Whilst we on a Bacon trip.. Alternate flavourings in the mix

Whilst we on a Bacon trip.. Alternate flavourings in the mix

Postby GUS » Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:27 pm

Ok, maple works, therefore golden syrup will, was rummaging through my fridge & thought, Mmm Caramel, ..anyone made any caramel bacon!? ..how'd it go.

Also any problem forseen with my adding strong vanilla sugar / a wee bit of vanilla extract to a mix for a side of bacon?

As ever, comments on a postcard please..
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Re: Whilst we on a Bacon trip.. Alternate flavourings in the

Postby ComradeQ » Wed Jun 03, 2015 6:52 am

GUS wrote:Ok, maple works, therefore golden syrup will, was rummaging through my fridge & thought, Mmm Caramel, ..anyone made any caramel bacon!? ..how'd it go.

Also any problem forseen with my adding strong vanilla sugar / a wee bit of vanilla extract to a mix for a side of bacon?

As ever, comments on a postcard please..


Vanilla sugar works great! I do a vanilla bourbon bacon, make a syrup with 1 cup vanilla sugar, 1 cup bourbon (that I have burned off a lot of the alcohol) and just a splash of maple syrup. I then do my regular bacon cure and add one cup of syrup to every 5lbs of bacon ... used on cupcakes or doughnuts, candied and covered in chocolate, or just as regular breakfast bacon this stuff is delicious!
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Re: Whilst we on a Bacon trip.. Alternate flavourings in the

Postby GUS » Wed Jun 03, 2015 9:46 am

Thanks for the affirmation "Q" ..appreciated.

When you say (for the second variant, your regular bacon cure) " one cup of syrup" ...is that maple or something else to which a splash of maple is added? ..sorry it's probably just in the way I read it, however good to know for sure.
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Re: Whilst we on a Bacon trip.. Alternate flavourings in the

Postby wheels » Wed Jun 03, 2015 11:16 am

I keep meaning to try vanilla in a bacon cure.

Honey should be nice...

...and Quiet Waters Farm does one with marmalade and coffee.

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Re: Whilst we on a Bacon trip.. Alternate flavourings in the

Postby GUS » Wed Jun 03, 2015 1:10 pm

Thanks Phil.

It's all about using what you have to hand, & I have a lot of vanilla, was eyeing up another 50kg just the other day (caster) on a deal ..but i'd be lynched.
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Re: Whilst we on a Bacon trip.. Alternate flavourings in the

Postby ComradeQ » Sat Jun 06, 2015 3:37 pm

GUS wrote:Thanks for the affirmation "Q" ..appreciated.

When you say (for the second variant, your regular bacon cure) " one cup of syrup" ...is that maple or something else to which a splash of maple is added? ..sorry it's probably just in the way I read it, however good to know for sure.


The Vanilla/Bourbon syrup is as follows:

1. 1.5 cups bourbon - Lit it on fire in a big pan and burned it until most of the alcohol had burned away and the flames extinguished. 
2. Added a cup of vanilla sugar (several cups of white sugar with at least two fresh vanilla beans - I throw all my "used" beans in as well, never wasting - scraped in and left to sit for a few weeks to infuse the flavour) and a good splash of maple syrup. 
3. Reduced until thick and syrupy and quite possibly the best tasting syrup I have ever had! Poured out to cool, had slightly over a cups worth.

The cure ratio I like to use is approximately .75 tbsp salt and .75 tbsp sugar for every pound along with the obligitory cure #1 and about 2 tbsp of cracked black pepper (sorry don't have my measurment lists handy as I prefer grams for accuracy but can't recall off the top of my head). If I am doing 5lb sections of belly I will use a full cup of the above syrup, add the rub with dry ingredients, into a vac bag and then I pour in the syrup and seal. When I smoke this I prefer to use a lighter wood, usually cherry or maple or a mix of both. I find I don't like stronger wood smoke to overwhelm the flavour of the cure.

Sorry for the confusion, by regular cure I meant my salt/sugar/cure #1 mix. I generally follow this ratio for honey or maple bacon too, 1 cup of honey/maple to every 5lbs. I highly recommend you try the vanilla bourbon syrup in your bacon or play around with it and find something that works for you. :)

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Re: Whilst we on a Bacon trip.. Alternate flavourings in the

Postby wheels » Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:04 pm

Now that's nice! Mmm...
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Re: Whilst we on a Bacon trip.. Alternate flavourings in the

Postby GUS » Sat Jun 06, 2015 6:14 pm

Thanks for the thorough additional info.

That bacon porn Has given me the bacon horn.

Making room in the freezer as we speak, best turn on an additional storage fridge for a few days.
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