You might think about think and think oh that’s too much work, or why would someone put that much effort into making it themselves rather than just buying it from the store or getting it done by the butcher. While I completely understand your thoughts, the point of the matter in why people make things themselves is usually cost, flavor, & style. Sometimes you can’t find exactly what you want at the store or they get a specific flavor you can’t find in the store, etc.
So just like a lot of things, I make our own bacon from the pigs we get from the local farmer down the road. I love buying a whole pig at a time because I know exactly how it was raised, what it was fed, if it was medicated, etc. which makes me feel a lot better about what I’m feeding my family and it stocks our freezer so I don’t have to worry about adding more things to the grocery list.
Anywho! When you get a pig from a farmer, the butcher that they send it to (processing center) will call you and ask how you want your meat cut. Usually they have a cut sheet for you to fill out and you can be as picky as you want. I usually don’t have a whole lot of cutting done after processing (which some people call me crazy), but I like to cut and package specific sizes of stuff on my own. Usually they will specify which piece is what but you can tell them I don’t want my bacon, I just want the side slab (yes, bacon is from the pork belly but that are going to call it the side because that it technically where it is coming from), you’re also going to tell them I don’t want it cured I just want it fresh.
When it comes to bacon their is what they are going to label on the package “fresh pork side” it’s not going to be cured or cut (well just off the pig). It’s just going to be one big slab (your butcher may cut it in half so it’s a little easier to handle).
Then a week or so later they’ll call you to come pick it up! Now that you’ve got your pig home, let’s go through the process of making your own bacon!
You can also buy a fresh pork side from the grocery store sometimes, but you may have to call and ask for that specifically.
STEP 1: Thaw it out! When you get your pig from the butcher it will be frozen, so you’ll need to properly let it thaw out in the fridge for a day or two before curing. If it’s coming out of a deep freeze you can leave it on the counter for a couple hours and then stick it in the fridge to finish thawing (that’s what I do, to speed up the process a little) but my all means PLEASE do not leave it outside on a sunny day or stick it in the microwave to thaw…that’s a no!
STEP 2: CURING! Once your meat is thawed out, you can start the curing process.
You’ll need a baking sheet big enough for your slab & plastic wrap or foil to cover. You can also use a big plastic baggie (just make sure your meat will fit with some room to spare, you’ll probably need to cut the slab into several sections). Unpackage your slab and trim off any excess fat chunks that you don’t want or trim it to make it more flat and even (this is completely optional)!
Then on the side that had the skin (the thicker fat side-usually all white/light pink), I score this side with a knife before adding my ingredients. I usually don’t score the other side but you’re welcome to if you’d like!
For your ingredients -I use salt, pepper, & brown sugar OR maple syrup, but there is a variety of different ingredients you can use for different flavors. You could add crushed red pepper for spice, you could add celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika…really any seasoning that you would like! You could also just use salt, if you want just plain bacon, because REMEMBER you’re smoking this so it’s naturally going to add smoke flavor of whatever kind of wood or smoke pellets you’re using.
You can do this 2 different ways.
WAY 1: mix all your ingredients in a bowl and then spread it on your slab.
WAY 2: sprinkle each ingredient on your slab individually.
Either one is fine, I’ve done it both ways, so it just depends on the type of person you are!
For each side you want 3 tbsp of kosher salt, 3 tbsp black pepper, & 3 tbsp brown sugar. Pour the ingredients on and rub it in until the slab is completely coated, then flip it and do it again on the other side. Cover the slab with plastic wrap and/or foil (or put it in your baggie) and place it in the fridge. This is the long part: it’s going to sit in the fridge for a week and every other day you’re going to flip it.
The Great Debate on Curing Salt!
Some people may be looking at that recipe thinking “ummm she needs to add curing salt into the mix” and others might be thinking “oh that looks good, I wouldn’t add any preservatives!” WELL let’s talk about it shall we! I’m not completely against curing salts, I understand their properties and why people use them, so just know that! I purley don’t use them because I’m am not trying to make my food “shelf stable” or sell to anybody, I am just making the food to stock our freezer for us to eat in the future. When you are going to keep your bacon in the freezer this has the same effect* as adding preservatives (*no, it won’t prevent bacteria forever, it just pauses it while it’s frozen but once it’s just being refrigerated it will only last for a week or two). So when you see meat in the fridge at the grocery store and it’s labeled “fresh never frozen” (or even if it’s not) it most likely has nitrates in it. Which is sodium nitrate (aka curing salt), which is the preservative to keep away bacteria so it can last being packaged and shipped and be shelf stable at the store and then in your fridge at home for a certain period of time before going bad. Curing salt (sodium nitrate, sodium chloride, & red dye -some use Prague Powder) is not only there for the “shelf stability process” but also the actual curing process (hint the name). So when you are curing your pork side in the fridge for a week and then smoking it, the process and temp you use will affect your need for this. SO if you are curing your pork side in the fridge and it stays below 40 degrees F AND you are hot smoking (above 200 degrees F) you don’t NEED to use curing salt, you still can if it puts your mind at ease. Curing salt also is the reason your bacon from the store looks so pink and still “raw” because it has the red dye in it so that when it is being made in the factories they can see if the meat “greys” after curing which means it didn’t have enough curing salt and they can’t sell that. So that is also why if you make your own bacon at home and after you smoke it, it will look almost grey instead of pink, almost like its fully cooked. Which technically I guess it is if you cook it to 145 degrees F but you still will want to cook each slice after smoking. Curing salt can also be a little dangerous to use, because unlike regular salt which you can just sprinkle on as much as you’d like, curing salt is toxic if you use too much, so just be extra careful when measuring out and using recipes that have curing salt in them! I hope this helps clear up any confusion about this topic that you have! If you still have questions please please please do your own research and trust your gut to do what you think is right for your family! And if you do comment PLEASE be nice and considerate, I am a human also!
STEP 3: Making the Bacon!
Once the week is up you’re going to take the slab out of the fridge and RINSE it off! If you don’t your bacon will be extremely salty! Now I’m sure you’re thinking “I’m going to rinse off all the seasonings that I want to be on there, what was the point?” Yes, you made a brine with the first set of seasonings for curing and now you can either rinse it off and cook it like that OR you can rinse it off and then add more seasonings back on!
If you’re looking for a super flavorful slab of bacon add the seasonings (except for salt) back on after you rinse it and pat it dry, just use as much as your heart desires (I just mix enough to lightly cover each side again). If you’re looking for just plain bacon with some smoky flavor, then just rinse it off, pat it dry, and smoke it. I have heard of some people putting it back in the fridge for another 24 hours uncovered to thicken up, I have never done this but you’re welcome to try it!
If you don’t have a smoker, you can also bake it in the oven. This is when I would add more seasonings after rinsing it because you’re not getting any smoke flavor added when cooking. I have personally never made it in the oven, I have always used the smoker.
Smoke at 200-225 degrees F for about 1.5-2 hours, until the internal temperature of your slab is 145-150 F. I usually put the slab directly on the smoker grates with the fatty skin side down. This method is hot smoking-you can also “cold smoke” which is smoking usually around 80 degrees F.
CONGRATS! You just made bacon! Now you need to let it cool and slice it to the thickness you’d like! I highly suggest using a meat slicer because cutting each individual slab with a knife and trying to get the saem thickness for each piece is going to be tedious and near impossible and you may want to cuss afterwards. THE BACON AT THIS POINT IS NOT FULLY COOKED -you still need to cook each slice of bacon to eat it!
Once your meat has completely cooled and has been sliced you can put how ever much you’d like into freezer bags or containers and freeze until you’re ready to use!
Ingredients
Equipment
