Bacon is made from fresh pork which has been cured (preserved with salt) so
that it will keep for longer. There are two main methods of curing:

Dry Curing
This is the oldest method and each farmhouse would have its own recipe and a
slab of bacon would be kept in the inglenook above the fireplace. From Saxon
times pigs were fattened in oak forests on mast (acorns) during Autumn and
cured to provide meat for the family in winter months. Bacon formed part of
the rations for long distance sea journeys, heavy salting preserved the meat
from spoiling, but by the time it reached the Americas it was tough and more
like boot leather than bacon as we know it today.

Wet Curing
The term 'Wet-cure' means to immerse in a liquid brine (a salt and saltpeter
solution containing useful salt tolerant bacteria) for 3 to 4 days. This is
a much milder form of curing, and the meat is cured in the brine under
refrigeration. As meat keeps fresh longer at lower temperatures it does not
require so much salt. The Wiltshire Cure (Wet-cure) was developed by the
Harris family of Calne, Wiltshire in the United Kingdom, and was
revolutionary in its time (1840's). As there were no refrigerators in those
days, they used to pack the roof with winter ice to lower the temperature

Unfortunately 'mass produced' bacon today is not only immersed in liquid but
pumped with water and phosphates to speed up the process and add yield. The
more supermarkets squeezed their vendors on price, the more water has been
added. True flavor has been sacrificed for profit.

This is the wet-cure process.

Ingredients

Making your own bacon at home is not difficult. You will need pork belly and
a brine of some sort. The most important ingredients are salt and TIME.

Pork Belly
Use the belly meat from the back of the belly (closest to the loin). This is
the meatiest part of the belly as opposed to the meat that comes off the
front of the belly, which is a little skimpy as it has to be pulled off of
the ribs.
Begin with fresh bellies that have been chilled to about 42 degrees F within
24 to 30 hours after slaughter. If the fresh bellies are purchased from a
commercial source, they will have been properly chilled. If the source is
farm slaughter, take care to chill them rapidly. Do not stack warm bellies
during the chilling process, and begin curing within 48 hours after
slaughter.
Trim the bellies to the desired shape. This is typically square or
rectangular, and will enable you to cut uniform slices of bacon from the
belly once it has been cured and smoked.

Brine (Wet-cure)
A brine has 2 main ingredients: Salt and Sugar. Salt is the primary
ingredient, with sugar added to offset some of the salt's harshness, and to
keep the meat more moist and soft during aging. One of the reasons that
bacon keeps so long is that it's been both brined and smoked. The salt in
the brine is used to pull moisture out of the meat. The less moisture that's
in the meat, the more inhospitable it is to bacteria, that cause spoilage.
Brining also prepares the meat for smoking, which has preservative powers of
its own. Smoke also brings a lot of flavor, aroma, and color to your bacon.
Nitrates and nitrites are often included as anti-bacterial agents as they
are particularly effective against the deadly botulism organism. They also
ensure a nice pink color on the meat.
Whereas there are many brine recipes out there, there are also several
commercially prepared brines available for purchase. These brines have your
basic salt and sugar and some have added spices and flavoring to give a
characteristic flavor, aroma or appearance.

We use a Maple cure, that is available from 'The SausageMaker'
(www.sausagemaker.com). We do not follow the instructions that come with
this cure, but rather use 10 ounces of cure to 2 gallons of water. Make
enough brine to fill a non-reactive container that allows you to completely
submerse your pork bellies. (2 Gallons of brine is about right for 2 x
3-pound pork bellies)

Curing
Place the container with the submerged pork bellies (use plates to weigh
down the bellies if they float to the top of the water) in the refrigerator
for 4 days. Overhaul the meat in the container each day.
It is important that the temperature of the refrigerator is kept at a
constant 38F. Temperatures lower than 36F will cause the curing action to
stop. Temperatures above 40F will cause the meat to spoil.

Preparation for Smoking
Rinse the pork bellies with fresh water, and dry thoroughly with paper
towels. Before you smoke the bellies, you must further dry them so that a
pellicle forms on the outside of the meat. A pellicle forms as a result of
the cure pulling water soluble proteins up to the surface of the meat. When
these proteins dry, they form a shiny, sticky coating over the meat, which
will absorb the smoke much better. The meat will not take smoke until the
surface is dry. If the meat is smoked when still damp, it will be smudgy,
not rich in color and not taste as good.
To achieve this, elevate the meat on cooling racks and set up a household
fan to blow over it and help speed up the drying process. Turn the meat over
halfway through the drying process. The length of time it takes to dry
depends on the meat, the relative humidity and the speed of the fan. As a
guideline about 30 minutes on each side should do it. You should notice the
meat take on a surface sheen which is an indication that the pellicle has
formed.

