Look, if you're serious about smoking food, you *have* to make homemade smoked bacon at least once. Yes, it is a process. But it's not actually that hard. And the bacon? Yeah—it's freaking awesome.
The "hardest" part of making homemade bacon on the smoker is waiting out the 7-day curing process. But other than that: it's as simple as making your "rub" (a cure, in this case) and smoking a big slab of pork belly. It's easy. And damn delicious.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- Pork Belly — I'm using a 3.5 pound of Swift pork belly that I picked up from Costco, skin removed.
- Prague Powder #1 — This is the curing salt we're using to make the bacon safe to eat.
- Kosher Salt & Brown Sugar — A nice balance of savory and sweet to bring out the natural flavors of the pork.
- Maple Syrup — Who doesn't love maple-smoked bacon?
- Garlic Paste & Black Pepper — I love my bacon with a peppery-flavor, and the garlic elevates it just a bit.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SMOKED BACON
@grillfrenzy Homemade bacon on the @Traeger Grills #bacon #foodtiktok #bbq #grilling ♬ Just like Heaven - The Cure
1. Make the Cure
In a bowl, add the the Prague Powder #1, kosher salt, brown sugar, garlic paste, maple syrup, and cracked black pepper, and give it a really good stir until it turns into a thick paste.
2. Cure the Pork Belly
Take your pork belly and pat it dry with paper towels. Then, rub the cure mixture evenly all over the pork belly, making sure to get every inch. Place the cured pork belly in a large resealable or vacuum-seal bag, and toss it in the fridge for 7 days. While it's curing in the fridge, flip the bag one per day to make sure the cure is getting evenly distributed.
3. Develop the Pellicle
After the 7 days are up, take the pork belly out of the fridge and remove it from the bag. Run it under cold water to remove any extra cure. The pat the pork belly completely dry with paper towels and place it on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Then you're going to put it *back* in the refrigerator for another 12-24 hours—this helps develop the "pellicile" or tacky outer layer which allows the smoke to adhere to the pork while it's on the smoker.
4. Smoke the Pork Belly
Smoke the pork belly at 170F until it hits an internal temperature of 155F. This took me about six hours. I used apple flavored pellets for a nice sweet smoky flavor.
5. Chill and Slice
When the pork belly is done cooking, place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes to let it chill. This will make it easier to slice. When you're ready, use a sharp knife to slice the pork belly into bacon-sized pieces. I love thick-cut bacon so I cut mine pretty thick.
6. Crisp the Bacon
To finish, add your sliced bacon to a ripping hot pan and crisp it up on each side. Serve the bacon as-is, with a side of scrambled eggs, or add them to your favorite smash burger. Enjoy!
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Pellet Choice — Again, I used apple pellets for this smoke, which came out really nice. Cherry pellets would be a good choice too, anything sweet and fruity.
- Storage — You can store any unused bacon in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to three months.
Homemade Smoked Bacon
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork belly
- 1.5 tsp Prague Powder #1
- 4 tbsp coarse kosher salt
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Mix Prague Powder #1, kosher salt, brown sugar, garlic paste, maple syrup, and black pepper to form a cure.
- Rub the cure evenly over all sides of the pork belly. Seal in a bag and refrigerate for 7 days, flipping daily.
- Rinse the pork belly and pat dry. Refrigerate uncovered for 12-24 hours to develop a pellicle.
- Smoke the pork belly at 165-170°F until it reaches an internal temperature of 155°F (about 5-6 hours).
- Let cool completely, then slice to desired thickness.
- Fry slices in a skillet until crispy and enjoy!
Notes
- Pellet Choice — Again, I used apple pellets for this smoke, which came out really nice. Cherry pellets would be a good choice too, anything sweet and fruity. Â
- Storage — You can store any unused bacon in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to three months.Â
