Molasses Black Pepper Cure Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium. Brush the meat with olive oil and season with salt. Grill until well seared on ones side, 4 minutes, turn over, and baste with the Molasses Glaze. Continue grilling for 3 minutes, turn over, baste and grill for 2 to 3 minutes more (a total of 10 minutes), for medium rare. Let rest for 10 minutes; then slice into 8 steaks.
• Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high until almost smoking, and cook the onion until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger root and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the rum and reduce until completely dry. Add the molasses, orange juice, and pepper, season with salt, and cook until reduced to 1 cup, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool at room temperature. May be refrigerated, covered, for 1 day; use at room temperature.

Steps:

• In a large non-reactive pot, bring half the water, 1 cup of sugar, salt, and 8 ounces molasses to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour into a large container with the remaining water, and the apple cider. Place in the refrigerator and cool to 40 degrees F.
• Press the black pepper into the pork belly. Once the brine has cooled place the peppered pork belly into the mixture until completely submerged. Refrigerate for three days.
• After three days have passed, remove the pork from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Lay on a rack over a sheet pan and place in front of a fan for 1 hour to form a pellicle. Lay the pork in the protein box of a cold smoker and smoke for 4 to 6 hours. Chill the meat in the freezer for 1 hour to stiffen for easy slicing into strips of bacon. Slice what you need and keep the remainder in a freezer safe bag in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Place the strips of bacon onto a sheet pan fitted with a rack and place into a cold oven. Turn the oven to 400 degrees F and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon. Remove from rack and drain on paper towels. Enjoy.

Steps:

• Put pork butt, fat side up, on a work surface, then halve horizontally with a sharp large knife.
• Stir together water, salt, brown sugar, and Instacure in storage tub until solids are dissolved, about 3 minutes, then add molasses and stir until dissolved. Add ice and stir until cure is cold (ice may not be completely melted; keeping liquid cold slows salt absorption).
• Add pork to cure, then weight with a large plate to keep submerged. Chill, tub covered with a lid or plastic wrap, 36 hours.
• Rinse pork and pat dry, then discard brine. Sprinkle pork evenly with pepper (if using).
• Prepare grill and smoke bacon: See preceding recipe.
• Cut bacon crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife, then fry in a heavy skillet over moderately low heat, turning, until browned. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Available at The Sausage Maker (888-490-8525).