Homemade bacon with smoked aroma

bacon caseiro

My first artisanal bacon It was quite simple, I used the most basic recipe possible, both in terms of ingredients and process. It was good, but with a mild, delicate flavor, a little far from the intensity of the bacon we are used to these days. This time I made the bacon using natural smoke flavoring and some additional ingredients to give it a more intense flavor.

Liquid smoke, contrary to what many think, is not a chemical additive that imitates the flavor and aroma of smoking, it is actually the extraction by steam of particles from burning wood, in other words, it is a collection of smoke from smoking, without any additional chemicals. This liquid is later filtered to purify it of unwanted particles.

It is an easy recipe to reproduce as it does not require complex equipment or processes.

First you need to acquire a good pork belly, which is 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.

cortes de carne de porco
Pork cuts map

This time I got a thicker, more beautiful piece from a meat shop.

Ingredients

  • 2kg of pork belly
  • 45g of salt
  • 45g sugarcane molasses
  • 2g ground black pepper
  • 1 dose of whiskey
  • 4.8g of curing salt (6.25% of nitrite and 93.75% of salt)
  • Two tablespoons of natural smoke flavoring
bacon caseiro
pork belly and seasoning for homemade bacon

Add all the dry ingredients and massage until well distributed throughout the piece. Then add the whiskey and molasses, spreading it with your hands or a culinary brush. The meat is very tender, with very good seasoning adherence.

bacon caseiro
homemade seasoned bacon

Place the seasoned pork belly in a plastic bag and close it tightly to prevent it from leaking. If you prefer, place it in a covered plastic container.

bacon caseiro
homemade bacon seasoned and ready to cure

Place in the refrigerator and leave to cure for 10 days. In my first test I had left it for 7 days, but I realized that with more time the flavor would develop better. Turn the plastic bag or piece inside the container over once a day.

At the end of 10 days, the piece should be much more rigid. If it is still too soft, go back to curing and leave for another 1 or 2 days.

Remove from the plastic or container, discard the excess liquid and brush the liquid smoke over the entire piece.

bacon caseiro
applying liquid smoke to cured homemade bacon

Place it on a baking tray and leave it in the fridge for another day, the piece will dry a little more and the liquid smoke will be absorbed by the meat.

bacon caseiro
homemade bacon ready to bake

Remove from the fridge and bake in the oven with the door slightly open for 3 hours. The temperature should be between 90ºC and 100ºC, no more than that as the fat cannot melt and drain. In the previous attempt I had left it for an hour and a half, but the inside was still slightly raw, this time I doubled the time and the result was much better.

As you can see in the image below, I left the thermometer on the side of the oven, helping to keep the oven door half open. The temperature remained stable at 90ºC or almost 200ºF.

temperatura bacon artesanal

After 3 hours of baking, the bacon will be ready!

bacon caseiro
homemade bacon
bacon caseiro
homemade bacon

It was very different from the previous version, which can be seen in the post artisanal bacon. The flavor was intense, the whiskey appeared, the aroma of smoke was also present, the cure was more developed, salty at the right point. It caramelized better than the previous one, so the molasses worked well. This is a recipe that I will make a lot of! Hope you like it!

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I made the recipe, left it for 11 minutes in the bag and 1 day in the fridge out of the bag. I baked it in the oven for about 3 and a half hours at 80 degrees. It was perfect I used powdered smoke because it was cheaper than liquid and the result was perfect. Great recipe, I'll make it more often. Next time I'll try with sirloin

Did it pay off financially?

Can you remove the curing salt? Does it have nitrates and glutamate? Thanks!

Is curing salt mandatory?
I already found it, I hadn't seen all the comments.

Last edited 2 years ago by Alexandre

Good afternoon…
I replaced two ingredients… molasses with honey and whiskey with cachaça from Minas Gerais…
It was wonderful!!!

Can it be stored in the sausage rack and left outside the refrigerator?

My question is whether I can smoke this pastrami?

And how long do you recommend?
Thanks

Goodnight!
Can I use type 1 curing salt for this recipe?

Thank you very much for your attention. I made the Canadian sirloin that you taught, it was perfect.

Hello!
Your recipe is interesting.
My question is this: is it possible to produce homemade bacon without adding sugar or molasses to the recipe?

Can I use brown sugar instead of molasses?

Perfect recipe... I'm approaching the tenth day, tell me one thing: is it necessary to wash it after taking it out of the plastic bag??, in my case I used a vacuum cleaner. Thank you and congratulations on the recipe and sharing it.

Hello Eduardo! How should this bacon be stored and how long will it last?

Thanks for the answer! One more doubt that arose: the recipe calls for “4.8g of curing salt – instacure #2”. Wouldn't it be Instacure #1? (I ask because the first homemade bacon recipe was #1)

I can't find curing salt in my city. Can I do it without??

I'm not finding curing salt in my city. Can it work without it??

friend to do it in the smoker, what would the process be like…..would it be after ten days, put it in the smoker without the liquid smoke….and what temperature and smoking time would you tell me?

Good afternoon! My dear friend, one question, is the smoke “liquid or powder” only after 10 days that I brush it on the meat?

