Different textures of cooked bacon - brined vs. dry cured.

story28 · Post by **story28** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 02:27

Hi everyone. I read this interesting question on a group thread on Facebook and thought it would be an interesting discussion for our board here. Take a look at the post below.

I've only done home-cured bacon a few times, and each time, the bacon wouldn't crisp up when cooked.... Am I doing something wrong? I know that some people prefer chewy bacon, and sometimes I do, but sometimes I want a little crunch!

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 03:18

I use a dry cure and a rather long cure time and typically 8 hours of cold smoke before I finish it with some heat to about 150°F. The slices need to be turned often for even frying. I get a crisp fat and a chewy lean. I use the layer of fat and muscle from the skin side of the shoulder butts.
With commercial bacon I find that it has enough water in it that is boils before it fries. I have also had commercial bacon start to spoil when opened but kept wrapped.
You can't get bacon to brown until all of the free water has evaporated because the water boiling will hold the temperature down.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 03:33

If you prefer very crispy bacon, use medium heat, choose thinner slices to fry, and pour off the fat as it accumulates in the skillet. Cook it slowly, turning it often, to render the most fat and help reduce shrinkage. Pricking the bacon with a fork will help reduce curling. Drain breakfast bacon on paper towels, reserving the rendered fat, as it is esteemed for its flavor as cooking oil. Pour it through a fine sieve into a glass container, then cover and store it inside a refrigerator or freezer for future use.

Plan ahead and take bacon out of the refrigerator thirty minutes before cooking it. The slices should separate easily and for smaller amounts, a black iron skillet is ideal for it's frying. However, bacon can burn in the blink of an eye in any utensil, and it's important to turn it often. Older bacon will cook and burn almost twice as quickly as fresh bacon. For perfectly crisp, evenly cooked bacon with no hassle, bake it! Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. then lay out slices in a pre-heated black skillet and bake it for five or six minutes.

Most of us cook bacon by frying it inside a pan. Working chefs, who must often cook up a lot of it, favor oven roasting because the bacon may be left largely unattended inside the oven and often they use a large, rimmed baking sheet, placing it in the middle of the oven. A rim 3/4" high is shallow enough to promote browning, yet tall enough to contain rendered bacon fat. Professionals save time by placing bacon into an oven before it reaches 400 degrees. Roast bacon until it's fat begins to render in about 5 or 6 minutes, then rotate the pan front-to-back. When it has cooked, transfer the bacon with tongs, to a paper towel-lined plate, drain the excess fat and serve it immediately. Oven baking allows a larger margin of error (a couple of minutes) than the fry pan over a flame when it comes to timing. Bacon strips are cooked more consistently in an oven and when part of the bacon is done, all of it is done - there are no raw or burnt spots.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Dave Zac · Post by **Dave Zac** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 14:19

I prefer bacon between crispy and chewy. We always bake our bacon for many reasons CW states above. We turn the oven on to 350 and put the bacon in the oven. Plenty of time to putter around the kitchen while getting things together and it never burns. 10 minutes or so and we're done.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 17:21

Most short order cooks use the deep fat fryer to fry bacon.
Because of the nature of the cut I use my fried bacon is never crisp to the point that it can be broken. Usually more like this:

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 18:08

We are still leaving the question open.
Is there a significant difference in the bacon on your plate if it has been dry cured versus brine cured?
I have two butts left and I will cut the slabs from each and brine cure one and dry cure the other. I will smoke them over the same hickory fire. Then I will fry them in the same skillet at the same time.
I will keep records of the details.

jbk101 · Post by **jbk101** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 19:22

Ross
I am interested in your results as I am sure Story28 will be in your little experiment! As a rookie bacon maker (two tries with good results -Brine Cured) Would love to see you post both the recipes and the process that you will use. We could learn a lot I'm Sure I know I will

I know that I have been looking for a Dry Cured recipe and have been wanted to try some myself just have not been brave enough just yet. This just might take me over the edge

Thanks,
John

Post by **Butterbean** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 16:46

I can't notice a difference between brine and dry cured myself. I think it has more to do with the thickness than the method itself but that's just my opinion.

DLFL · Post by **DLFL** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 17:16

At the price of frying oil I would have to admonish anyone working for me who put bacon in a deep fryer. Animal fat burns at a much lower heat than the vegetable frying oils. There is a lack of knowledge in the workers in food service industry for sure.

story28 · Post by **story28** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 22:49

I like your style CW - spoken like a true chef! I'm also a bacon baker. I tend to place an additional sheet of parchment on top along with another sheet try to keep the bacon pressed so it stays flat.

Let me know how the experiment goes Ross.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 00:21

keep in mind that I will not be pumping the bacon. Just a brine immersion with a target of 2% salt pickup and .2% cure#1 pick up and 1% sugar.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 02:56

I have two slabs of about two pounds each starting their cures.
Slab "A" 2.25 pounds in brine consisting of :
24 ounces of water
72 grams of salt
10 grams of cure #1
60 grams of sugar
1 Tablespoon of molassas

Slab "B" with a "dry rub" consisting of:
2 pounds rubbed with:
18 grams of salt
2.5 grams of cure#1
15 grams of sugar
1 teaspoon of molassas

I still need to know the rate of cure uptake for a target that will match the dry cure versus the brine. My usual dwell time for a dry cure is two weeks. The brine is by calculation 50°. I don't have a graduate cylinder big enough for the salinometer.

Edit to add : the local time is 9:15 pm local time. what is wrong with the web site clock?

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 17:16

In light of the post by Chuckwagon this morning on the legal nitrite levels and the writings of Stanley Marianski saying that cure solution penetration is generally accepted as one week per inch or 3½ days per pound, I will err on the side of caution and allow one week in the brine followed by a rinse and another week in the bag waiting for the dry cure slab to finish. I always allow two weeks for the dry cure pieces.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 06:17

Thanks Ross. I posted "How To Calculate Legal Limits Of Nitrite" at this location: http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?p=9236#9236
It has drawn some good remarks. Sure hope it helps.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Baconologist · Post by **Baconologist** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 06:57

I favor dry-cured bacon that's cold smoked and sliced thin, cooked in a way that ensures even-cooking for best flavor and crispiness.

On top of the stove I use a cast iron pan and a pre-heated bacon weight, being extra careful to not crowd the pan.

My favorite way to cook bacon is in the oven between two half or full sheet pans.

I don't like to pour off the fat during cooking because in my experience it limits flavor. I do soak up all excess grease after cooking with paper towels.

Bob

Different textures of cooked bacon - brined vs. dry cured.

Different textures of cooked bacon - brined vs. dry cured.

The test begins!