Homemade Bacon Recipes

Steps:

• Bring all ingredients except loin to a boil for 10 minutes.
• Trim fat from loin.
• Cool the brine to 38 degrees F and strain if desired.
• Add loin and put a plate on top to keep submerged.
• Cover,Put in fridge and let sit 7 days turning once at 4 days.
• Remove and rinse in cold water. Soak for 45 minutes in cool water.
• Get smoker to 225 Degrees F. Use a good hardwood of choice.
• For breakfast bacon cook to 145 degrees F.
• For finished bacon cook to 155-160 degrees F.
• Cut to desired thickness. 1/4" for me.
• Keeps in fridge same as commercial bacon.
• Keeps in freezer longer if left unsliced.

Steps:

• Rub pork completely with salt.
• Rub on honey.
• Place in garbage bag and sqeeze out excess air and wrap up tightly.
• Place in fridge for at least 3 days turning once per day.
• Remove and rinse pork.
• Pat dry.
• Place pork on cooling rack in front of a fan for about an hour to let pelicle form. This step is necessary for the smoke to adhere. When the pork is sticky to the touch it is ready for the smoker.
• Place wood chips and charcoal in smoke box.
• Place pork on rack in smoker and cold smoke @ 100 degrees for 3 hours. Use a smoker with a thermostat.
• Remove slice and fry. You now have bacon.
• You must cook the bacon as it is still raw after cold smoking.
• Use maple wood if you can find it or hickory.

Steps:

• Place the pork belly in a large Ziploc bag. Add the salt (and pink salt if using) and the cure additions. Rub the cure into the pork belly, turning the bag over and over and pressing the cure into the flesh. Close the bag, squeezing out all the air and refrigerate for seven days. Each day, flip the bag over. Some liquid will begin to gather in the bag.
• After seven days, wash the cure off the meat, rinsing thoroughly. Pat the bacon dry with paper towels and set it on a rack over a baking sheet. Allow the bacon to air-dry in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Roast the pork belly in the oven to an internal temperature of 150 degrees for about 90 minutes. Chill the bacon well, then slice thick or thin, to preference. Any bacon that doesn't easily slice may be cut into chunks, for starting a pot of beans or soup. Wrapped in parchment paper, then wrapped in plastic wrap or foil and placed in a Ziploc bag, the bacon will keep for three weeks in the refrigerator and three months in the freezer.

Steps:

• Tip the salt and sugar into a freezer bag and shake well. Slip the pork into the bag, seal and scrunch around with your hands until the pork is completely covered in the cure.
• Lay the pork flat in the fridge and leave for five days, turning occasionally. The dry cure will turn into a wet brine as the liquid is released from the meat.
• After the five days, lift the pork from the bag, rinse it off and pat it dry. It's now ready to slice into rashers and cook. Will keep in an airtight container for one week.

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a large stockpot over medium heat until crispy.
• Add onion and cook 4-5 minutes, until tender.
• Add salt and pepper, thyme sprig, rosemary sprigs, and bay leaf.
• Add potatoes and garlic, and mix well with bacon and onions.
• Add stock or water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
• Add cream and mustard; stir to blend.
• Remove bayleaf and purée about 1/2 of the soup in a blender.
• Mix blended soup with the rest of the soup.
• Adjust seasonings.
• To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with chopped scallions.

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; set aside.
• Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp; remove bacon; reserve 2 T.
• drippings in skillet.
• Crumble bacon and set aside.
• Saute sliced mushrooms and garlic in reserved drippings 3 minutes or until tender.
• Stir in pasta, parmesan cheese, whipping cream, and pepper; simmer over medium-low heat until sauce is thickened, stirring often.
• Stir in bacon and green onions; serve immediately.

Steps:

• Partially freeze your package of bacon so that it holds together easier while slicing.
• Use a sharp knife and cut the frozen bacon into long strips about 1/4 inch wide.
• Turn the bacon and cut the strips into pieces also about 1/4 in wide.
• Sprinkle with pepper.
• Fry over a medium high heat until crisp.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• You can freeze this for later use by placing the bacon bits in a single layer on a cooking sheet. Once they are frozen, place them in a zip lock bag for use in recipes, salads or baked potatoes. Freezing this way allows you to be able to take out just what you need without thawing the entire bag of frozen solid bacon bits.