I, for one, would very much like to know more about that.

Jim

Me too, please!

Z

My home made "Alton Brown' smoker works well, but only when outside temps are above 70 degrees. I would wonder how much smoke smell would exhaust from the oven. Usually I like doing a turkey breast.

I don't know if I'd make the bacon but would love reading the procedure.

IÂd also be interested in the process.

I do not have the same issue as Ken (a couple of my smokers will work just fine in 40 below 0 temps  I donÂt work very well once it gets to about 20 below 0!) .

Bill

What I have to deal with is the heat losses outside the two clay pots. Most regular smokers have insulated walls. Mine has a 120 volt hot plate at the bottom with a cast iron pot that holds the smoking wood. I drilled a few small holes in the lid of the cast iron pot to keep the wood from going beyond the smoke point and into fire.

Ken,

Understood, I have a Bradley smoker. ItÂs insulated somewhat but temperature settings still vary widely based on external temps. I can imagine your challenge with no insulation.

I also have a large and a small BGE (Big Green Egg) ceramic smoker (I know, more money than brains LOL). These puppies are guaranteed to grill to 2000F and can smoke for extended periods at 150-175F. I use the Bradley for cold smoking and the BGEÂs for just about everything else.

Bill

"Mmmmmmmmm. Bacon. There's NOTHING they can't do...."

I use the Weber Smokey Mountain to get smoked barbeque ribs that cook for five to seven hours at about two hundred and twenty-five degrees. These are, by far, the best I've ever cooked, and among the best that I've ever eaten.

But bacon? I thought that bacon was "cold-smoked". I always supposed that an oven would be too hot. Hmm...

Do tell your technique! I could definitely see spending a weekend on that endeavor!

John Scott Smith

OK I will post the information on 8/19. BTW there is no smoke involved all is done inside using a ziplock bag, spices, your fridge and your oven. The link to the technique is below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Home Cured Bacon - NO SMOKER NEEDED :-))

Give Canadian bacon a try.. A boneless whole pork loin. Inject a 20% brine and allow it to soak in it over night. I use liquid hickory smoke and its not too bad, as I just want a hint of it anyway. The brine is a mix of nitrites, salt and brown sugar. I also add a little maple syrup. My method is similar, but instead of just the soaking overnight. I cut into halves and place each in a tall vacuum canister and pull a vacuum overnight. This increases the brine weight gain about another 5-10%. My oven can be set lower than 200, as I have access to the over/under shoot temps, and its set down to about 170. Its baked slowly until internal temps are at 160. Once completed, its chilled and sliced. I put it in small packages using Food Saver bags. Keeps for months in the freezer. Imagine Canadian bacon for just about $2.00 a pound! Much more healthy, less fat!

Just ate some of the bacon -- FANTASTIC!!!! I also made another slab with different spices. I did leave out the rosemary in the first attempt.

If you try this home cured bacon try this different spice mix -- substitute brown sugar for the white sugar and use only black pepper, fennel seed, thyme, caraway and bay leaf. I used 2 TBSP of whole black pepper because I love black pepper. I put my spices in an old coffee grinder but I did not put the kosher salt or the brown sugar in the grinder with the spices. In the first try I used the ziplock bag but the second I used a flat plastic food container with tight fitting lid. Next batch will be all black pepper and fennel with the salt and regular white sugar.

According to the book I have on curing meats most bacon is left to 'dry' in fridge for several hours before hot smoking. I left the second batch on rack over sheet pan in fridge to 'dry' before cooking in 200 gas oven. I like this method best.

When 'cooking' bacon I put the pork belly on a flat rack over a sheet pan in the oven instead of flat on the pan.

Eventually we will get a smoker but for now this is the best bacon I have tasted.

DL

ksrogers,

If I make the Canadian bacon do I need to inject?? I have a vacuum sealer and canister and can put the brine and pork in the canister. I don't have the injection hardware.

DL

Yes you must inject. Using only the canister and vacuum (Food Saver one??) will not allow the brine to penetrate properly. They also so this with all hames. My pump is 4 ounce capacity and has a long needle with several side holes punched into it. I push the needle all the way in, and start to pump in the brine while slowly taking out the needle. The pumping makes the meat swell up. I weigh before and after to ensure the proper amount of brine.

These people have a brass one at $12.50 -
http://www.alliedkenco.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/1003

The site below has a stainless one from Morton, for $30. Both are decnet quailty. I also added a regular needle that looks like a giant needle on a syringe, with the end tapered at an angle. This is used in thinner meat poultry brining as its got no side holes.

At best the vacuum pump on a FS machine will only give you about 15-20 in. Whereas a regular vacuum pump would bring down the vacuum to 30 in. BE CAREFUL!! don't get ANY liqiid ito the vacuum hose or pump!! My more powerful vacuum pump also has a moisture trap to collect any liquids that might enter the hose.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brine Pump

ksrogers,

Thanks for the info on injectors. My next project for sure.

DL

I usually get the brine mix from Butcher Packer, or Allied Kenco. It is about 10 pounds in weight and can do up to about 50 pounds or pork. I usually weigh it, then use a quarter of it, as well as the necessary nitrate which is usually included, to make about 10-15 pounds of pork.
Another of my favorites is pastrami. This is brined like corned beef, but the outside is coated with the spices, pepper, coriander, and a little mustard seed. It baked about 6 hours at a ver low temp below 150 for a few hours, then to 160, then to 180, until internal temps are 160. I used either a store bought corned beef brisket, or really lean eye of the round. Cooking that long will make it really tender, but you should cover it with foil after about the first 20 hours.

I've cured several batches of bacon over the past couple of years.

The first batch was done wet brine, and turned out VERY well.

The second batch was dry salted. That batch was OK, but not great. I probably won't do it again that way. It was also a pain having to give up so much of my fridge for nearly 2 weeks while the belly cured. :-)

My smoker consists of an Alton Brown type rig, two cardboard boxes connected by a piece of flexible stainless steel water heater vent tube.