How to Make Bacon
Author: 
Recipe type: How to Make
Cuisine: Australian/American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: Many
 
How to make your very own smoked bacon.
Ingredients
  • 1.5 - 1.7kg pork belly, rind on or off
  • 100gms (6 tbspns) salt
  • 75gms (2/3 cup) brown sugar or 75mls maple syrup (1/3 cup)
  • 4 bay leaves, torn
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • ½ tsp coriander seeds
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • Liquid smoke
  • 2 cups hickory sawdust chips (if smoking in a bbq or wok)
  • ⅔ cup uncooked rice (if smoking in a bbq or wok)
Instructions
  1. Mix all the spice rub ingredients together. Massage the spices into both sides of the pork belly and wrap in cling wrap and then place in a large ziplock bag.
  2. Place the pork belly sitting flat in the fridge. The bacon will release liquid so make sure the zip lock is shut tight or place on a tray. Turn over once a day for 7-10 days.
  3. On the day you want to smoke it, remove it from the fridge and take it out of the bag. Wash the salt and spices off well and then soak it in water for two hours to draw out more of the salt.
  4. Pat dry with paper towels and place on a rack in the fridge uncovered just until you are ready.
  5. Oven Method:
  6. Preheat oven to 93C/200F oven and brush the pork belly lightly with liquid smoke. Place on a baking dish and cook for 75-90 minutes or longer until the internal temperature reaches 60C/140F.
  7. Remove from oven and cool. To make it easier to cut, place in fridge until it firms up. Then using the sharpest knife you have, slice into rashers.
  8. BBQ Method:
  9. Light coals using briquettes. Open the vents and once the coals are glowing and covered in grey ash, place the sawdust and rice in a foil or metal container in the coals.
  10. Wok Method:
  11. Place the foil on the bottom of the wok or pot. Scatter the sawdust and rice at the bottom. You can make a little tray out of foil. Heat the sawdust until fragrant and you get some smoke - this can take some time but soon enough, you'll smell the hickory coming through.
  12. Place the pork belly on the rack ensuring that the pork doesn't touch the sawdust and that there is airflow around the pork belly. Put the lid on and turn the heat down to low. The idea is to not cook the bacon but just to smoke it and the rice helps knock back the heat a bit. Do not remove the lid no matter how tempting. The outside might change colour but if you keep it low while still smoking then the inside should be pink still.
  13. After 1.5 hours check on the internal temperature. You need it to reach 60C/140F and when it does YOU HAVE BACON!
Recipe by Hotly Spiced at http://hotlyspiced.com/how-to-make-your-own-bacon/