Why is bacon hot smoked in the US?

[salumi512]

I got to thinking about this, since most of the people making bacon here came from the UK at some point in their ancestry. I wonder if it is because of trichinosis. This is my best guess as to why hot smoking to 150 F is the norm here, as the parasite will be dead at that temperature.

There is a chart near the bottom of this page with the cooking temps to ward against this parasite:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichinosis

Any other practical thoughts as to why we would have strayed from cold smoking bacon?

[BriCan]

Any other practical thoughts as to why we would have strayed from cold smoking bacon?

The real reason (I think and have strong indication) that due to "mass" production as everyone wanted the bacon now and was not willing to wait for a "quality' product smoking operations had to change.

Hot smoking takes 2 ½ - 3 hours (depending on the smoker) where as cold smoking takes four days plus one day at the end to rest.

In 1990 I was approached by people in California to produce English Gammon bacon, by time the project was close to being finished there was Boston as well as Huston looking for one hundred thousand pounds of bacon -- a week

I'm working out of 600 sq feet so I talked to a friend who was well you the ladder for J. M. Schneider, he brought his boss along for discussions and it was at that meeting I learned the process of making bacon North American style --- twenty four hours from coming in the door to going out the door, they told me that time is money

and yes they wanted the recipe as they saw the potential $$$$$ the rest is another story.

[salumi512]

Something still doesn't add for me. The amount of smoke you get from hot smoking for 3 hours is the same amount of smoke you get for cold smoking for 3 hours.

Since cold smoked bacon is not a cooked product, why would hot smoking be a replacement from an end product standpoint? I get that the process is quicker, although I don't know what cold smoking for 4 days does to the end product Vs. 1 day except add more smoke. Does it do something to change the product in that time? Something that is trying to be achieved by hot smoking?

[DiggingDogFarm]

I've always cold smoked.
Hot smoking is relatively new, brought on mostly, I think, by the Ruhlman/Polcyn Charcuterie book.
It's my guess that it's become popular because in most cases it's difficult for folks to do true cold smoking (less than 80 degrees F), but it's easy to hot smoke because nearly everybody has a grill.

[the chorizo kid]

100% cold smoked. always turns out, and i eat lots of it uncooked, ala hungarian style, with no problem over many years. i have no idea why it would be necessary to hot smoke bacon . also, i cold smoke it at 2 sessions of 3 hours each, with a 3 hour rest in between, using various wood/fruitwood from my own trees. it really is my best home made product.

[BriCan]

Something still doesn't add for me. The amount of smoke you get from hot smoking for 3 hours is the same amount of smoke you get for cold smoking for 3 hours.

Thats a total misconception In reality it takes 24 hours to cold smoke and that's what I would class the fast method, in the old days it would take at least 14 days or more. 3 hours is more likely to be what home curers would do as it would/will be a time/heat (?) thing

Since cold smoked bacon is not a cooked product, why would hot smoking be a replacement from an end product standpoint? I get that the process is quicker, although I don't know what cold smoking for 4 days does to the end product Vs. 1 day except add more smoke.

Simple layman's terms; try travelling along a road at 150 miles an hour looking out the side window and then do the same but travelling at 15 miles an hour. At 150 you see nowt; and at 15 you see tons, the same hold true for smoking and by the way it dose not in a sense add more smoke but adds more flavour

Does it do something to change the product in that time? Something that is trying to be achieved by hot smoking?

Two things for sure; flavour and the biggest thing shelf life ---- the two main things that can only be achieved by cold smoking

[solaryellow]

Having tried both methods, cold smoking is by far my favorite of the two. I also believe that the hot smoke method is employed more often here because most of the manufacturers of bacon seasoning kits list that in their instructions. Hot smoking is very prevalent at another forum I visit and most of them use the Hi Mountain buckboard kit and follow the instructions to the letter.

[salumi512]

Ok, this is getting somewhere. On the long cold smoking adding longer shelf life. I understand that from a dehydration perspective, as in cold smoked salmon. But, a lot of that is the cure and dehydration.

