The Best Bacon

It is usually all about beef around here, accept when it comes to bacon! I have been playing around with curing pork belly, and have come up with a curing recipe that is pretty darn good.

I start with about a 10lb pork belly cut in half to make a little more manageable

In my blender I add: 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cut table salt, 4 TBSP red pepper flakes, 4TBSP Smoked Paprika, 4tsp cumin 4tsp #1 pink curing salt. Pulse blender a few times until the red pepper flakes are broken up.

Rub mixture evenly over both sides of the pork belly. Put in a 2 gallon zip lock, try to get most of the air out. Then just refrigerate for 7-10 days, turning it each day.

Turn smoker on set at 200 degrees. Rinse pork belly and pat dry. I peppered mine, but it’s optional.

Smoke it until the internal temp reaches 150 degrees. Mine takes about 4 hours and I flipped it over at 2 hour in. I used Cherry pellets in my smoker but it would be fun to try different flavors.

After it reaches temp. refrigerate overnight. It’s easier to slice when it is cold.

My husband has been frying it up for BLTs. He says it makes the best BLT he has ever had.

Let me know what you guys think.