Cooking with Jonny69: Home cured bacon

Jonny69 · 01-01-2009, 18:50

Recently one of my friends had a crack at some home cured bacon and I was so impressed with the way it came out and how simple it is to do, I wondered why I'd never done this before. The curing process is quite simple: you take a slab of meat, rub it with salt and sugar and leave it to cure. You repeat this a few times over the course of a few days and then it's done.

I started with a nice chunk of free range belly of pork from the supermarket. This piece is about 600g and cost just over £3:

The rub is quite a simple mix, two parts salt to one part dark brown sugar and for extra flavour I've added ground peppercorns and a little coriander seed. You can also use juniper berries, honey or whatever takes your fancy. Here is about 6 tablespoons of salt, 3 tablespoons of sugar and teaspoon each of peppercorns and coriander seed ground together:

In a non metallic container (I've used a roasting dish) rub the meat generously on the skin side:

Flip it over and repeat on the bottom and sides:

Leave it skin side down, cover and put it in the fridge:

Tomorrow I will come back to this when I repeat the rub. This first cure should draw liquid out the meat which I will tip away and repeat the rubbing, then after 3-4 rubs it's ready to dry off and it'll keep for a few weeks in the fridge

Jonny69 · 02-01-2009, 17:28

Day 2 is here and time for the second rub! As you can see there's a lot of liquid come out the meat and that gets tipped away:

I've taken the meat out to have a look at it. First thing I noticed was it's firmed up quite a lot and it's a darker colour, less pink than it was:

On with the second rub then... some of you hardened meat curers have got me worried about the saltyness so I've added some more sugar to the rub mix and I'm going to cure it for 4 days. This is how long my friend did his for and it came out really well. So, rub and return to the refrigerator:

Feek · 02-01-2009, 17:43

Looks good.

LeperousDust · 02-01-2009, 19:34

I'm liking this Jonny

divine · 02-01-2009, 19:46

How easy will this end up to cut?

It looks like a damn tasty idea but i'm not sure the kitchen facilities I have access to would have a suitably sharp knife, as I can imagine it being quite difficult to cut...

Jonny69 · 02-01-2009, 20:32

What my friend did was sliced it until there was about 3/4" left where he was risking his fingertips and cut the last bit into lardons. It's quite firm, unlike packet bacon, so it holds its shape quite well for cutting.

SidewinderINC · 02-01-2009, 21:07

just use a chefs knife or carving knife to cut it? or are there more suitable knives?

divine · 02-01-2009, 21:16

Like I said, nothing is that sharp. If I bought a decent knife, i'd have to keep it in my room cos everything in the kitchen gets destroyed. I bought my mum a nice pan a while ago and it's been absolutely destroyed.

Jonny69 · 03-01-2009, 17:48

I gave it a third rub today. Not much to report really, so no pictures, but the meat has firmed up quite a bit and it's a bit darker in colour

Fayshun · 04-01-2009, 14:20

Mmmmm bacon.

*drools*

01-01-2009, 18:50	#1
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Cooking with Jonny69: Home cured bacon Recently one of my friends had a crack at some home cured bacon and I was so impressed with the way it came out and how simple it is to do, I wondered why I'd never done this before. The curing process is quite simple: you take a slab of meat, rub it with salt and sugar and leave it to cure. You repeat this a few times over the course of a few days and then it's done. I started with a nice chunk of free range belly of pork from the supermarket. This piece is about 600g and cost just over £3: The rub is quite a simple mix, two parts salt to one part dark brown sugar and for extra flavour I've added ground peppercorns and a little coriander seed. You can also use juniper berries, honey or whatever takes your fancy. Here is about 6 tablespoons of salt, 3 tablespoons of sugar and teaspoon each of peppercorns and coriander seed ground together: In a non metallic container (I've used a roasting dish) rub the meat generously on the skin side: Flip it over and repeat on the bottom and sides: Leave it skin side down, cover and put it in the fridge: Tomorrow I will come back to this when I repeat the rub. This first cure should draw liquid out the meat which I will tip away and repeat the rubbing, then after 3-4 rubs it's ready to dry off and it'll keep for a few weeks in the fridge __________________

02-01-2009, 17:28	#2
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Day 2 is here and time for the second rub! As you can see there's a lot of liquid come out the meat and that gets tipped away: I've taken the meat out to have a look at it. First thing I noticed was it's firmed up quite a lot and it's a darker colour, less pink than it was: On with the second rub then... some of you hardened meat curers have got me worried about the saltyness so I've added some more sugar to the rub mix and I'm going to cure it for 4 days. This is how long my friend did his for and it came out really well. So, rub and return to the refrigerator: __________________

02-01-2009, 17:43	#3
Feek ex SAS Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: JO01ou Posts: 10,062	Looks good. __________________

02-01-2009, 19:34	#4
LeperousDust Bananaman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Liverpool/Edinburgh Posts: 4,817	I'm liking this Jonny __________________

02-01-2009, 19:46	#5
divine Moonshine Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Southampton Posts: 3,201	How easy will this end up to cut? It looks like a damn tasty idea but i'm not sure the kitchen facilities I have access to would have a suitably sharp knife, as I can imagine it being quite difficult to cut... __________________

02-01-2009, 20:32	#6
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	What my friend did was sliced it until there was about 3/4" left where he was risking his fingertips and cut the last bit into lardons. It's quite firm, unlike packet bacon, so it holds its shape quite well for cutting. __________________

02-01-2009, 21:07	#7
SidewinderINC Joey Tempest Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Gravesend. Posts: 2,751	just use a chefs knife or carving knife to cut it? or are there more suitable knives? __________________ No Sig.

02-01-2009, 21:16	#8
divine Moonshine Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Southampton Posts: 3,201	Like I said, nothing is that sharp. If I bought a decent knife, i'd have to keep it in my room cos everything in the kitchen gets destroyed. I bought my mum a nice pan a while ago and it's been absolutely destroyed. __________________

03-01-2009, 17:48	#9
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	I gave it a third rub today. Not much to report really, so no pictures, but the meat has firmed up quite a bit and it's a bit darker in colour __________________

04-01-2009, 14:20	#10
Fayshun Rocket Fuel Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Adrift in the Orca Posts: 6,845	Mmmmm bacon. drools __________________ We must move forward not backward, upwards not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling...