Pork shoulder bacon may not get quite as crisp as belly bacon, but it has a great taste and a meaty texture. Even if you have a thermometer for your grill, you'll still need an instant-read — the grill thermometer won't register low enough to monitor the cold-smoking.
·Bacon keeps, chilled, 1 week, or frozen 2 months.
·As long as you monitor the sawdust as directed, you will probably not need to add more briquettes. If your sawdust does stop burning, however, light more briquettes in same manner and reignite sawdust.
·The preparation for traditional belly bacon is the same as for shoulder bacon, but the curing time is longer because belly is fattier. Halve a 6- to 8-lb belly crosswise and cure 72 hours (3 days). Cold-smoke as for shoulder bacon. Skinless boneless pork belly can be mail-ordered from Niman Ranch (510-808-0340; www.nimanranch.com).
Recipe information
Total Time
48 1/4 hours (includes curing)
Yield
Makes about 4 1/2 lbs
Ingredients
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Put pork butt, fat side up, on a work surface, then halve horizontally with a sharp large knife.
Step 2
Stir together water, salt, brown sugar, and Instacure in storage tub until solids are dissolved, about 3 minutes, then add molasses and stir until dissolved. Add ice and stir until cure is cold (ice may not be completely melted; keeping liquid cold slows salt absorption).
Step 3
Add pork to cure, then weight with a large plate to keep submerged. Chill, tub covered with a lid or plastic wrap, 36 hours.
Step 4
Rinse pork and pat dry, then discard brine. Sprinkle pork evenly with pepper (if using).
Step 5
Prepare grill and smoke bacon: See preceding recipe.
Step 6
Cut bacon crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife, then fry in a heavy skillet over moderately low heat, turning, until browned. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Step 7
- Available at The Sausage Maker (888-490-8525).
