This is the recipe I call UK Smoked Back Bacon because back bacon tends to be our favorite in the UK. Of course we do have other cuts, such as streaky. I’ve been making this one for a few years now, fine tuning the recipe. As a result, I think I got what seems to be the definitive one for me. You can alter the cure to suit personnel choice. Although I get good consistent results with it, I believe this recipe is probably of more interest to UK Bradley users. Anyway, this is how I make Smoked Back Bacon.
Ingredients
Pork loin
I suggest you ask your local butcher telling them what you are making. Conversely, supermarkets do have perfectly adequate pork loin available.
A pork loin around 5 lb / 2.5 kg is an ideal weight.
Laycock’s Sweet Dry Cure (UK supplier: Weschenfelders)
Directions
Trim the meat taking off the skin leaving a few millimetres thickness of fat.
Wash in cold water, then pat dry thoroughly with paper towelling.
Weigh pork loin, then weigh out Laycock’s Sweet Dry Cure at a rate of 7.3%. (e.g. 2.5 kg / 2500 grams pork loin requires 183 grams cure)
Thoroughly rub the cure into the meat ensuring complete coverage. Most goes on the meat side with a smaller amount on the fat side (approx. 75:25 ratio)
Put pork loin fat side down in a food grade plastic sealed container, then put in fridge at an angle to allow liquid to drain away.
Dry cure pork loin for 5 – 7 days, the longer the cure the dryer the bacon.
Pour off liquid every couple of days and discard.
After 5 – 7 days wash meat thoroughly in several changes of cold water, then leave in fresh cold water to soak around 30 minutes. Dry thoroughly.
Cold smoke in Bradley Smoker using oak bisquettes for 4 hours.
Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow meat to settle post curing and smoking.
Slice as per requirements, suggest around 3 – 4 mm thickness.
Vacuum seal at around half a dozen rashers per pack.
Vacuum seal the scrag ends, they are great in soups, omelettes and other dishes.
Sealed bacon packs may be kept for up to 4 – 6 weeks. However, the original meat must be top quality, fresh and prepared in a sanitary method in order to reach optimum shelf life when vacuum packaged. All perishable food must be refrigerated.
Cook before eating.
Packs may be frozen in the unlikely event they won’t be eaten within a few weeks!