Source of Wood for Smoke
Use only hardwood sawdust or chips for smoking. Resinous evergreen wood will
impart an undesirable flavor. Here are a few wood options that we like:

Apple Slightly sweet, fruity smoke that is mild , but capable of flavoring
bacon

Cherry Slightly sweet, fruity smoke that is mild , but capable of flavoring
bacon

Hickory Strong hearty taste

Oak Strong, earthy smoke for a robust bacon

Maple Sweet smoke - good for bacon you will eat with pancakes

Smoking
Hang the pork bellies on bacon hangers in the smoker. Bacon hangers can also
be purchased from 'The Sausagemaker' (www.sausagemaker.com). Alternatively
you can make your own, using a piece of non-resinous wood material about
2-inches wide, 1/2-inch thick, and 12-inches long. Space four or five No. 6
galvanized nails along the board. Make a hanger from No. 9 galvanized wire
and fasten the one end to the middle of the piece of wood.
We like to cold-smoke the meat at a low temperature over a long period of
time. This ensures that you get the maximum smoke penetration and gives you
a rich color on the meat. Try to keep the temperature of the smoker between
80F and 100F. When you start going above this the surface of the meat will
start to seal and the smoke will no longer penetrate the meat. Smoke the
meat for about 8 hours, or until you are happy with the color.

Handling the Finished Product
Remove the rind if it was not already removed when you got the meat. This is
made easier if you allow the bacon to sit in the refrigerator overnight and
firm up. Slice the bacon to your desired thickness. We use an electric meat
slicer to yield uniform pieces, but if you have a lot of time and patience
on your hands you can do this manually. This is made easier by slightly
freezing the bacon first.
Bacon cured and smoked in this fashion is perishable and needs to be frozen
or stored in a refrigerator until eaten.
Loose slices of uncooked bacon should be vacuum-packed or wrapped very
tightly in cling film so that no air can get in. Do not use greaseproof
paper, as the bacon will dry out. Loose bacon can be stored in the
refrigerator for up to eight days and in the freezer for 3 months. If you
plan on freezing the bacon, it will keep it's fresh flavor a lot longer if
it is not sliced.
Enjoy
Chef R. W. Miller
Marriott Hotels & Resorts
"Matt NYC" > wrote in message
m...
> All--
>
> I was looking for reasonably priced logs in my area (NYC/Long Island)
> and came across this link. It breaks down the different types of wood
> into how hard they are to split, how hot they burn, how much
> smoke/spark they produce, etc....
>
> It may be handy to others out there, so here it is......
>
> http://www.mb-soft.com/juca/print/firewood.html
>
>
> Matt in NYC
>

chef_rwmiller wrote:

> Brine (Wet-cure)
> A brine has 2 main ingredients: Salt and Sugar. Salt is the primary
> ingredient, with sugar added to offset some of the salt's harshness,
> and to keep the meat more moist and soft during aging. One of the
> reasons that bacon keeps so long is that it's been both brined and
> smoked. The salt in the brine is used to pull moisture out of the
> meat.


Oops, you lost all credibility with the last sentence.

Brining dehydrates? I don't think so. I know not.

Brought to you by the chicken that goes, "Squirt",
TFM®

"The Fat Man®" > wrote in message
om...
> chef_rwmiller wrote:
>
> > Brine (Wet-cure)
> > A brine has 2 main ingredients: Salt and Sugar. Salt is the primary
> > ingredient, with sugar added to offset some of the salt's harshness,
> > and to keep the meat more moist and soft during aging. One of the
> > reasons that bacon keeps so long is that it's been both brined and
> > smoked. The salt in the brine is used to pull moisture out of the
> > meat.
>
>
> Oops, you lost all credibility with the last sentence.
>
> Brining dehydrates? I don't think so. I know not.
>
> Brought to you by the chicken that goes, "Squirt",

How 'bout his first sentence? A brine is water and salt, everything else is
adjuncts...

-Hound who only uses sugar in Chubs' brine

--
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

"The Fat Man®" > wrote in message
om...
> chef_rwmiller wrote:
>
> > Brine (Wet-cure)
> > A brine has 2 main ingredients: Salt and Sugar. Salt is the primary
> > ingredient, with sugar added to offset some of the salt's harshness,
> > and to keep the meat more moist and soft during aging. One of the
> > reasons that bacon keeps so long is that it's been both brined and
> > smoked. The salt in the brine is used to pull moisture out of the
> > meat.
>
>
> Oops, you lost all credibility with the last sentence.
>
> Brining dehydrates? I don't think so. I know not.
>
> Brought to you by the chicken that goes, "Squirt",
> TFM®


Salt will dry meat, but that is a curing/drying process, not a brining
process. There is a difference. Hams are often dry cured with salt, and of
course beef can be also.

Below is from Kit Anderson:
==> 7) What does brining do to the chicken meat ?

Kit: It draws water into the meat and starts
crosslinking (coagulation, cooking) of the
cellular proteins. This raises the temp at
which the cells breakdown losing their moisture.
Hence, juicer meat. The flavor is also enhanced.