Learn what you need to know about curing bacon at home. We’ll show you how easy it is to cure meat, give you the tools you need, and answer your most-asked questions about cured bacon.
Brandon Sheard from The Farmstead Meatsmith is joining us on the Pantry Chat today. On their homestead in Oklahoma, he and his wife Lauren teach workshops on how to cure meat. They also have online courses.
Brandon taught Carolyn and me how to traditionally salt cure our bacon at home. Traditional eating and consuming whole-food ingredients is important to our health journey.
This is how we’ve been storing our pork belly ever since (when we’re not making tasty pork rillette with it). This bacon served up with sweet pepper hash makes a great breakfast.
Curing and smoking your own sliced bacon at home lets you create amazing flavor that beats anything from the store But if your fresh pork belly arrives already sliced, can you still cure it into bacon? Absolutely! With the right technique, you can transform sliced pork belly into incredible homemade bacon.
Why Cure Sliced Bacon?
When you end up with sliced pork belly curing it into bacon is the perfect solution. Here’s why it’s worth the effort
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Infuses sliced pork with signature bacon flavor.
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Allows customizing ingredients to your taste.
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Gives you thick, quality slices not found in stores.
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Provides satisfaction of crafting your own bacon.
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Saves money over buying artisan bacon.
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Makes an impressive DIY food gift.
With just a few extra steps, you can still cure sliced pork belly into delicious bacon at home.
How to Cure Sliced Pork Belly
Curing sliced pork belly is similar to regular bacon curing but with a few modifications:
1. Prepare Cure Mixture
Whisk together:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp black pepper
- 1 tsp pink curing salt
Grind any chunks to help it adhere to meat.
2. Coat the Slices
Lay slices in a baking dish in a single layer. Sprinkle cure mixture evenly over all surfaces, pressing lightly to adhere.
3. Stack and Cure
Stack slices on top of each other, sprinkle any remaining cure over top and sides. Tightly wrap stack in plastic wrap. Place in a rimmed container or bag. Cure in fridge for 7-10 days, flipping occasionally.
4. Rinse and Dry
After curing, unwrap stack and rinse slices under cold water to remove excess cure. Pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.
5. Rest and Dry
Lay slices separately on a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours to form pellicle.
6. Smoke and Enjoy
Hot smoke slices at 180°F for 2-3 hours until 150°F internal temp. Cool, then slice and cook as desired!
The initial curing and smoking process infuses the iconic bacon flavor and aroma directly into the pork.
Tips for Curing Sliced Pork Belly
Follow these tips for the best results when curing sliced pork belly into bacon:
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Use a digital scale for accurate cure measurements.
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Chill belly slices before curing to help rub adhere.
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Spread cure mixture evenly on all meat surfaces.
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Wrap stack tightly in plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
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Cure in coldest part of fridge, flipping daily.
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Rinse cured slices very well before drying.
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Let pellicle form fully for better smoke absorption.
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Use apple, cherry, or pecan wood for smoking.
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Cook low and slow for maximum bacon flavor.
With careful attention to details, you can cure sliced pork belly nearly as well as a full slab.
Storing and Cooking Cured Bacon
Treat your home cured sliced bacon the same as traditional bacon:
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Store cured, smoked bacon in fridge up to 1 week.
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Freeze sliced bacon in portions for longer storage.
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Cook to desired doneness in skillet, oven, or microwave.
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Bake into casseroles, potatoes, beans, and other dishes.
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Fry up with eggs for the perfect breakfast sandwich.
Your homemade cured bacon offers incredible flavor and texture when cooked. Enjoy it in all your favorite bacon recipes!
Flavoring Your Cured Bacon
Once you master the basic curing process, get creative with flavors!
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Use brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey for sweetness.
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Add heat with cayenne, chipotle, or crushed red pepper.
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Use spices like garlic, onion, paprika, and mustard.
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Infuse fruit flavors with cherry juice, apricot, peach, etc.
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Season with bourbon, coffee, vanilla, or herbs.
Let your imagination run wild to develop your own signature cured bacon!
Troubleshooting Home Cured Bacon
Curing sliced pork belly presents some unique trouble spots. Here are potential issues and fixes:
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Too salty? Soak cured slices in cold water 30 mins to draw out salt.
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Too smoky? Soak in milk or bake at low temp to mellow smoke flavor.
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Dry or tough? Fry over low heat or use in recipes with added moisture.
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Off flavors? Ensure cure was rinsed off fully before smoking.
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Safety concerns? Discard if any unpleasant odors or slippery texture.
Don’t worry if your first try isn’t perfect. Adjust your approach and try again for tastier bacon each time.
Satisfying DIY Bacon
While curing sliced pork belly requires extra care, with some modifications to the traditional bacon curing process, you can still achieve fantastic homemade results. The effort pays off in the form of thick, quality bacon slices with customized ingredients and wood-smoked flavor you control from start to finish. For DIY enthusiasts, curing your own sliced bacon is deeply satisfying.
How Long Does it Take to Cure Bacon?
There are a few different methods when it comes to curing bacon. As mentioned above it takes approximately five days. How long it takes depends on the cut of meat and the type of salt used. It could be three days to two weeks.
The method Brandon follows takes roughly five days. The fact that it’s simple and easy to keep up with while also having a busy life is what makes it work so well for many of us.
What Happens if I Over-Salt Pork Belly?
Brandon said that in all the years he’s been a teacher, he’s never seen anyone with a cured pork belly that was bad or rancid. What he has seen, and what can commonly take place, is that a pork belly gets over-salted.
This doesn’t mean it’s bad; it just means you’ll need to find another way to use that pork belly besides making bacon.
If your pork belly is too salty, just cut off the part you want to eat and hang the rest up to eat later. Then, soak that part of the meat in water for about an hour. This will help extract some of the saltiness.
Dry it off with a clean cloth after letting it soak, then cut it up and fry it for breakfast (or however you like it).
