it was a stainless steel small frig from hospital, controller is different, built my smoke can after looking a a smoke daddy years ago, great to attach to any grill or cooking unit, the whole set up has been bullet proof. Cap is a peice of wood, moving to the brick. My out door kitchen is efficient, but not as sweet as yours, I'll have to work on that, I have run hundreds & hundreds lbs of sausage, brisket, and everything under sun in it, I do a lot of cheese, thats what is nice about the type smoke units we use. My Canadian bacon recipe is close to yours but I tie and use pork loins, (your info is spot on )from all my years of experience. Going to run 10 lb of bacon from butts, pulled out a 7 lb belly out of the freezer. Using your recipe for sure. ? If you add and press pepper in before it cools . Enough rambling. Outstanding job on every thing bud, keep giving er p.s try a touch of Jameson's triple dist. 👍👌
Did The pepper work out better after ?.
Thank you! I too run hundreds of lbs of sausage, burger, and bacon. Also smoke 15 or more gallons of sucked oysters. I'm way more a function over form guy. You sound the same. Our systems are simple, cheap, and work great! Did you watch our building a smoker video? We went into more detail on smoke generator and heat controller. Good luck with your outdoor kitchen, and thanks for the compliments!
@@tomcrawley4503 pepper worked WAY better after. A home run!
Thanks Ron, working on watching all your videos bud, if it wasn't for common sence and functional, practical shit I'd be lost, would love to get oysters like that dam, the only oysters we have in northern mich is rocky mountain oysters. Closest I can come to that is I light brine brook trout overnight, bloom until sticky and dry, then smoke at 150' for about 1 hrs or so, then cut into peices to fit in pint jars skin bone and all. Fill with olive oil and can for 20 minutes. It's great with a sharp cheese, and a short one or cold one. Thanks again,,,, have a capital weekend. 👍
I would like to know if there is a preferred direction to slice a pork belly into bacon strips after being smoked. I made some bacon that tasted great but was a bit stringy like I cut it with the grain. When I looked at the whole slab it seems that the grain runs in many different directions. If the whole pork belly is laying on a counter with the long side going left to right and the short side up and down (much like you see on most videos) would you slice the bacon left to right or up and down for strips?
If the grain is tough to follow, cut thinner
i done some pork loin and it tasted just like ham
Do you cure and smoke whole butts?
Yes and no... A whole butt is thick enough that it would require injection brining, so I split the butt in half, and use both halves. The fat half is my favorite. I like it better than belly.
Hey Brent just talked Steve R . Just subbed to you. Didn’t know you had a CZcams channel.
TIME FOR CHANGES NW I’m not sure who this is
Brent Woolard call Steve he will tell you
👍👍😊
i make it the same way just not the pepper corns i use ground pepper
jerry mcelwain I literally made a batch today with ground pepper.
Do not use cedar Pine or Cypress use Hardwoods to smoke
Can you use an offset smoker?
Keith Lester yes.
Fat side up!
Hi, I know this video is a bit older, but I was wondering how you store the bacon? Do you freeze it in ziplock bags? How long does it keep for?
We vacuum seal and freeze it in approximately one pound bags. Great question!
Frozen will last longer than you’re willing to look at it. Lol
@@my-back-yard thanks so much for the response, this day and age I'm desperately doing anything to get some meat saved up for as little as possible. Willing to put some elbow grease into it. Thanks again!
Subbed😊.
Also why do u smoke at a high temp ? Is it hot smoking that u are doing?
Yes
#1. Who makes cure #1? McCormick's? Also, I bought a smaller commercial electric smoker called Smokin' Tex. #2. Jack mehoff is Chris Farley. #3. My only question would be, do you invite the neighbors over or do they just glare at you because they smell heaven? Cheers from Poulsbo!
My understanding is that it's a simple mixture of salt with 6.25% nitrates. A lot of places make it/offer it. Most sporting good stores have some in their meat curing section or you can get it on line at Amazon, etc.
It is also known as Prague powder #1, pink curing salt 1. Sportsman warehouse in Silverdale has it, as does Amazon. The neighbors come over!
@@ronross6946 Perfect!
Roy public, I'm going to be getting 20lbs of cure #1 in about a week. It is only about a dollar a pound that way. I would be happy to part with a few pounds if you decide you want more...
would like to find a good slicer. not too expensive. any suggestions? thinking about sharing cost with a couple others.
