Smoked Bacon

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cure Time: 5 to 7 Days
Smoke Time: 3 to 6 Hours

Ingredients

• 14 lbs. pork belly
• 1 bag charcoal
• 1 bag maple or apple smoking chips
• 2 zippered freezer bags, 11-inches by 10.75-inches, heavy duty

Method

1. Lay out your massive slab of pork belly, remove the skin and divide in two. This should give you two portions of 7 lbs. each. This will also fit better into the big ziploc bags.
2. For the plain bacon, combine the sugar, molasses, salt, Bone Dust, and curing salt in a bowl. Pour half of this mixture over the first pork belly and massage it into the meat. Flip the rubbed belly over and massage the rest of the rub into the meat, making sure to get the sides and ends. (If you want just plain bacon double the plain recipe and repeat this process.)
3. For the maple bacon, combine the salt, curing salt packed brown sugar and maple syrup in a bowl. It will make a paste-y substance, not like the plain rub. Massage half of the mixture into one side of the second pork belly, and half into the other side of the same belly. (Double and repeat if you are doing all maple bacon instead.)

4. Place both portions of pork belly into the oversized freezer bags. Seal them tightly and place into the fridge.
5. Flip the bags of bacon daily for 5 to 7 days. You will notice an accumulation of liquid in the bags. That is something you want. The rubs are drawing out the moisture. That is what makes supermarket bacon shrivel and curl. At the end of the curing period, the pork bellies should be firm.
6. When you're ready to make bacon, remove the pork from the bags, discarding any of the liquids left over. Rinse and dry the pork and lay it out until your grill is ready.

7. Preheat your grill to 200°F, and fill a Napoleon Smoker Tube with wood chips, or preheat your Apollo Smoker to 200°F. Smoke the bacon for 3 to 6 hours, until a meat thermometer shows 150°F in the thickest part of the meat.

8. Allow the pork to cool and slice it. Divide your slices into servings depending on your family size. Package by wrapping the servings in tin foil, or in smaller ziploc bags. Freeze. Allow each serving to thaw before frying.

*Curing salt can be purchased at the butcher when you get the meat. You may have to call ahead. You can also purchase your curing salt online from specialty retailers and even Amazon.