We are all aware of the magical regenerative powers a bacon sandwich can do the morning after a night out. The comedian Al Murray speaks of why bacon proves the existence of God (check it out here). But nothing annoys me more than piss poor cheap bacon with injected water. When you look in the pack it shouldn't have that rainbow sheen on the surface in the light, like oil on water. Shop bought bacon often contains a % of water to increase the weight and aid the distribution of additional preservatives that are injected into the meat. The horrid white foam that appears during cooking is full of sodium ascorbate, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrite and other antioxidants, ..these are not required if you make your own bacon.
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What is back bacon?
The name is misleading as only part of back bacon comes from the back of the pig. Back bacon is a cut of the pig that includes part of the loin and belly and is far leaner than streaky bacon due to the absence of the fat layers in the belly. In visual terms it is mix of Canadian Bacon (pork loin) and American Bacon (pork belly). This is a traditional British cut that has led to specific breeds being bred in the UK. It is the UK history of pig breeding that means that british bacon looks and tastes different to other countries where the lineage has more of history of wild boar in the DNA makeup. (Famous british pig breeds for back bacon are the Tamworth and Yorkshire) You can ask your butcher for this cut. |
INGREDIENTS
- Pork cut of the loin and belly (ask your butcher). if it comes with the ribs then cut these off and keep for spare ribs!)
- Craft Cookhouse Basic Dry Cure (see recipe here)
- White wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
- Craft Cookhouse Basic Dry Cure (see recipe here)
- White wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
DAY 1
Prep your pork by washing it under cold water and drying with a clean kitchen towel or kitchen roll.
Try to trim the meat so you have no overhanging areas or flaps. This is important for later. You can use the offcuts in other cooking.
Cut your pork to fit in the food container or fridge drawer (these are brilliant if taken over for curing and assuming you've cleaned and dried it). This is now your meat curing chamber!
Sprinkle some of the dry bacon cure (see CHARCUTERIE RECIPES above) over the base of the fridge drawer (or food storage container). The base does NOT need to covered in a thick blanket at all.
Put your pork on top of the first layer of dry cure.....
.....and scatter a small handful over the top and gently rub in.
If doing 2 or 3 pieces, just repeat the process of layer cure and meat and gently rubbing the cure into the meat.
Alternatively if there is room just put side by side and sprinkle with the cure and give a gentle rubbing in.
Cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge.
Or if using a food container, close it up and pop in the fridge.
NOW THE CURING PROCESS STARTS....
DAY 2
On day 2 you will see liquid in your container or fridge curing drawer that has leached from your meat, this is the salt in the cure drawing it out. This is all part of the curing process so don't be alarmed.
Pour the salty liquid away down the sink. There will be some cure left stuck to the bottom. Leave this there.
Pour the salty liquid away down the sink. There will be some cure left stuck to the bottom. Leave this there.
Take your dry bacon cure again and sprinkle another handful on the base, re-stack your pork if doing more than one piece (moving bottom one to the top) giving them a sprinkling of the cure between the layers and on top. You are looking to rotate and flip the sides so that each side has ample time in the dry cure.
Recover with clingfim / reseal food container and place back in fridge.
REPEAT THE PROCESS FOR ANOTHER 3 DAYS (4 DAYS IN TOTAL)
On DAY 4, remove the meat and wash gently under running water. You are looking to gently wash off any residual salt and sugar granules here, no need to get overly obsessive with scrubbing any other parts of the cure off.
Pat dry with clean tea towel.
Now take your white wine vinegar and with a pastry brush or clean cloth wipe the meat over on all sides with the vinegar.
You can cure it for longer (up to a couple of weeks) repeating the process and it will keep for longer. It will also become much saltier in taste.
Pat dry with clean tea towel.
Now take your white wine vinegar and with a pastry brush or clean cloth wipe the meat over on all sides with the vinegar.
You can cure it for longer (up to a couple of weeks) repeating the process and it will keep for longer. It will also become much saltier in taste.
Now hang your bellies using either a meat comb or a meat hook, or tie up with some butchers string. I've even used old metal coat hangers before (sterilise before use by boiling in a pan of water). Please see my TIPS on hanging your meat.
Leave this to hang for 3-5 days, in a cool area, out of direct sunlight, where there is some air movement, and not touching anything. I hang mine in the kitchen near the back door. See TIPS for more tips on hanging your meat.
You may be fearful of flies during the summer etc but if you have trimmed your meat and left no crevices or flaps then you should be fine. Check it daily. If you do happen to see any fly eggs, don't worry, you can wash them off with white wine vinegar. This acts as a natural disinfectant and is antibacterial and doesn't harm the meat.
Don't be squeamish about leaving it out of the fridge. The secret is to find a cool area out of direct sunlight. Bacon was being made back in 1500BC. Refrigeration, as we know it was only invented in 1805 and wasn't widespread till the late 1940's. Before then meat would be stored in cool dark places or meat cabinets, and curing or smoking meat would act as a way of preserving it.
Leave this to hang for 3-5 days, in a cool area, out of direct sunlight, where there is some air movement, and not touching anything. I hang mine in the kitchen near the back door. See TIPS for more tips on hanging your meat.
You may be fearful of flies during the summer etc but if you have trimmed your meat and left no crevices or flaps then you should be fine. Check it daily. If you do happen to see any fly eggs, don't worry, you can wash them off with white wine vinegar. This acts as a natural disinfectant and is antibacterial and doesn't harm the meat.
Don't be squeamish about leaving it out of the fridge. The secret is to find a cool area out of direct sunlight. Bacon was being made back in 1500BC. Refrigeration, as we know it was only invented in 1805 and wasn't widespread till the late 1940's. Before then meat would be stored in cool dark places or meat cabinets, and curing or smoking meat would act as a way of preserving it.