Homemade Smoked Maple Bacon Recipes

Steps:

• Pour water, sodium nitrate, curing salt, coarse salt, brown sugar, and maple syrup into a large kettle. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until everything is well dissolved. Pour brine into a 5 gallon plastic bucket and cool to room temperature, 6 to 8 hours.
• Leaving the skin on the pork belly, cut against the grain into 4 to 6 slabs so they fit inside the bucket, and inside your smoker. Place into the bucket of brine, and weigh down with a glass or ceramic dish to keep the pork submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days, rearranging the pork in the brine daily.
• On smoking day, remove pork from the brine and rinse well under cold running water, rubbing to remove all external brine. Pat pieces dry and place onto smoker racks. Allow pork pieces to stand, preferably underneath a fan, until the surface of the meat becomes somewhat dried and notably glossy, 1 to 3 hours depending on air circulation.
• Smoke pork belly slabs using wood of your choice at a temperature of 90 to 110 degrees F (32 to 43 degrees C) for 8 to 12 hours. Remove rind before slicing.

Steps:

• Mix water, kosher salt, sugar, maple syrup, garlic powder, and curing salt until dissolved.
• Place the pork loin in a large bag or food-safe container large enough to completely submerge it in the brine. Add brine and refrigerate for at least 3 days.
• Remove pork from brine and pat dry with paper towels; discard brine.
• Preheat a smoker to 180 degrees F (82 degrees C) according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Place pork onto wire racks. Place the racks into the smoker. Add wood chips according to manufacturer's directions. Smoke until pork is slightly pink in the center, about 2 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Let cool before slicing.