It is extremely simple and rewarding to produce bacon by hand, it can be made both at home and in a professional kitchen or small refrigerator. The big advantage is the possibility of changing the seasonings, curing time, amount of salt and smoking or cooking. As bacon is an important ingredient in many dishes, changing its flavor can make a big difference in the final result of a preparation.
I did it without smoking, but after curing the bacon is generally hot smoked until it reaches an internal temperature of 65 degrees, with direct smoke or immersed in liquid smoke before being finished in the oven or oven. In this case, I made unsmoked bacon, as I wanted to make the most basic, simple and easy product possible, in a way that anyone can make with the minimum amount of equipment and ingredients available. The only ingredient that deviates from the traditional home cooking is curing salt, which can be easily purchased online. Later I intend to post new, more elaborate recipes.
First you need to acquire a good pork belly, which is basically a layer of skin, firm fat and little meat, coming from the lower middle part of the pig, close to the ribs of the animal's chest, in the image below it is the part called belly. The thickness will vary greatly depending on the origin of the animal, pigs from large-scale productions tend to have a thin belly, with a thickness of 1.5 to 3 cm, while pigs from small productions, raised free range, can have a belly measuring 7cm in thickness. thickness.
It is also possible to make “Canadian bacon”, which is obtained by cutting below the fatback with the loin, which would be the loin with the upper fat, but without the bones. It is a less fatty and meatier bacon, as it has the loin, but it is not common in Brazil. That's for a next post!
The ideal is a free range pig, but it is difficult to find. I bought it at a nearby butcher and, as you can see, the belly is thin, that is, from a young animal and probably raised on a large scale. This piece, after having cleaned and removed part of the upper membranes, keeping the skin, weighed 1 kg.
After acquiring the belly, you can optionally remove part of the membranes from the upper part, opposite the skin. I recommend not removing the skin, as it serves as protection for the external layer of fat and can be easily removed after finishing, that is, when using the finished bacon.
Artisan bacon ingredients
- 1kg of pork belly
- 20g of salt
- 2.4g of curing salt (6.25% of nitrite and 93.75% of salt)
- 20g brown sugar
- 1g black pepper
This curing salt I used has nitrite and sodium nitrate, but the nitrite alone is enough, you don't need the nitrate. It also contains sodium tripolyphosphate, which helps with stabilization and final softness, but it is also optional as bacon is almost always fried and juiciness makes no difference in everyday use. Only sodium nitrate is mandatory. Just for reference, the English cure you should use is Instacure #1 – 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt.
After cleaning the belly, mix the table salt, black pepper and curing salt, spread and rub on both sides of the belly until it is evenly distributed. Then apply brown sugar in the same way.
Place the seasoned piece in a plastic bag or container with a lid and leave it in the refrigerator for 7 to 12 days, depending on the thickness of the belly. During this time, the cure will have time to act completely.
I rolled the piece and placed it in a plastic bag with the end tied. For me, it's the easiest and most compact way to proceed, making it easier to turn the meat and taking up less space in the fridge.
During the curing process a lot of liquid will come out of the meat. It is important to turn the piece daily so that the liquid is distributed on all sides.
At the end of 7 days, I removed the piece from the plastic bag, discarded the liquid, dried it with paper towel and opened it on a baking tray to finish it in the oven. I used the grill to prevent the piece from coming into contact with the bottom of the pan, which accumulates much more heat than the rest. If you don't have a grill, line the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil, leaving the shiny part down, that is, pointing towards the heat source. Aluminum reflects and reduces the intensity of heat, reducing the difference between the part in contact with the pan and the top of the meat.
The oven temperature needs to be set close to 90ºC. To reach this temperature I had to set the oven to the lowest setting possible and still keep the door open a little. To keep the door open I used the clip on the analog thermometer itself. The ideal is an oven with temperature control with central measurement, but I didn't have one available, so I adapted it with what I had on hand. It is not necessary to have the ideal equipment, remember that these are secular products, so at these times a little creativity is essential.
After an hour and a half in the oven, the bacon was finished and ready for the final test, the tasting! Leave it in the oven for two hours, as it turned slightly pink after just an hour and a half, my anxiety couldn't handle the ideal time.
