my first bacon

Where to buy, how to use. Stuffers, casings, spices, grinders, etc.

my first bacon

Postby senorkevin » Thu Oct 25, 2012 2:45 pm

Today I am off out to the market to buy some meat for my first bacon!
My first question is what cut is best? In English and American please!
My second question is what do I need to buy? Metal or pastic bucket? Do I need a brine pump etc.
An Englishman living in México.
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Postby wheels » Thu Oct 25, 2012 5:14 pm

You will need salt, sugar (brown, white, demerara - Your choice) the Cure #1 and meat - belly or loin of pork preferably boneless. You can add herbs/spice of you choice if you want. You will not need large amounts of any of them. The cure for 2kg will be less than 70gm in total.

A food grade plastic bag that is large enough to hold the meat will also be required.

Phil
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Postby senorkevin » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:06 pm

Ok here we go!
I have 2KGS of pork loin (boneless) but it doesn't have much fat, it is more like fillet.
I have large plastic bags for food and I also bought a large clay pot but it has been varnished on the inside and not sure if I can use it.
I have cure #1 at 7 percent.
I have sugar of all types.
I have sea salt and kosher salt.
I have herbs.
What to do next?
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Postby DanMcG » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:18 pm

Is the weight exactly 2kg Kevin? the amounts of ingredients depends on the exact weight....or,
Try out Wheels awesome cure calculator here

http://localfoodheroes.co.uk/calculator/dry_cure_bacon/

And do you have a scale that measures in grams
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Postby senorkevin » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:27 pm

It is a little over but was planning to make exactly 2. I'll give it a look thanks.
Any ideas if I should use any herbs? If so what? Also which sugar is best?
Maybe I should make 2 1 kilo batches with different sugers.
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Postby senorkevin » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:35 pm

Shame. I can't get the calculator to work on my phone
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Postby wheels » Thu Oct 25, 2012 11:29 pm

It also helps to know what you are doing before you use the calculator.

1. Kevin, please weigh the meat that you will be making into bacon accurately in grams (if possible) and post the weight on this thread.

2. Please also tell me whether it has it's skin on or off - it doesn't matter which - but I need to know.

3. Do you like your bacon mild, medium, or salty?

4. Put the meat in the fridge overnight (for me!) and I will post a cure for it tomorrow.

Phil
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Postby senorkevin » Fri Oct 26, 2012 12:14 am

The meat is in the fridge and it has no skin.
It will be 2000 grams
The Mrs would like a mild salt please
Thanks a mil.

If I make 2 baches of 1000 grams is the cure the same only halved?

I can't wait!
Last edited by senorkevin on Fri Oct 26, 2012 12:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby senorkevin » Fri Oct 26, 2012 12:25 am

Also, does the thinkness of the loin matter?
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Postby wheels » Fri Oct 26, 2012 11:48 am

Right, for your piece of meat, that you say is exactly 2000gm, using a 7% sodium nitrite curing salt, follow the instructions in this thread (click link) but use:

Salt 36gm
Sugar 20gm
Curing salt (7% Nitrite) 4.3gm

In 7 - 10 days you should be enjoying home made bacon.

Phil
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Postby senorkevin » Fri Oct 26, 2012 1:16 pm

Thank you so much.
Last edited by senorkevin on Fri Oct 26, 2012 1:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby senorkevin » Fri Oct 26, 2012 1:51 pm

Thanks a mil can't wait to get started!
I have just one question.
In the thread it says I use 2.5 g of ccure #1 per kg. Mine is at 7 percent minus 10 percent equals 2.25 g multipled by 2 (kg) equals 4.5 g.
Should I use 4.3 or 4.5?
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Postby yotmon » Fri Oct 26, 2012 4:47 pm

Hi Kev, just follow Phil's instructions and you will be fine. Cure#1 has different strengths depending on its origins. You have already told him you are using 7%, so he will have calculated accordingly.

Come back next week and let us know how the bacon butties turned out !


Ste.
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Postby senorkevin » Fri Oct 26, 2012 4:57 pm

I'm going to follow his instructions to the t as he is the master!
I was just wondering for future calculations as I don't want to keep asking every time I want to cure bacon.
Also when I bought the cure salt the bloke told me I need to cure at 156mg/kg (ppm).
Should I Use the cure calculator that Dan mcG suggested?
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Postby wheels » Fri Oct 26, 2012 6:07 pm

Kevin, I didn't work the figures in the above post out "by multipying the number I first though of by my grandmother's age"! You use the amounts I specified - no other amount, no ifs, buts, maybes - just the amounts I've put in my post above.
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