We started our Sunday morning by making our homemade bacon. We used a dry cure method as opposed to a wet cure method. This is done by rubbing the meat with a blend of ingredients and then leaving it to sit in its own juices. This method tends to give the bacon a more deeper and flavourful taste.
We started by taking two cut pork bellies from our 2019 Berkshire pig and put them each in a freezer tight Ziploc bag. Then we weighed them separately, getting the results of 1485 oz. and 1312 oz.
To prepare the brine cure, we used the measurements that follows:
- Salt: 2.5% (subtract the amount of curing salt that is determined on the package)
- Brown Sugar: 2.25%
- Pepper: 0.25%
We used Original Wild West Curing Salt.
After calculating the amount of grams needed of each ingredient, they were measured and placed into a glass bowl.
We mixed the seasoning together and then poured half the brine onto one side of the bacon. We used our hands to even out the seasoning until the entire side was covered. The meat was then flipped and the process was repeated on the other side.
Once both pieces of bacon were covered, the air was taken out and the bags were sealed. The meat was put into a container and set in the fridge where it will remain for a week. The cure will pull moisture out of the pork, so it will be flipped each day to ensure the brine cure is evenly distributed.
Stay tuned for Part 2 on how to smoke, slice and package your bacon!
