Pancetta - look at it! Actually this is the fresh piece that will become pancetta.
Yesterday was pancetta and bacon day. This means I made the cure for bacon and got them all started. I need to turn cured pieces everyday and then next Monday I will start the drying process.... and then smoking or hanging.
I'm pretty excited. I probably should have taken one of the other bacons into the butcher... I think I worked on about 20 pounds of belly yesterday.
Can you make bacon yourself? Sure! It's easy and fun. Here are some links so you can see how it's done. My only regret is that another year has passed and I still don't have a proper smoke house.
How to make bacon and pancetta
How to cure bacon - step by step
Bacon making tool list
Even more bacon making how-to's!
Smoking bacon - what it looks like
The most beautiful pancetta ever
What have I learned over the years of making bacon?
1. It's easier than you think. Don't freak yourself out. Just get the right tools and a good book.
2. Don't have pigz? Then go and order a fresh pork belly from your local butcher - or grocery store - and give it a try.
3. But you don't have the right set up? Oh for heavens sakes... there is a way to do it in your oven. You won't get the smokiest bacon ever but that is fine too.
4. But won't you die? Well. Considering that Chipolte is under a criminal investigation for their food practices... I'm pretty sure you may be safer making your own food.
5. So, why don't we do all the bacons ourselves? My husband like the butcher bacon better for more traditional-style breakfast bacon. I like our homestyle bacon for cooking. We also don't have a slicer and I just can't get our bacons that thin. So we do half and half.
Today, I swear by heaven that I will be done with all this meat. However, we are getting pretty tight on space in the freezers. Yikes! The pigz were bigger than we thought so we are kind of in a pickle. We'll work it out but thank you, all my pal's on 'the facebook' for generously offering to take some of this meat off my hands. Ha!
Happy Thursday everyone! Are you STILL processing meat? Did you cure your bacon?
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3 comments:
I gotta ask. " Do you miss the pigs yet"?
That's a lot of bacon! This last belly I did gave up almost no liquid. But the bacon sure is tasty!
NO! Ian, no I do not miss them AT ALL. i was thinking how easy chores are now that they are gone. good riddance for sure!
:-D
i know, Dave, it's a LOT. these pigz were bigger than i thought. eep!
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