So I tried my hand for the first time making bacon. Purchased a 13# belly at Costco and split it in to two slabs. Followed the recipe to the letter for a Maple Brown sugar cure. Cured for 7 days. Smoked it at 165 for approx 6 hours to 155 degrees. Finally tried it today and it had a really good flavor but was way too salty. Not sure what I did wrong or is that just what homemade bacon should taste like.
by Dtactic
2 Comments
Hey! It looks like you posted an image!
If this is a photo of one of your cooks, maybe share the recipe and techniques
used, as it’s almost guaranteed one of the first questions you will be asked!
*What seasoning did you use?
*How long did you cook it, and at what temperature?
*Did you use any special tricks or techniques?
Traeger on!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Traeger) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think that most recipes result in bacon that is way too salty. For streaky / belly that thin I cure for 4 days and dry for one prior to smoking. The only time I do a 7 day cure is for middle or loin. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your recipes until you find a result that you like. Less curing time, higher sugar:salt ratio, add a dry out day between the final cure and the smoking etc. Also, make sure that you do a thorough clean of the meat between curing and smoking. You don’t want any salt residue still on the meat when you do the smoking. Keep experimenting until you find YOUR perfect recipe.