Bacon question...

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harleykids
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Bacon question...

Post by harleykids » Wed May 31, 2017 05:37

Hey guys, Chris, Bob, Butterbean, etc.

Question for you all...

I have been making my own bacon for quite a long time, using a base cure consisting of cure #1 at .25% (.0025), 3% kosher salt (.03), and 1-1.5% (.01) brown sugar. Then I add any spices I want. I cure in ziplock bags in fridge for around 11-14 days till nice and firm (skin removed before curing, as we make chicharones with the skin, cracklings, et)

Then I rinse gently and back in the fridge for and hour or two to dry.

Then I cold smoke for about 4 hours at 70 deg F.
Then I par freeze, slice, and wrap and freeze.

Always turns out great, and when I want bacon I simply thaw and cook in oven or skillet before eating, just as I would normal store bought bacon.

I never take my cured bacon to IT of 140 Deg F, I simply cold smoke at 70 F for 4 hours or so.
Bacon picks up plenty of smoke during that time.

Am I correct in that I don't have to bring IT of bacon to 140 deg F during smoking process, as long as I cook my bacon thoroughly before eating? After all, it has already been cured and the smoking is only to add smoke flavor, not to cook the product (cooking is done when we prepare it for eating each time)

I thought the 140 IT temp was if you were not planning on cooking the bacon before you eat it.

My bacon is always great, and never been sick or had anything weird happen.

Just want to make sure my way is acceptable and safe.

Thx!
Jason
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Post by Bumper » Wed May 31, 2017 10:22

Glad you posted this one, I have been mulling exactly the same after reading all the bacon threads. I have made bacon before using the Ruhlman recipe in my recent thread and all turned out fine, so I was surprised to see the consistent pre cooks happening here.
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Bob K
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Post by Bob K » Wed May 31, 2017 11:54

No need to smoke to a specific internal temp for safety reasons, cold smoking is fine. You don't want to exceed 140° when smoking as the fat can start to render.

You are somewhat high at 156 ppm cure for bacon, it should not exceed 120 ppm or .192 %

http://www.wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=7410
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Post by Bumper » Wed May 31, 2017 12:18

Bob K wrote:No need to smoke to a specific internal temp for safety reasons, cold smoking is fine. You don't want to exceed 140° when smoking as the fat can start to render.

You are somewhat high at 156 ppm cure for bacon, it should not exceed 120 ppm or .192 %

http://www.wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=7410
Nice one, thanks Bob!
harleykids
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Post by harleykids » Wed May 31, 2017 14:24

Thanks Bob! I will drop my cure #1 % to .192% (.00192) from now on.

Why do you think almost all of the homeade bacon recipes out there pre cook to IT of 140?

A simple internet search shows 9 out of 10 recipes call for hot smoking or cooking to IT of 140 immediately after curing, before slicing, wrapping, and freezing?

I guess folks that cold smoke and only cook bacon pre eating are in the minority?
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Post by Bob K » Wed May 31, 2017 14:37

Jason
A haven't a clue, Even the older books like Rytecks only recommend 128-130° IT.
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Post by LOEBER74 » Wed May 31, 2017 14:43

Most of the guys I know that hot smoke before storing, do it because they only have one smoker and theirs don't go low enough. Clearly they don't understand the word addiction.
Thanks for clearing up the rendering issue!
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Post by harleykids » Wed May 31, 2017 15:04

Since my bacon comes out of the fridge at about 34 deg F, and goes into my smoker at that temp, my bacon has probably come up to ambient temp after 4 hours of smoking and sitting in the smoker. Probably has an IT of anywhere from 70-90 degrees, depends on the temp outside that day. I use an a-maz-n smoke tube and set it in the very bottom of my firebox. It smokes for 4 hours on a full tube and never raises the temp in my smoker more than a few degrees over ambient. I use fruit wood or hickory, depends on my spice combo.

So my bacon never sees anywhere even close to 100 degrees, let alone 138 degrees, until the day comes that I pull a pack from the freezer, thaw it out, and then cook it before eating.

Its a fully cured product after the initial 11-14 days cure in the fridge, so no need to bring the IT up until you want to eat it. Saves it from any rendering of fat as well.
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Post by redzed » Wed May 31, 2017 15:42

There are really no set rules here. You can prepare your bacon in many different ways, cold smoke and fry later, hot smoke and eat as is or fry, cure and age for for a month, or in the case of a rolled pancetta, two months or longer. Before refrigeration Europeans warm smoked bacon in their chimneys for days on end and then it hung in in the kitchen or porch. Often it was covered in soot which also helped to preserve it. I sometimes hot smoke and sometimes cold smoke, and like both. When cold smoking I usually hang it in my chamber for 3 to 4 weeks and then slice and freeze. And although this may seem like travesty to some, you can also paint your the slab with liquid smoke and cook it in the oven in low heat. It will have the colour and flavour that will surprise you.
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Post by Butterbean » Wed May 31, 2017 16:18

harleykids wrote:Thanks Bob! I will drop my cure #1 % to .192% (.00192) from now on.

Why do you think almost all of the homeade bacon recipes out there pre cook to IT of 140?

A simple internet search shows 9 out of 10 recipes call for hot smoking or cooking to IT of 140 immediately after curing, before slicing, wrapping, and freezing?

I guess folks that cold smoke and only cook bacon pre eating are in the minority?
I read somewhere that heating it to this temp adds to the shelf life.
harleykids
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Post by harleykids » Thu Jun 01, 2017 00:18

Thanks guys, I will continue making bacon the same way as I have been for years, but will reduce my cure #1 % to .192% as suggested.

Thx!
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