The result was a product with a delicate flavor, as I chose to add few seasonings, but very good, with just the right amount of salt to eat in loads! For me, it was the best bacon I've ever tried, I could eat it endlessly, but I had to control myself!
Hope you like it!
English 
Português do Brasil
Is it necessary to bake/smoke the bacon right after the end of curing? I have been trying to understand the objective. Assuming I don't want to smoke the bacon, is it possible to simply cut and fry it right after the curing period is over?
Hi Chris. You can fry it right after curing, without any problems. The benefit of roasting and/or smoking bacon is to eliminate all existing microbiology, thus the shelf life of the well-packaged product is considerably extended. Applying smoke also provides extra protection, as smoke is a preservative agent. The raw product has active microbiology and consequently tends to spoil more quickly. By heating to an internal temperature close to 70ºC, you will be “sterilizing” the product. By cooling quickly and packaging well after heating, you will have a more durable, safe and stable product.
Thanks for the answer! So by this logic, I could, for example, put already cured bacon in sous vide at 65-70c for 3 hours and achieve the same result, correct?
I wanted to take the chance to congratulate the content you produce on YouTube, videos that are straight to the point and very well explained!
That's right, Chris. You can make it sous vide. If you want a typical bacon smoke aroma, add a little liquid or powdered smoke to the seasoning. Thanks!
Good afternoon! And if you choose not to use curing salt, would it affect production time at any point, reducing any of the steps?
You can reduce the time in the refrigerator, leaving 3 to 5 days for the seasoning to incorporate evenly.
If I choose to smoke the bacon only hot with eucalyptus smoke, how long do I need after removing it from the refrigerator?
The ideal is to take the internal temperature of the bacon, when it reaches 72ºC you can remove it from smoking. If you don't have a thermometer, the time may vary depending on the temperature of the smoker and the thickness of the piece. Around 4 hours at 80ºC I think this is enough.
90 degrees
Do not use eucalyptus. Only wood from fruit trees.
Hi Eduardo, is it possible to smoke the bacon hot and use a little liquid smoke on the piece? Please what is the inconvenience?
Yes, you can do that, it will have an even more intense smoked flavor and aroma. It depends on taste.
Good afternoon Eduardo, one more question, as I used curing salt 2 for the process of this bacon, I used a dose of 3.5g of this salt for 1kg of pancetta, the curing salt 2 that I used has 6% nitrite and 4% nitrate. Therefore, I used 0.21g of nitrite and 0.14 of nitrate for this 1 kg of pancetta. Have a problem? Thank you again!
Hi Giovanni, no problem. Most likely all the sodium nitrite will disappear as it will have been converted in the process. Nitrate can be converted to nitrite slowly, but is present in small quantities.
We have a post about conversions, if you are interested read it Nitrite conversion in cured meats.
I wouldn't use type 2 in quick-curing bacon, as it won't give the Nitrate time to convert to Nitrite. In fact, the American FDA prohibits putting nitrates in bacon. The reason is that nitrate in the presence of heat (and Bacon is generally fried at high temperature) turns into Nitrosamines. This compound is carcinogenic. One way to avoid this transformation would be to add other chemical compounds such as antioxidants and phosphates. Therefore, it is better to only use the #1 type, which only contains Nitrite. Nitrates can be used in Pancetta arolatta, as it takes at least 3 months to dry and cure, plus a vacuum period to homogenize the moisture and improve the flavor. At this time the Nitrate has already been converted into Nitrites and has been used. The addition of an antioxidant such as Vitamin C or its salts: such as ascorbate or sodium erythorbate helps to avoid any problems when frying pancetta, which is also eaten cold in sandwiches in Italy. One more thing, the conversion of Nitrates into Nitrites and Nitrites dissociating into Nitrogen and Sodium in a sausage or sausage is much faster than in meat… Read more "
I partially agree with you, in the case of my bacon, the amount of nitrate is small, as for it being carcinogenic, it is the prolonged residual consumption that can lead to the same, but as I will leave it for 14 days to cure, part of the nitrate will have been converted into nitrite and if this is converted in the process, that is, the residual amount of nitrate will be even smaller, insignificant to affect health. I used curing salt 2 because that's what I had available at the time, for other bacons I'll use 1. Thank you for the explanation.
