Maple Bacon
Slightly sweet, slightly salty, 100% delicious!
Servings: 16 slices
Ingredients
- 5 Pounds Pork Belly
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1 tsp pink salt Prague Powder #1
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the cure ingredients. This includes kosher salt, maple syrup, dark brown sugar and Prague Powder #1 (pink curing salt).
- Next, you need a pork belly. These can be hard to come by, but I have found them at both Sam's Club and Costco. If you are not a member of a warehouse club, you can order them from your butcher.
- Coat the belly with half of the cure, rub it in. Then flip and coat the other side. Place the belly into a zip top bag, making sure to pour the remaining cure into the bag.
- Refrigerate for 1 week, making sure to flip the bag every day. Make sure to massage the meat each time you flip.
- After a week, remove the belly from the bag and rinse. Pat dry and then place on a rack and refrigerate for another 12 to 24 hours. This will allow the meat to get tacky and allow for more smoke absorption.
- The next day, start your smoker and set it to 190-225 degrees. Add hickory wood for flavor. If you want you can use any flavor wood that you want. I just love hickory! Try to keep it within that temperature.
- Insert a probe thermometer and cook the belly until it hits 150 degrees internal temperature.
- Once the pork belly is fully cooked, it is magically transformed to BACON!!!!!
- Cool and store in a sealed container for up to one week in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to three months. Slice as needed.