Maple Bacon

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BriCan
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Maple Bacon

Post by BriCan » Tue Feb 09, 2016 09:32

I was tagged by Redzed in another group on facebook asking if I would not mind posting here on the Maple bacon that I produce for my shop -- I hope that some/most will find it interesting

Redzed has kindly offered to post the pictures for me


Well to some it will be completely different and to others not so ........

To some bacon is that; just bacon ... and to others it is a work of art as one takes salt, cure and a array of spices and paints upon the canvas which in this case is the belly of pork :)

And so this is my humble offering of one of my biggest sellers the humble Maple Bacon of which there are many ways to make it so please remember there is no right or wrong way to make this (other than over salting :( ) only the way that suits you and your ingredients

Maple Bacon

Pork belly boneless rind on

EQ Cure; 2% sea salt, 0.25% Cure #1

Spices/Maple

50g of spices (mine is a particular we use, but you may mix up something that you like)
100g of Maple sugar -- if you can find maple sugar use it as it is far less messy than the syrup, but if syrup is all you can find ..........!!!

Get the weight of the belly and weigh out the salt and cure ( 10 lb belly = 4536 grams x 2% salt = 91g -- 4536 x 0.25% cure #1 = 11g -- for a total of 102g )

Note that I have converted "all" my weights to metric as this way is more accurate and you are less lightly to make mistakes

Take 20g of the salt/cure mixture and rub it on the rind side, then take the remaining 82g and rub this into the meat side

The reason for this is that the rind side (the fat side for though's who wish to take the rind off before you start) will not absorb the salt/cure as fast as the meat side hence the reason why we do the rubs this way

The reason why I always cure with the rind on; is because that there will be less shrinkage while curing and as well as smoking -- it is also a very big help while one is ageing/maturing the bacon
Place in a non porous container rind side down with the meat on the top

On top of the meat side sprinkle 50g of your spice blend and following that sprinkle the 100g of Maple Sugar -- leave for one week (7 days)

After 7 days give the belly a quick rinse under tepid water to semove the residue of salt and cure
Hang to dry in room temperature for about 8 hours so that the meat side is dryish to the touch (not completely dry) and recover the meat side with another 100g of the Maple Sugar for another 7 days

I forgot to let you know at the beginning that this is not a fast way to make bacon but it is a quality way of making it :)

After a further 7 days take and hang at room temperature either to dry/age/mature if you do not wish to cold smoke or for 12 to 24 hours for it to dry enough so that you can cold smoke it

Cold smoke adheres to meat when it is tacky and warm (room temperature) not when it is cold and wet hence the hanging at room temperature and not leaving in the fridge

The length of time smoking is up to each one -- remember that when cold smoking we are building a flavour profile and for you folks that wish to hot smoke your internal temperature is no more than 145F (63C) as you should be cooking your bacon once and not twice. The other sad part about hot smoking you get what you get when you finish the smoking there is no added flavour profile that is built up in layers as what happens when cold smoking

I always age/mature my bacon be it cold smoked or not for 7 days at room temperature (45F to 55F -- 7C to 14C)

Hope this is of help to people -- As I said; this is one of many ways of doing Maple Bacon

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Last edited by BriCan on Tue Feb 09, 2016 18:37, edited 3 times in total.
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Shuswap
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Post by Shuswap » Tue Feb 09, 2016 16:21

Timing is everything Robert. Yesterday I trimmed my Berkshire belly and started the cure using your recipe and procedure. It took me several hours of searching all relevant forums on which you have posted snippets about your maple bacon. I assembled them all into a somewhat coherent story and made my first batch a few months ago - best bacon we have had. Thanks for posting this!
Phil
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Post by Bob K » Tue Feb 09, 2016 16:34

Phil-
What did you use for spices?
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Post by Shuswap » Tue Feb 09, 2016 17:43

Bob K wrote:Phil-
What did you use for spices?
Let's ask Robert what he uses for his rub
Phil
Last edited by Shuswap on Tue Feb 09, 2016 17:55, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Shuswap » Fri Feb 12, 2016 15:58

It's out - today on another forum Crustyo44 posted Brican's rub recipe and Robert thanked him for the post:

crustyo44 wrote:

Here is Robert's Black Forest spice mix. I use it now on a few other EQ cured porky bits. My grandkids love the bacon etc etc. I can't argue with their expertise!!!!!!!!!
Cheers,
Jan.

Black Forest Spice Mixture:
125gm White pepper
25gm Ground nutmeg
25gm Ground mace
15gm Ground cardamom
200gm White sugar
Mix thoroughly, then store in an opaque jar out in a cool, dry place.

Brican wrote:
Thanks for that Jan :)
Phil
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Post by BriCan » Fri Feb 12, 2016 17:18

Shuswap wrote:It's out - today on another forum Crustyo44 posted Brican's rub recipe and Robert thanked him for the post:

crustyo44 wrote:

Here is Robert's Black Forest spice mix. I use it now on a few other EQ cured porky bits. My grandkids love the bacon etc etc. I can't argue with their expertise!!!!!!!!!
Cheers,
Jan.

Black Forest Spice Mixture:
125gm White pepper
25gm Ground nutmeg
25gm Ground mace
15gm Ground cardamom
200gm White sugar
Mix thoroughly, then store in an opaque jar out in a cool, dry place.

Brican wrote:
Thanks for that Jan :)
This is only one of the spice mixes I use and not the necessary the one for the Maple bacon :)

My spice combinations are not a rub as some think but a dusting to lightly cover, ----- because I am in the retail business and sell these items that I make the actual spice combination I cannot give out -- what I have hoped that folks would use there own personal combination of spices and develop there own type/flavour :)
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Post by Shuswap » Fri Feb 12, 2016 18:01

Brican, understood. However, I do have a batch of berkshire bellies on the go using that rub during the first cure week. My understanding of what I've read from you in other threads is that the second week in the fridge is with a "dusting", not rub, of maple sugar. I've made this bacon before and it is our standard. :smile:
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Post by BriCan » Sat Feb 13, 2016 00:11

Shuswap wrote:Brican, understood. However, I do have a batch of berkshire bellies on the go using that rub during the first cure week.
And there'in is what I was saying ;) not a rub -- just dust on (spices then maple sugar) as per photos that Redzed was kind to put up for me :)
My understanding of what I've read from you in other threads is that the second week in the fridge is with a "dusting", not rub, of maple sugar.
This is true :)
I've made this bacon before and it is our standard. :smile:
If it is working for you rubbing the spices in at the beginning -- keep at it -- it was that the dusting of the spices just eliminates the rub/extra work :)
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Post by Shuswap » Sat Feb 13, 2016 05:29

BriCan wrote:it was that the dusting of the spices just eliminates the rub/extra work
With respect Brican that is a distinction with little difference considering it takes at least 3 weeks to make this bacon :roll:
Phil
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