Good morning! Next I made the recipe exactly like here, I just added a little more salt instead of 20g I put 25g, it's been in the fridge for 8.5 days today and it's not dehydrating, I made the other recipe too and it's not dehydrating either, it doesn't form liquids inside, it is wet but has not yet hardened. Color and smell are great.
Hi Giovanni, leave it 10 days and see again. It doesn't need to be dehydrated, just to have a firmer consistency. Pressing it with your finger makes it firmer than raw meat. But you don't need to dehydrate it, even if it doesn't drain liquid there's no problem. Then you can put it in the oven or smoker.
Oops! I looked now and yes, I can already see that it is firmer than before. Thank you for clearing my doubts about dehydration, I will let the two pieces complete 12 days, and then smoke them. Hugs!
After the process is done, I can store it in the fridge and use the pieces whenever I want and it lasts for as long as I want.
It will last between 15 and 20 days in the fridge. You can cut it into pieces, freeze it and defrost it as needed. In the freezer it lasts 3 to 6 months.
I have a debt!
And with your experience you can help me.
If there is no curing salt # 1 for fresh products, can I use curing salt #2?
Hi Ricardo. It's not ideal, but in my opinion you can use it within the established minimum limits. The sodium nitrate will remain residual in the product as it will be difficult to convert. I remember that some vegetables have naturally present nitrates, such as celery, broccoli and many others. So, in my opinion, using the established minimums there is no problem in using #2 instead of #1. Read the post Nitrite conversion time in cured meats that there is information on studies of the presence of nitrite and nitrate in the human diet.
Hello, I'm wanting to make Smoked Bacon, but using a 1580 g piece of Pancetta. I bought Cura II salt. Any special tips or can I follow the recipe as if I were using pork belly? I'm going to improvise a smoker in my wood stove – next to the wood inlet there is the heat and smoke passage that passes through the oven, where the chimney is. At the base of the oven there is a good-sized depression where I intend to place chips of organically planted and untreated eucalyptus, which comes from a friend's farm in Goiás. I will place the cured meat on the oven rack and light the chips at the base. I have a good probe thermometer (used for baking naturally fermented bread) to keep in the oven to control the temperature during smoking. Ah, any indication of the temperature of the refrigerator during the curing process? Your work is excellent, congratulations and thank you!
🙂
A-N-A
Hi Ana, you can follow the recipe as if it were your belly. Many call the belly pancetta or bacon, so it's probably from the same region as the pig. Your description of the production process made me really hungry! I think this way it will be delicious! During the period in the refrigerator, don't worry too much about the temperature, between 4 and 6 degrees is great and that's what refrigerators generally stay at, but it can vary higher or lower, without any problems. The critical thing is not to leave the temperature high during smoking. Then tell us how it turned out, hugs!
Thanks for the answer, Eduardo! today is the 6th day of Healing in the fridge, I'm making a bacon diary on my Instagram (popooyo) and people are disbelieving it... what a crazy nerdy cook! haha ha! I'm going to test burning Eucalyptus chips in the wood oven today to see the smell, temperature, smoke level, etc. – let's pray! ;D
I think it's fantastic to follow these processes happening, the diary idea is really good! I saw your obentôs on the website, they are very beautiful, they look like works of art. Congratulations!
Hello Eduardo!
I decided to use the bread oven to control the temperature, which is almost impossible on a wood stove... I put the eucalyptus chips in a mold, covered it with aluminum foil, but it didn't work out very well! So I heated the pan on the stove flame and when it started to smoke I put it in the oven. My Bacon dried well in the open fridge for 24 hours (11th day) and it looks great, it has been sitting for over an hour at an average temperature of 85/90ºC. Now there is a doubt! I had read that it is supposed to be baked all the time with the skin facing down, is that right or does it need to turn the piece over at some point? The temperature seems super correct, the fat hasn't melted, etc. thanks! After I tell you the final result, I will wait until about 2 hours to check the internal temperature and see if it has reached, or is approaching, 65ºC. 🙂
You don't need to turn the piece over. I don't think adding or lowering the fat will change much. So, how was it?
