How to Make Homemade Bacon

How to cure, smoke, and cook homemade bacon. It's much easier than you'd think; it just requires a couple of special ingredients and the right equipment.

Jalapeño Garlic Bacon

3 lb. pork belly with skin attached
40 grams kosher salt (about 5 tbsp Diamond Crystal, about 3 tbsp Morton)
1 ½ tsp pink salt (Prague Powder # 1, Insta-Cure, DQ Curing Salt, etc.)
40 grams maple sugar (or 40 g/3 tbsp brown sugar)
5 cloves garlic*
4 mashed jalapeños*

*optional flavors (Unfortunately, most savory ingredients don't really add much flavor. Try using sweeter additives, like 1/2 cup applesauce or 3 tablespoons maple syrup.)

1. Combine ingredients in a gallon-size zipper bag. Refrigerate for one week, flipping every other day.

2. Rinse pork belly and place on a rack in the refrigerator for 12 - 24 hours.

3. Smoke with apple wood at 200 degrees until the bacon has reached an internal temperature of 150 degrees.

4. Cool at room temperature for a couple of hours, but remove skin 10 - 15 minutes after removing from smoker.

5. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Trim sides, ends, and top before slicing as desired.
Sources for curing (pink) salt:
http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=237_12&products_id=55

http://www.lemproducts.com/product/169/Cure_Ham_Curing_Kits
Link to a highly informative discussion on the merits of nitrites and nitrates:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/331350

Recipe adapted from/inspired by the bacon recipe in "Charcuterie" by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn.
http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305001019&sr=8-1

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