My First Bacon

[Josh]

My bacon finished curing this weekend.

For 1kg of loin I used (adapted from a Parson's Snow recipe but with a third of the salt he suggested based on comments by Oddley)

3.3 gr cure #1
25gr salt
40gr sugar

I rubbed it on, stuck it in a ziploc bag for 6 days massaging the cure and liquid around it every day then removed, washed with warm water and left to dry uncovered in the fridge for a day before eating it. I took it to a BBQ and cut it about a cm thick and diners described it as faultless and superlative amongst other things.

I shall definitely be cracking on again.

Here's some pics (I'll post the finished article pics in a bit)

The loin



Rubbed with cure, salt and sugar.



In a bag to go in the fridge.

[Oddley]

Looks good Josh. I'm glad it worked out for you first time.

[aris]

Looks fab. Try some belly next time - works great on the BBQ too.

[Paul Kribs]

Josh

I currently have a kg of loin curing, should be ready wednesday. It's sitting in some of Franco's organic cure.
Is there a reason behind washing it with warm water as opposed to cold water? My last loin got washed in cold water, patted dry with kitchen paper and left to dry in the fridge.

I must say that I've never even thought about cooking it on the BBQ, I will try it with the next batch.

Incidentally the loin I got this time had a piece of the tenderloin fillet still attached on the underside so I just had to make 2 pork pies, this also used up the last of my sweetcured loin as well. With the cured meat added to the pork, the filling came out pink after cooking. Unable to post any pics as I was overcome by gluttony.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[aris]

Try curing some ribs - then put on the BBQ (or hot-smoke if you can). They are fab too.

[Josh]

The reasoning behind the warm water was I thought it'd wash better.

I shall give some belly a go (I also want to make or buy a smoker and give smoking some a go too). Out in the states recently breakfast involved cm thick canadian bacon grilled over coals so the barbequed loin cut thick was my attempt at mimicking that.

[Paul Kribs]

Aris

How long would you cure ribs for? bearing in mind most of it would be bones.

The hot smoking sounds good though. I hot smoked some burgers for 20 mins and lost the basil, sundried tomato and onion flavour. Just tasted of bonfires, wife has now banned me from smoking burgers, says it ruins them.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[aris]

Use the same technique as for bacon. If they are meaty ribs, then I seem to recall it is 1 day per half inch plus 1 day.

For spare ribs, it would be less. The curing in this case would just be for flavour, not preservation.