I did a twist at the end, just to be safe. It was excellent!!! It took longer than expected, it took almost 5 hours for the widest part of the Pancetta to reach a little more than 65ºC... as my bread oven doesn't work with the door open I was relying on the digital thermostat (I think I need to call a technician to check the temperature). precision). Next time I'll smoke it in the conventional oven with the probe thermometer 😉 I posted the photos on Instagram in the Bacon Diary #bacondapopooyo, I'll just post the last one here with the bacon slices fried on the plate. I divided the piece into 3 parts and vacuum sealed them. What is the shelf life for storing in the refrigerator and freezer? I was soooo happy with the result, it was quite an adventure, Thanks again for the wonderful support!
Wow, the photo turned out really beautiful! Congratulations! The shelf life of vacuum-preserved and refrigerated industrial bacon is 90 days. If packed well and kept refrigerated, it should last 30 days. But it depends a lot on the recipe, mainly on the % of salt, curing salt and the intensity of the smoking (which is a preservative). Keep consuming and evaluating. Freezing, it lasts easily for 3 months. If you need it, just tell us and we'll try to help. Hugs!
Hello Eduardo,
One more small question here: does using liquid smoke have the same conservation effect as smoking with wood chips? As I have a well-ventilated balcony here at home, I'm thinking about setting up a smoker with a ceramic pot (https://thewhoot.com/whoot-news/diy/diy-terracotta-smoker), any tips in particular? Thank you!
Hi Ana, liquid smoke will also help with conservation. I believe that smoke from conventional smoking is more effective as it is not filtered and diluted with water (or oils) like liquid smoke. I've never seen this type of smoker working, it seems simple and efficient for small preparations. The idea seems very good, but I don't know much about its effectiveness.
Thanks! I'm going to try it with the Apple Tree Chips this time and as soon as I assemble the ceramic pot smoker I'll send you a photo. 🙂
Good afternoon, Master Schulze! Today I'm doing the second smoke of Bacon (with strips of Belly Fat and Pancetta pieces) with mini cylinder grills and fruit chips from the garden... 🙂 Let's pray! https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm6Sl5LhuZE/?hl=pt-br&taken-by=popooyo
I'm sure it will be delicious. The chips need to be very dry.
The wood chips were super dry 🙂 it was very difficult to control the temperature of the barbecue… it took 3.5 hours to get ready. I found the smoked smell of the pieces a little too strong… but the flavor was great! And I also found it salty again… what is the minimum proportion of salt for Healing? I am using the following proportion: for each kg of meat – 2.4g of Curing Salt and 20g of Common Salt (plus Black Pepper, Sugarcane Molasses, Whiskey). Thanks for the precious advice as always!
In the video you can see the finished and cut pieces to see the inside.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm8QQoHB1X-/?hl=pt-br&taken-by=popooyo
Congratulations, they were perfect! The salt depends on how it will be served and how long it will last. If bacon is consumed within a few days and is a prominent ingredient, consumed alone, then the salt concentration needs to be lower, there is no minimum. For my taste, I salt daily meats with 1% to a maximum of 1.5%. If the bacon is diluted as part of a preparation, then you must think about protection/durability, you can add 3% or 4% of salt as this will give the bacon a much longer shelf life and the salt concentration will be dissolved with the other ingredients. So, it depends on the intended use.
I want to make Bacon that lasts for a long time. The curing salt I'm using has 5% of sodium nitrite and 95% of salt. I added the two, salt and curing salt, and it was 2.24% in relation to the total weight of the meat. When you say 3% or 4%, is it the sum of the two or just Common Salt? Thanks!
Hi Ana. This is the sum of all the salt added, directly or via curing salt; The more salt, the longer the product will last. Smoking is also a preservative agent, as well as nitrite, any acidification and some condiments such as peppers, garlic and onions. The sum of these protection barriers will determine the product's shelf life. In the case of salt, you have to evaluate the use to determine the salt concentration applied. If you are going to make a dish with a piece of bacon that will be eaten alone, then you will need to make the bacon with salt between 1% and 2%. If you are going to use bacon to season beans, for example, you can do so with 4% of salt.
