Homemade Bacon with Rum
“This Big Daddy Smoked Bacon is perfectly flavored with Don Papa sipping rum.”
At Smokey Goodness we’re definitely epicureans a.k.a hedonists. When we go the hedonistic route, we go for the full monty! More and more bon vivants are discovering the beauty of “sipping rums”, a distillate so delicious you wouldn’t even think of adding coke to it. Just pure enjoyment of the finest flavors! And what’s even better? Not only can you drink it, but its dark spices and sweetness make it perfect for flavoring charcuterie, like smoked bacon. And that’s exactly what we’ve done in this homemade smoked bacon recipe for Big Daddy Bacon with Don Papa Rum. It’s an amazing bacon recipe that can be smoked warm or cold. Ready to get fat with us? Keep reading!
The ingredients:
(4 personen)
- 3 kg pork belly without rind (1 piece)
Wet cure
- 100 g nitrite brine salt (3.5% of meat weight)
- 60 g brown sugar (2% by meat weight)
- 90 ml rum (such as Don Papa)
- 16 pieces of star anise
- 3 tbsp Allspice (Jamaica Pepper)
Gear:
- Vacuum Bag & Machine or Large Sealable Plastic Bag
- meat hook
- BBQ or smoker for indirect grilling (for hot smoking) or a smoker with smoke dust or smoker with smoking wood (for cold smoking)
- Core Thermometer
- Sharp Knife or Meat Slicer
How to make:
Duration: 2 to 3 weeks
Preparation: 30 minutes
Ready to start on your project for homemade bacon with rum?
Start by mixing all the ingredients for the wet cure in a bowl until you get a kind of paste. Next, place the pork belly in a vacuum bag or plastic bag, then add the cure.
Rub all parts of the pork belly in well with the cure. By rubbing it into the bag, you can be sure that all the salt ends up in the bag (and not on your work surface or cutting board) and the ratio of brine salt and meat remains balanced.
Then, vacuum seal the bag or push as much air as possible out of the plastic bag and put the pork belly in the fridge. Let it sit in the wet cure for a period of 10 days to 2 weeks, flipping the meat every few days.
After 10 to 14 days
After 10 to 14 days, remove the pickled pork belly from the bag and rinse it carefully under running water. Pat it dry with a tea towel and hang the meat on a meat hook in the refrigerator to dry it well all day long. By drying the meat before smoking, the smoke will soak into the meat better and you will get a better taste and appearance.
After a day of drying, you have the choice to smoke the pork belly cold or hot.
Smoking hot! If you are going to smoke it hot, you also give the meat a cooking, so it is a bit softer in texture and you can eat it immediately after smoking.
Cold smoking? If you want to cold smoke the bacon, it will take a little longer and you will have to let it dry for a while after smoking.
How to smoke it warm or cold
Hot smoking: prepare a smoker or BBQ for indirect grilling at 130 °C. Place the meat on the BBQ or in the smoker and smoke it for about 3 1/2 hours, until it has a core temperature of 62 °C. After smoking, you can immediately eat the smoked bacon hot or let it cool down.
Cold smoking: prepare a smokehouse for smoking with smoke dust. Hang the meat in it and let the smoke dust smolder and smoke for a total of 36 hours.
This can also be three times 8 hours during the day and leave the meat hanging at night.
After smoking, hang the meat away and let it dry out for another 1 week. The smoky flavor will then infuse the entire pork belly. Then cut the smoked bacon into thin slices with a meat slicer or sharp knife and consume as preferred!
Time to enjoy your homemade smoked bacon with rum!
