There is nothing better than cooking up a piece of thick cut homemade pork bacon in the morning. Once you learn how to make your own bacon there’s no way you’ll ever go back to store bought. Not only is it cost effective to buy in bulk, but it allows you to create flavors that fit your personal tastes.
When you think of bacon don’t limit yourself to just breakfast. Think about making your own thick cut bacon for your burgers or fresh bacon for a Cobb salad or mmmmmm a BLT!
Although this isn’t a quick process it is very much worth it. Curing bacon is a slow 5 to 7 day process that requires a little bit of attention throughout the week but the results are sooooo worth it you won’t think twice.
I prefer to use pork belly to make my bacon but there are many people out there that use pork shoulder or pork back. You can even make beef bacon if you wanted to! While this recipe is a savory recipe you can do what your heart desires and switch up the seasonings to fit your taste buds. I’m going to use a smoker to cook the meat but you can absolutely do this recipe in the oven. I will be sure to give you instructions for both the smoker and the oven.
Tip #1 SALT: you must use a coarse salt for this recipe you cannot use table salt. If you use table salt for this recipe your meat will taste like a big block of salt and you will not like it. It is your choice if you wish to use curing salt, follow the directions on the package if you wish to add it.
Tip #2 SLICER: I’m going to use a meat slicer at the end of this recipe to slice the bacon to my desired thickness but you can absolutely just use a knife, you just want to make sure that your knife is really sharp. This is the meat slicer I use, but you can easily find others online.
Tip #3 FLAVOR: if you have a desire for seasonings that are not on this list please feel free to throw them in there. Build the foundation with the salt, sugar and pepper…then add whatever else you want!
Where to get pork belly
The easiest and most cost effective place to get pork belly is from your local Costco. Don’t be tricked, most Costcos do not keep it out on display. You actually have to knock on the glass and ask the butcher for a 10lb bag of pork belly… they keep it in the back.
Another option is to go to a meat market, but in my experience that way is much pricier.
Pro Tip: You might need extra large 2 gallon tip lock bag for this process, you can also use a turkey brining bag if you want to cure the entire slab without cutting it in half.
Homemade Bacon
Equipment
- zip lock bags
Ingredients
- 5 lb Pork Belly
Curing Mix Foundation
- ¼ cup COURSE Sea Salt or Kosher salt
- ½ cup Raw Cane Sugar
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper
Optional Flavor Additions
- 1 tsp Ground Thyme
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tbsp Coriander
Instructions
Cure
- Rinse your meat and pat it dry with a paper towel.
- Mix all of the curing ingredients together and completely cover the entire slab of pork belly with the seasonings. Once seasoned, put the pork belly in a zip lock bag and put it in the refrigerator for five to seven days.
- flip over the zip lock bag once a day to ensure it cures evenly. You will notice more liquid in the bag each day, that is a good thing, it means the cure is working!
- On day 7, take the meat out of the zip lock bags and rinse off all of the seasoning. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel.
- Put the meat back in the fridge UNCOVERED for 24 hours.
- Set your smoker 180 degrees. Use a thermometer to cook the meat until it reaches 160 degrees. This should take about 3.5-4 hours. You can do the same method in the oven, it just won't have the smokey flavor.
- Once the temp reaches 160, take the meat out of the oven, let it rest for 20 minutes, Wrap it in parchment paper, let sit in the fridge for 4 hours.
- Slice with a sharp knife to your desired thickness or with a meat slicer.
- When you are ready to eat it, fry it on the stove top or stick it in the oven until crispy.
Notes
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