I'm going to bake tomorrow, but I couldn't buy the thermometer, I'm going to leave it at least 180 with the door open a little. And the first test. But next time I'll have the thermometer. Do you indicate which one? I saw one at ML that puts it inside the oven but a lot of people complained that the glass darkens after 3 uses.

PLEASE, I HAVE READ OTHER RECIPES / METHODS FOR PREPARING ARTISAN BACON WITH LIQUID SMOKE. HOWEVER, NONE INDICATE THAT THE BACON NEEDS TO BE ROASTED. QUESTIONS: 1. WOULDN'T ROASTING IT MAKE IT LOSE THE FAT, EVEN PARTIALLY (JUSTLY USED AS A MEANS OF LATER FRYING)? 2. OTHER PREPARATION METHODS INDICATE THE “MATURATION” PHASE (FOR EXAMPLE, IN A REFRIGERATOR, UNDER BUTTER PAPER) WITH A MINIMUM PERIOD OF 30 DAYS. IS IT INCORRECT? 3. WHAT IS THE BEST MATURATION PROCESS, IN THIS CASE WITH THE APPLICATION OF LIQUID SMOKE? 4. AND IF IT CAN BE DONE AS SUGGESTED IN QUESTION 2, WHAT SHOULD BE APPLIED TO THE MEAT AT THIS STAGE (MATURATION)? 5. WHATEVER THE PROCESS IS (ROASTED IN THE OVEN OR CURED IN THE REFRIGERATOR), CAN IT ALSO BE APPLIED TO PORK RIBS OR IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? MUCH OBLIGED.

OK. THE MAJOR PREMISE IS THAT THERE IS NO UNANIMITY. OF COURSE YOU ANSWERED AND THANK YOU. AS I HAVE SEEN ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING ON “GRINGO” WEBSITES AND I HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO LIVES IN NY, IT SEEMS – REALLY – THAT ALTERNATIVES BETWEEN CURING, ROAST OR SMOKED AND A “BLEND” BETWEEN THE PROCESSES, PERMEATE EACH ONE’S TASTE! SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CASE OF “PANCETTA” (CALLED “ITALIAN BACON” BY NORTH AMERICANS) WHICH HAS – ALSO – THE SAME ALTERNATIVES. SOME INCLUDINGLY USE THE APPLICATION OF THE FIRST PHASE (CURING) USING WATER FOR TOTAL IMMERSION. OTHERS, NO. IN THE USA, THE DIRECTION FOR “DRY” CURING AND SMOKING IN THE SECOND PHASE PREVAILS – APPARENTLY. THERE, THEY HAVE “SMOKERS” ALTERNATIVES WHICH RANGE FROM REAL “WOODEN HOUSES” FOR SUCH PURPOSES, LIKE SMALL “GADJETS” FOR SMOKING, ON THE SHELVES AT WALMART. SOME TAKE OFF THE SKIN, OTHERS DON'T (CUT IT OUT) AND OTHERS TAKE IT OFF AFTER ROASTING. GOOD, THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT. I WILL TRY TO APPLY THE ALTERNATIVES OF CURING WITH LIQUID SMOKE + MATURATION IN THE REFRIGERATOR AND CURING WITH LIQUID SMOKE + ROASTING IN A MILD OVEN (THERE APPEARS TO BE A DIRECTION FOR 200 DEGREES IN THE OVEN FOR 90 MINUTES – IN A LESS TIME PROCESS). OTHER… Read more "

IN TIME: A FRIEND OF SAMPA, USED THE FOLLOWING IN THE CURING PHASE WITH LIQUID SMOKE (FOR EACH KG OF MEAT): 2 TBSPOONS OF LIQUID SMOKE + 2 OF JIM BEAM BLACK “BOURBON” + 2 OF KARO (IN PLACE FROM CANADIAN MALT – 3X MORE EXPENSIVE… WITH “C”… KKK). IT INFORMS THAT IT GAVE A MIXED FLAVOR BETWEEN SMOKED, SOMETHING WOODY AND SWEET. TO CHECK.

Okay, I always make it in a smoker, but as I'm currently living in an apartment, I'd like to make it in a conventional oven. Could you tell me if smoked paprika helps the taste or is using powdered smoke enough?

Is it normal for meat to have a very strong smell after curing? Mine smells, I'm afraid to consume it...

Do you have to wrap it in aluminum foil to bake?

Good afternoon, I need to smoke some pork meat with liquid smoke, I can use whatever seasoning I want, is sugarcane molasses necessary?? and beef is the same procedure?? thank you idervan
Andradina SP.

Friend, is it possible to carry out this process with sirloin?

Great recipe, just one question. Did you bake in a conventional gas oven or smoker?

Can I substitute sugarcane molasses as it is difficult to find where I live?
Thanks

good afternoon! Is it possible to do it without the whiskey? What is its role in the recipe? Where can liquid smoke be found? thanks.

HEY, GOOD MORNING,
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW CAN I USE SMOKE POWDER AND HOW MUCH?

I really liked the recipe, I'm going to try it. I would like to know where I can find the liquid cure, thank you.

I would like to know, if instead of putting it in the oven for 3 hours semi-open, and putting it in the smoker for about 6 hours, would it be cool too?