bacon

[Ognen]

It was from the back and should have been (sob, sob) back bacon!! It will all have to go into Boston bean casseroles I am afraid.

[Thurston Garden]

Ah, sorry, I thought it was belly you had been using with the HFW recipe. W used it successfully, but it was a little salty which as I said earlier I put down to th modern pallete....

[Stonehead]

Salt pork is much fattier than bacon, should never be smoked, usually doesn't have much in the way of flavourings (molasses, honey etc) and is much saltier. So if you used fatty cuts, a cure that was entirely salt and sugar, and left it for too long then you were well on the way to salt pork!

Bacon should have a high proportion of meat and, even as a wet cure, should be allowed to dry out. After removing ours from the cure (which must be just above freezing - about 2C), we pat it dry, wrap it in clean muslin and hang it up to dry for a couple of weeks before using it. Ageing is critical to the development of good flavour.

We use older cures with a lot of salt, which means we don't need to refrigerate our bacon once it's been properly cured as it will last for months in cooler weather (up to 15C or so). If you're using modern cures or are keeping it in warmer months or climates, then you MUST refrigerate.

If you're using salt pork, you need to blanch it in boiling water first - at least 30 minutes. We had potage made with a joint of salted pork last week and it was delicious!

If using bacon made using older cures, either use less of it or soak the slices in cold water for an hour or so before use. Then pat dry and use.

Finally, the flavour will also be affected by the breed of pig. We've found Tamworths and Gloucester Old Spots make superb "bacon" tasting bacon, but Saddlebacks and Berkshire/Tamworth crosses make a more porky tasting bacon (although still good). All make excellent salt pork.

You also need pigs that are not stressed, with good dark meat. Pale, soft pork that's lacking in firmness makes terrible bacon and mediocre salt pork.

[Ognen]

Hi Stonehead,

Not sure what our girls are but they are long pale ones!! The meat is certainly lovely. It is dark meat with a good flavour. I soaked the salted bit and used it with some shoulder and some belly and made some superb pork pies. Very chuffed! So all is not lost.

[WaltA]

We use older cures with a lot of salt, which means we don't need to refrigerate our bacon once it's been properly cured as it will last for months in cooler weather (up to 15C or so). If you're using modern cures or are keeping it in warmer months or climates, then you MUST refrigerate.

Hi Stonehead,
I am a beginner to bacon cureing,
I have done 5 pieces of pork->bacon with what I think is a modern cure (30g/kg) introduced to me by a friend via another website/forum.
(very sucessfull, very nice ! )

Now I think I would like to branch out and try some other cures
so I wonder if you have any links/guidance etc to your traditional method ?
Thanks,,

[John Headstrong]

I found this blog post

http://www.bsbrewing.com/blog/?p=261&

warning this link is not safe for vegetarians and will make you drool.

[ina]

warning this link is not safe for vegetarians

???? What do you mean by that?

[Rohen]

It means if youre like me and youre a vegetarian at your parents( because they wont let you buy meat) who is a repressed carnivore or an excarnivore who liked the odd bacon sarnie/ buttie/ midnight snack that the blog post will make you salivate and go out and buy bacon to eat even if you disagree with modern farming methods and how our meat these days is sourced or even if you think killing animals is wrong.