Look around. The one thing I’d recommend is not getting one with a meat cradle that’s too narrow for full length slices.
I disagree with Brent on this to some degree... I do mostly shoulder, and most of them fit into 8"-10 slicer just fine, or with very little trimming. I use the trimmed parts for soups, burger, etc. If I do bellies, I cut them in half before slicing. A full size belly produces slice that are too long for most frying pans anyway.
Besides most commercial slices that can handle a full belly, are BIG, HEAVY, and EXPENSIVE!
Question here in upstate NY u mentioned letting ur bacon air dry my temp will b around 50 so is that a good temp to air dry n not hv to worry about bugs in my webber kettle? Being that there's 2 vents bottom n top maybe close both what do u think .Thanks
I dry in the fridge in the open.
@@my-back-yard oh I thought u dried in ur smoker as in the video
@@masaigeraghty3525 I do dry in my smoker. Where is not important. The important part is a cool place where bugs or animals won't get to it. 50 is a fine temperature for drying.
@@ronross6946 Hi Ron question would ur recipe work with a pork loin ?
@@masaigeraghty3525 yes, but brine time would probably be different due to thickness, and it could get a bit salty on outside edges, so may need soaked for an hour after coming out of brine. Suggest you experiment with a 1/3 loin to start. Sorry I can't give you better answer, but haven't tried one myself. A few others have said it works great.
Greetings from Thornton Colorado! Nice job you guys. Most people that instruct have a very dry delivery, in fact it can be as dry as a popcorn fart. Not you guys though. Very easy to follow,step by step however, not enough scotch. Lol. You guys must be just miserable having to look out that back door every day. Looks like paradise to me. Btw, nice tips especially the true food cost of products vs yucky store bought. The canning ring trick was awesome. I bet you guys get into all sorts of shenanigans off camera. I am teaching my grandkids outdoor lore,camping and cooking. Making bacon fits the bill. Again nice job and keep up the good work.
Danny, you have us pegged!
We love hunting, fishing, and making our own good food. And scotch. 😀
Danny, we never get into trouble. Or at least caught! My mom grew up outside of Westcliff, CO. Nice job on the grandkids! If you ever get to the NW, give us a shout!
@@ronross6946 My ex Father in law was superintendent of lake union school district. Had a 42ft hunter in Bellview Wa. You guys are my kinda people. Also have home in Yreka California so not terribly far away from you guys. Thanks for invite.
I have a 55' Monk sitting in Poulsbo. Take it to Alaska every year for 3 months of sport fishing!
@@ronross6946 holy shit thats awesome. I will be packing momentarily lol.
Where's can I find pork belly
Restaurant supply stores and some grocery stores with large meat departments
Once the pork belly is cured, how long can I keep it in the fridge before it is no longer good to slice and fry up?
S Baker, assuming cured means cured and smoked to an internal temp of at least 145, about 2 weeks. If you mean just out of brine, and left uncooked, about a week. It freezes very well sliced or unsliced. I chill mine in refrigerator overnight, the slice it, vacuum pack it, and freeze it. I've found that my bacon never lasts long enough to go bad! Lol
Can you use pickling salt instead of kosher salt?
Yes. I will post proper amount tomorrow.
Sorry for the delay. Use 15% less if using pickling salt rather than Morton kosher.
Oh man, that BB Bacon is amazing. Never buying bacon again. So much cheaper. I have pics, where do I send?
You could go to my Facebook page, it’s my name.
Awesome! That's why we do these videos! Couldn't get a better complement!
Have u tried salt curing and smoking a ham ??
I have not, but others have commented that they used my brine mix on hams, and it came out great.
Can I just buy some bacon and u shop it to me here in California
eric bridges sorry but no
You can make it yourself for less than the cost of shipping....
I thought it took two hogs to make bacon ?
Daryl Miller you’re correct
People hands are the most dirtiest thing, on the human body. I'am for ever washing my hands👏👏Think your hands are clean? Go look at the door handles, and the cabinet doors handles. THEY TELL THE TRUTH!
Can I smoke in a offset smoker
David whitworth yes
Try to keep box temperature below 190!
You guys are evil.... Evil I tell Ya!
Eating that bacon in front of me like that.
Shame on you, now I have to go fry up some bacon.
Teresa V we try!
Merry Christmas and thanks for watching!
Theresa V, I hope it's good, homemade bacon! Merry Christmas!
@@ronross6946 Merry Christmas to you