I made a mini video but I couldn't post it here on my cell phone... 😉 https://www.instagram.com/p/BkSh9X7hzT2/?hl=pt-br&taken-by=popooyo
Can it be smoked in the smoker with sawdust and how long can I leave it smoking?
Glauco, yes you can. The time depends on the temperature, if it remains close to 80ºC, leave it for 3 hours or until the internal temperature of the meat is between 65ºC and 72ºC.
What is the average shelf life of an artisanal bacon like the one in the recipe?
Hi Bruna, made with curing salt, well packaged (preferably vacuum sealed) and stored in the fridge, it should last as long as bacon bought in the supermarket, which has a shelf life of 30 days. Opened in use (outside the initial packaging), it will last 5 days in the refrigerator. Frozen, it lasts 3 to 6 months without losing much quality.
Hello, do you think it is possible to make it without sugar?
Hi Jacqueline, yes it is possible to make it without the sugar. Sugar helps with flavor and caramelization when frying, but it has no functional use, so you can remove it without any problems.
Hi. My “bacon” didn’t release almost any liquid during curing. I wonder why?
It's been in the fridge for 5 days now. I did it according to the instructions.
Thanks
Hi Patrícia, depending on the meat it may retain more liquid, yes, it is normal. There are no problems. Then tell us how it turned out!
Eduardo, your website is amazing! I'll take a look at the tip above, where it was suggested to use a pan to smoke: a pressure cooker without the valve. You could measure the internal temperature using the opening (hole) in the lid, where the valve is fitted/threaded. And because there is no pressure, just open it and measure the temperature of the meat. I make cracklings in the pressure cooker without the valve. Nothing gets dirty (just the inside of the pan) and it always results in great crackling. A hug.
Hi Eduardo, what would you suggest for seasoning for a more striking flavor? I made it with the basic seasonings and it really turned out very good, but very mild, on a hamburger for example it doesn't have that much power to be noticed.
Thanks
Vinicius, I posted a new recipe, this time with a much more striking flavor. See the post Homemade bacon with smoked aroma
I would like to know if I can make bacon without nitrite? because due to health problems I can't use it. thank you
Roberto, sodium nitrite is a protection barrier. By removing nitrite you lose this barrier, but it can be done without it. To try to compensate for the loss of nitrite, use some additional acidification, such as a dose of wine or citric acid. Another thing is that the bacon will not take on the reddish color typical of bacon, as it is the reaction of sodium nitrite with the meat that sets the reddish color.
Hello. Celery, beetroot and green leaves such as spinach may have more sodium nitrite than we put in sausages. The legislation speaks of 100 to 150 ppm (parts per million). Is very little. If you want
To be more “natural” use celery salt and grated beetroot in the cure. The problem is that you have no control over the amount of Nitrite you are adding.
Hello Eduardo. Congratulations. You can smoke it in a large, deep pan where you line the bottom with aluminum foil and add brown sugar, one or two tablespoons of black tea (if you don't have sawdust), bay leaves and onion skins. Place a rack or a chafing dish to keep the bacon away from the bottom, turn on the heat and when it starts to smoke, cover the pan and seal it with aluminum foil. Measure the internal temperature of the pan and turn off the heat when it is around 100C. After 20 minutes the temperature should have lowered. Turn the heat back on and turn it off when it reaches 100 or 110C. Measure the internal temperature of the bacon and repeat the operation until it reaches 65C. It looks much better and the color is magnificent. I also brush the bacon with Jack Daniels to add flavor and perfume. You should not use #2 curing salt with Nitrates on Bacon. With the heat it turns into Nitrosamines which are carcinogenic. That is why Antioxidants such as polyphosphates are included. To reduce the oxidation of nitrates and nitrites. If using Nitrates you must cure it wrapped in a few layers of parchment paper for about… Read more "
Hi Alexandre, thanks for the tips! Nitrate is really only for long cures, but I ended up using what I had on hand, which is one I bought to make salami. I'm going to test this smoking in the pan, I've already made it with black tea on a portable grill and it was very good. I also tested it with yerba mate (mate lion), but it wasn't as good. As a healing accelerator and nitrosamine reducer, the ideal is to use sodium erythorbate, which is similar to ascorbic acid. A big hug!