Home butchering

[Bird]

That's just one more thing I've learned for the first time on Tractorbynet; never heard of such bacon, but it sure looks good.

 

[Thomas]

Can bacon sounds :licking: and you make look easy to do. :thumbsup:

 

[jmc]

Good info.

So it's only the brining that gives the bacon it's flavor? I always assumed they smoked it.

 

[TnAndy]

Good info.

So it's only the brining that gives the bacon it's flavor? I always assumed they smoked it.

Brine curing (or dry curing....see this Morton salt page for more info: Meat Curing Methods - Morton Salt ) uses salt, nitrate, and sugar....the salt/sugar are what give bacon the flavor....in addition to the meat itself. I also add black pepper to my mix of brine.

I doubt any commercial bacon is smoked....if it says "hickory smoked flavor", it likely came out of a packet of smoke flavor added to the brine. You can smoke the slabs after curing if you wish, I've done it....but it's an added step for flavor, not preserving so much.

I'd imagine in the 'olden days', smoking was a part of preservation....but they used the dry cure method too....which is basically rub a LOT of salt/nitrate mix on the slab, then smoke it so it can be preserved without any refrigeration in the process (since they didn't have it). I've dry cured bacon before, but find it way too salty for our taste even after multiple rinsing in water.

 

[MossRoad]

Thank! :thumbsup:

 

[teejk]

Brine curing (or dry curing....see this Morton salt page for more info: Meat Curing Methods - Morton Salt ) uses salt, nitrate, and sugar....the salt/sugar are what give bacon the flavor....in addition to the meat itself. I also add black pepper to my mix of brine.

I doubt any commercial bacon is smoked....if it says "hickory smoked flavor", it likely came out of a packet of smoke flavor added to the brine. You can smoke the slabs after curing if you wish, I've done it....but it's an added step for flavor, not preserving so much.

I'd imagine in the 'olden days', smoking was a part of preservation....but they used the dry cure method too....which is basically rub a LOT of salt/nitrate mix on the slab, then smoke it so it can be preserved without any refrigeration in the process (since they didn't have it). I've dry cured bacon before, but find it way too salty for our taste even after multiple rinsing in water.

Unless something has changed in the recent past, commercial bacon is still smoked ("cold smoke", minimal heat). The bellies are injected with brine then get a smoke ride in a bacon tower.

 

[TnAndy]

Unless something has changed in the recent past, commercial bacon is still smoked ("cold smoke", minimal heat). The bellies are injected with brine then get a smoke ride in a bacon tower.

Ok...interesting to know. Never been around a commercial operation.

 

[oosik]

We had a smoke house when in AK. We smoked our salmon and sliced moose back strap meat. The smoked moose meat was excellent. It didn't taste like bacon. However - we ate it just like it WAS bacon. My God - it was good with scrambled eggs & toast with wild berry jam for breakfast.

I've never heard of canning bacon. The smoked moose back strap meat never lasted that long. It was gone long before it could ever freezer burn.

That's one thing I miss - not still being in AK. Good moose meat.

 

[GeneV]

Yeh man cool, dyi gets my respect. We raised a couple American guinea hogs a little while back, I processed them myself. I tried getting the local butcher shop to smoke the hams and butt and bacon and all that, but he was reluctant, insisted we be a USDA op lol. So I bought an $80 masterbuilt smoker on amazon, smoked it myself...turned out legit!

 

[MH8675309]

I agree we dry cured whole hams before and if done right they will keep without refrigeration but they are WAAAYYY too salty