Home cured bacon?

Anyone tried it?

Pretty sure Dr. Boost does a batch every year. 

I watched this video the other day. It's a couple of pro butchers that do how-to videos.

A buddy did a massive batch and gave it out as Xmas presents.  He was popular...

I was once gifted an entire smoked pork belly-- was quite tasty, though took a while to get through it.

What I wasn't really prepared for though, was bacon with nipples on it!

In reply to 84FSP :

That's a pretty excellent gift!

I have been curing and smoking my own bacon for the past two summers using the following recipe:  https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2013/05/13/curing-your-own-bacon

It is a little intimidating at first with an 8 to 10 day curing time, but the results are fantastic.  I smoke it on a Weber kettle grill, nothing fancy, and vacuum bag and freeze most of it.  We gave the gift of bacon to friends and family last Christmas and it was very popular.  One warning about the recipe, it gives a liquid smoke alternative.  Don't do it!

I did a 2 lb belly about 6 years ago when I got my first smoker.  There has not been store bought bacon in our house since.  Its now become a bit of an ordeal but I generally do 40-60 lbs at a time 2 - 3 times a year depending on how much my family steals from me when they visit.

Keep it simple, get a pork belly, combine equal parts salt and brown sugar.  Add in maple syrup if thats your thing.   Rub the pork belly generously and bag it up.  I use a vaccum bagger as it keeps all the cure in contact with the meat.  Pop it in a fridge (I've had to convert a chest freezer for curing purposes) for 7 days flipping it every day.   Unbag it, rinse it, dry it, smoke it, about 3 hours.  Wrap it back up in plastic wrap and back in the fridge to cool and firm up for cutting.   First few small batches I cut by hand...never again.  Moved to a home grade meat slicer for a few years and finally to a professional grade slicer.  The worst part about large batch bacon production is the slicing, good equipment helps.

A batch fresh out of the smoker

And fresh off the slicer.

This all gets vacuum packed and frozen.  I just finished a 60lb batch knowing that my family is all coming for Thanksgiving and it will all mostly get stolen while they are here.

In reply to JThw8 :

Can I be part of your family?