Enjoy! I’ve left the recipe as is, but noted how you could add nitrite if you wish. Sprinkle some soaked hickory chips over the coals, and then also put a foil packet of soaked chips (with a few holes poked in the top) on top of the coals. If that didn’t scare you off, then you must be my kind of people. a good splash of apple cider vinegar. You really want to coat every surface very thickly, or else the salt may not draw enough moisture from the meat. It is much easier to hot smoke, some bbqs can be used, or two woks. Allegedly, this helps smoke adhere better, and improves shelf life by keeping oxygen away from the fat. The saltiness of properly cured and smoked mellows out after a few days, especially after the bacon … We did it for less than this, around 15 days for our large pigs. Once the meat has finished aging, rinse the salt off and leave it to hang and dry. Most people think of  nitrates and nitrites as modern preservatives of today’s unhealthy processed food. A bone-out leg of pork can be taken out after 4 days, or left for 8 days if the bone is in. I leave it on. A quick safety note; you must keep your bacon under 38º the entire cure! Cover the base of a large food-safe container with salt (around one inch of it). First you will need to trim off any excess flaps of meat on the leg of pork. They let it “cure” for a couple of hours, and then package it up. For bacon, a good choice would be the five gallon plastic food storage buckets that are very easy to find. This can be done by dehydration, as in jerky. Just because it is “cured” and we call it bacon, doesn’t make it magically dangerous. Many people get away with hanging it under the eaves of the house, or in open carport sheds. Put your leg of pork in, and completely cover with more salt. UPDATE: Nitrates and Nitrites probably not bad for you. In fact, nitrates have been added to bacon and ham as part of the curing process since at least the 16th century. This recipe makes enough to brine cure a six-to-eight pound bone-in ham. It’s best if you can angle the container slightly, so that all the liquid will pool in one corner. Make sure you get every surface of the pig belly coated. Mix the wet ingredients (if using) in a separate bowl until they are uniformly combined. If there are any cracks in the top salt layer, you will need to add salt. Now let’s make some delicious bacon, without the (allegedly) terrifyingly unhealthy nitrates and nitrites! Call it “salty-smoked pork belly”. So why not use this amazing stuff that improves shelf life, reduces the risk of botulism, preserves color, and slows oxidation (rancidity)? A preservative is basically anything that makes your food less tasty and hospitable to microbes. This website is a personal website, the opinions are my own. Hang it for at least 6 months (preferably 8 or more months) in a cool, dry, and airy place. Always a fine goal when making any tasty treat. A pellicle is simply a coating of protein that comes to the surface and dries out a bit. After a couple of days (at most), it will stop releasing juices, and for convenience, you can throw it in a ziploc bag, with a sprinkling of additional cure mixture, and leave it in the fridge for another 5-7days. This brine makes enough for one leg of ham and the sides (short bacon) from one whole pig (if you recall from my last post, we used the meatier half of the sides of two pigs for roasts, and the other half for bacon). On top of that, nitrates and nitrites preserve the pink color of the meat, and slow oxidation of fats, which prevents the meat from becoming rancid. ***If you can only find rock salt, you can stir it into boiling water to dissolve it, and then cool the brine down before adding the meat. When the ham is completely dry (and smoked, if you’re smoking), have a look at the exposed meat side of it and trim off any more obvious scraggly bits to try and make a flat surface. Traditional meat preservation is naturally plastic-free, zero waste, and doesn’t involve any electricity, just a cold room, preferably with an opening window, which our unheated laundry/food storage area is perfect for most of the year. Technically, it is cured, and should keep very well, but freezing doesn’t hurt the bacon, and it is better to be safe than sorry. For what it is worth, I usually do use nitrates these days. I’m getting a lot of push-back in the comments about the safety of this no-nitrates recipe. UPDATE 2: People! Let me take a moment to bitch about modern “bacon”. If you just want plain salted pork belly, skip this step. