Home Cured Maple Bacon Recipe 415

Steps:

• COMBINE ALL DRY INGREDIENTS IN A BOWL, STIR THOROUGHLY ADD IN MAPLE SYRUP STIRRING SOME MORE MIXING WELL, IF TOO THICK ADD A BIT MORE SYRUP. APPLY MIXTURE TO PORK BELLY RUBBING IT IN COVERING THE ENTIRE SURFACE. PLACE IN A 2 GALLON SEAL-ABLE BAG, EXPEL ALL AIR, FOLD THE EMPTY END OF THE BAG UNDER. PLACE IN FRIDGE FOR 5 - 7 DAYS UNTIL THE BELLY IS FIRM TO THE TOUCH TURNING ONCE A DAY. WHEN THE BACON IS CURED RINSE IT THOROUGHLY, PLACE ON A WIRE RACK LETTING IT AIR DRY. START YOUR SMOKER, PRE HEAT TO 150 F, SMOKE WITH 2 HOURS OF MAPLE WOOD. AFTER THE SMOKING PROCESS HAS STOPPED RAISE THE TEMP TO 180 F CONTINUE TO COOK TILL AN I.T, OF 140F AND REMOVE FROM SMOKER. LET COOL TO HANDLE. WITH A SHARP KNIFE REMOVE SKIN,, LET COOL SOME MORE THEN PLACE IN CONTAINER AND BACK INTO FRIDGE TO FIRM UP OVER NIGHT, REMOVE FROM FRIDGE AND SLICE, COOK AND SERVE

Steps:

• In a glass or other nonreactive mixing bowl, combine the salt, sugar, pink salt, and maple syrup. Put the pork belly in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour in the cure, squeeze out any air in the bag, and seal; smush it around to coat the belly completely. Put the bag in a rimmed container just in case it leaks. Refrigerate for 8 days, turning the bag over every other day.
• After 8 days, remove the pork belly from the cure, rinse thoroughly with cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
• Put a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet and lay the pork belly on top. If you are going to smoke the belly, allow it to dry out in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours. This is important; the meat will not take smoke until the surface is dry. Then fire up your smoker to 200°F and smoke the belly for 3 hours using your favorite wood. The internal temperature of the meat should reach 150°F. Alternatively, to roast the belly, preheat the oven to 200°F. Place the belly on a rack set in a roasting pan, and roast until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 150°F, about 3 hours.
• Allow the bacon to cool to room temperature. Then wrap well with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Pink Salt
• Pink curing salt, also referred to as saltpeter or sel rose, is popular for all types of sausage and bacon curing. The cotton candy-colored salt contains a small amount of sodium nitrite that reacts with the meat to form a more stable protein complex, making it especially resistant to oxidizing, and helps the meat to maintain a pink tinge. It is available in gourmet markets or on the Internet.
• Pork Belly
• Pork belly, which comes from the underside of the hog, is basically uncured fresh bacon. The rosy meat is marbled with fat and when baked for hours (as it is here), it becomes so custardy soft that you can literally cut it with a spoon. I have to say, the succulent and crackling fat is what makes it taste so damn delicious! A good butcher should be able to help you out when buying pork belly, and it's typically an inexpensive cut. Ask for unsalted, uncured belly, which is not the same as slab bacon or salt pork. You can often find pork belly in Asian markets.