Pork Belly?

[jason]

Wow I just procured two 13 lbs pork bellies from Costco, and I want to ge your ideas on how to prepare them in the smokenator! All thoughts are welcome. The wife wants some bacon from it, so if you have ideas on that too I'd appreciate it.

[ncsmoker]

Jason have been making my own bacon using the SN since I got it. I posted pictures of it in S-view. I'll be glad to share my recipe with you. You will need to acquire some sodium nitrite for the cure, it is available on the web. It is maple cured, apple smoked, something you can't get in the grocery store.

Did it come with the skin on or off. If on take it off for anything but the bacon. Then smoke it like for ribs smoking it to 160 degrees, that is plenty. It will be rich so a little will go a long way.

I would throw the one you want to use for bacon in the freezer, till you get all the ingredients.

Here is the bacon recipe: www.willowcreeksugarhouse.com/uploads/Maple_Cured_Apple_Wood_Smoked_Bacon.pdf Note it is for 5 lbs you will need to multiply each ingredient by 13/5 or 2.6 for your 13 lb. bellies.

I get maple sugar from here instead of using brown sugar: www.vermontpuremaple.com/buy_maple_sugar.htmd I get 5lbs. as my wife and I use it in other things. I will use it in my rubs.

www.sausagemaker.com/Insta-Cure-1-4-oz-p/11-1010.htm This is the where I get the sodium nitrite. They have larger quantities if your going to make bacon a hobby from here on out. It doesn't take much of this for each batch of bacon.

For the maple syrup I get it the same place as the maple sugar. I use there B grade it is more flavorful than the A grades.

Now comes setting up the SN. Fill it full like you normally would. Then remove only 4 coals. Light these and replace them. Open the vents only a 1/16" open less if possible, barely crack them especially the bottom one. You should get a temp of 180 or 190. Keep a the apple smoke on the bacon till it reads 150 degrees. Depending on the outside temp it will take from 6-10 hours.

Tom

[jason]

Tom, you're amazing! Have you ever done belly uncured? Can I smoke it like I would a boston butt?

[ncsmoker]

Yes but I don't take it to the pulled pork state as it has so much more fat than a boston butt has. I will smoke it to about 160 and serve it up in bite sized chunks. It is very rich and tender served that way. A little goes a long ways. I will serve it with a salad that will counter balance it's sweetness and fattiness, or cook it with some green beans and onions as a main course. It is really meant to be made into bacon. LOL You can look into recipes at Bon Appetit, Saveur, and other magazines on what they are doing with pork belly and try to adapt them to smoking.