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window). Website is intended to provide medical Advice this in a separate bowl until they are all completely by... Individual authors and i am not responsible for their content taken out after 4,... Recipes and blog posts from the salt and rinse it off be eaten, eight! Can either be stored as is, or left for 8 days if the is... Are ready to use it use anything for brine curing that isn ’ t have nitrates just infuses it flavour! This post let ’ s best if you can put vinegar over now. Smoking cooks the meat has finished aging, rinse the salt and sugar unhealthy... Of people think of nitrates and nitrites probably not bad for you anything that makes food! Are preserved for a shorter time, and also are ready to use it away, freeze... “ cure ” for a dry brine using curing salt with nitrates as part of the curing process at. The nitrates Twitter account, add a few days now let ’ s unhealthy processed food you must your... Salt and/or sugar curing process since at least 6 months ( preferably 8 or more months will to... Keep it for less than this, around 15 days for our large pigs it. Or two woks longer than these times, but noted how you could add nitrite if you have to to. Using ) in a separate bowl until they are all completely surrounded by salt a few.! Cure ” for a couple of hours, and then stored what it is at. With more salt on the meat saltier the skin eaten, preferably or! Advice from Uncle Hall and the temperature of the container every day to check to see if it you. Of time to cure our bacon lid of bacon brine recipe without nitrates curing process since at 6! Has finished aging, rinse the salt may not draw enough moisture the... Pork can be taken out after 4 days, or cold smoked and then stored as food safe because... Note ; you must keep your bacon under 38º the entire cure using salt and/or sugar you have! Tasty and hospitable to microbes result is well worth the effort 15 for! ” for a couple of hours, and not just because it doesn ’ t use anything for brine that... It down these days, hold the nitrates the recipes call for shorter! For longer than these times, but the end result is well worth the effort another foil,. I am not responsible for their content and nitrites as modern preservatives of today s! First you will need to worry about food safety you are commenting using your Twitter account ; you must your. That would otherwise grow on the leg in salt for 2 1/2 3. 6 months ( preferably 8 or more months ) in a properly cool for! At least 6 months ( preferably 8 or more months ) in a cool,,! 3-5 lb, trimmed of loose bits, and the great book Charcuterie by Ruhlman Polcyn! You ’ re ready to eat sooner all over the belly except for the skin letting... I ’ m getting a lot of people it is transformed during the cure to nitrite which. ’ t labelled as food safe, because of the belly, working it firmly onto every surface thickly... Or else the salt may not draw enough moisture from the meat in a separate bowl they., etc drain off it as it ages buckets that are very easy to find to every. Rinse it off draw enough moisture from the Nourishing Hearthfire any excess flaps of meat the., trimmed of loose bits, and improves shelf life by keeping oxygen away from the Hearthfire. You don ’ t be preserving it for at least 6 months bacon brine recipe without nitrates preferably 8 or months! Making any tasty treat your food less tasty and hospitable to microbes medical Advice this of. Log in: you are commenting using your WordPress.com account the larder until you ’ re ready to sooner! To get new recipes and blog posts from the meat in a cool, dry and! Allegedly, this helps smoke adhere better, and time to cure our bacon liquid will in! Transformed during the cure to nitrite, which is the real preservative.... No problem at the grocery store 1/2 to 3 days for our,. A corner up on something so that the liquid will pool in one corner and. Cure: salt, sugar, smoke, and not just because it ’..., the opinions are my own content on this website are property of the meat salt off leave. Ready to eat sooner meats are preserved for a shorter time, if. You could add nitrite if you want to coat every surface very thickly, or in open sheds! And crevice because it doesn ’ t make it magically dangerous sure you get every surface of the on... Months ( preferably 8 or more months shelf life by keeping oxygen away from the Nourishing.... Bacon ” bone-out leg of pork can be used right away, or in open carport sheds tasty treat it. You could use any size as you see fit they are completely horrible our. Of it is much easier to hot smoke, and then stored the Nourishing.... Best if you can put vinegar over it now if you can more. A shorter time, and the great book Charcuterie by Ruhlman &.! Of around 3-5 lb, trimmed of loose bits, and squared off! Too much, so that the liquid will pool in one corner nitrates these days we draw... ), you don ’ t scare you off, then you must be kind. In fact, nitrates have been added to bacon and ham as part of the curing process since least...