So removing the hot smoke process for a minute, If we compare cured raw bacon hung for 14 days (like pancetta), with bacon cold smoked for 14 days: what is the smoke doing other than modifying the flavor? Is the smoke adding something to the preservation in addition to the cure? The reason I ask here is that I get enough smoke flavor for my taste in my pit with a one day smoke. So, I want to understand if I am missing something in the aging curing process by not cold smoking longer.

I think it is also a misconception that R&P introduced hot smoking in their book. Most bacon found in US stores is hot smoked and people just don't know it because it still looks raw. So I would say R&P got it from the commercial industry rather than the other way around.

[DiggingDogFarm]

I think it is also a misconception that R&P introduced hot smoking in their book. Most bacon found in US stores is hot smoked and people just don't know it because it still looks raw. So I would say R&P got it from the commercial industry rather than the other way around.

I never meant to imply that Ruhlman/Polcyn introduced it, just that they promoted it and made it popular with the book which brought on a resurgence in bacon making that was also fueled nearly at the same time by food blogs. I have no idea who originated it.
Nearly every one I've run across who started making bacon because of the book (several people), hot smokes it, in fact, off hand, I can't think of a single person in that group who cold smokes.
I also only had in mind home cured bacon when I stated the above.
I know almost nothing at all about commercial bacon, I hate the stuff.

[the chorizo kid]

sorry bri can; respectfully disagree; proof is in the final product; i stand by my method; great results; there is no one formula for success; if it takes you 24 hours of constant cold smoke, so be it; it takes me 2X3 hours; i've had nothing but raves, especially from some old immigrant farmers from hungary/croatia who, in my opinion, knew a great deal about home-made bacon/sausage, and who had used family methods/recipes that had been handed down over hundreds of years, literally. their "test" was: how does it look; how does it smell; how does it feel; how does it taste raw [with a little paprika sprinkled on top]. with one exception, all professionally produced bacon in my area of wisconsin is a wimpy, soft, somewhat mushy product. it fries ok, but sucks when eaten raw.

[wheels]

Do you know, I'd never heard or dreamed of hot smoked bacon until I read about it here. I've still not had it, the logic of cooking the bacon twice eludes me.

As to the length of time cold smoking? Normal times in the UK would be days for a 'proper' job. I think that on the continent they apply a lot heavier smoke than we do here but for shorter times. Our's is traditionally done with small amounts of smoke passing fairly quickly over the meat. Like Brican, I'm a great one for small amounts of smoke for a long time. You'll note that my times with the CSG (that many here use), are double most people's - it's not that I smoke more heavily, just that I pass the smoke across the meat more quickly. I also like to leave time gaps during the smoking.

This copies the old methods - A fire would be lit and left to smoulder overnight - it would probably go out after 3 hours or so, but not be re-set until the following day.

There's no right or wrong way, use the one you fancy, or enjoy them all.

Phil

[SausageBoy]

I had never heard of hot smoked bacon until the Ruhlman book came along and I started hanging out on the internet not long after that.
After a while it seemed like everyone was hot smoking bacon.

My family has cold smoked bacon for generations. That's the only bacon we ever knew.

When I mentioned cold smoked bacon to Mr. Ruhlman he acted like he didn't have a clue what I was talking about!!!!

[salumi512]

The small amounts of smoke over a long time makes sense, as it is throughout the curing process. Add a little, let it rest, add a little let it rest. I get that.

I'm still baffled as to what the hot smoking is trying to achieve, since cold smoking has been done in America since the colonial days. Maybe they have to use less nitrite since it is a cooked product And that let's them get it out the door faster

[Titch]

Interesting post, as I have been considering coldsmoking some Bacon instead of hot.
With cooler weather approaching hovering around 13c (54f)
May have to give it a go.
Everything I have ben taught has been directed to hot smoking.
May have something to do with our diverse climate.
Cheers.
Titch