Bone-in Dry Cured & Wet Cured Bacon

Working on a 'sample' for my friends at BACONMANia. Taking some bone-in Berkshire belly quarter, and dry-curing one and wet-curing the other. The goal is to produce an ultra-premium 'bacon steak' for them to market to their masses.


If you aren't aware of BACONMANia... Check them out here http://baconmaniatruck.com/live/  Or follow them on Twitter at #BACONMANia


These things are THICK... So I am going to cure for 9 days.


Dry Cure:

• 1/2 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher salt (I have been using Cargill commercial, but same stuff) If you use Morton's instead, 4 ounces.
• 1 TBS. Curing salt 
• 1 Cup dark brown sugar
• 2 TBS. Pickling spices
• 4 Bay leaves, crushed
• 1 Head of garlic, smashed
• 2 tsp. Crushed red pepper
• 1 TBS. Black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Mix it all together and lay out on a sheet pan... Put as much of it as you can into the belly... Crush it in there... If doing multiples... Stack them... I cure mine in Rubbermaid style containers with a loose top. Refrigerate. Flip daily.


Wet Cure:

• 1/2 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher salt (I have been using Cargill commercial, but same stuff) If you use Mortons instead, 4 ounces.
• 1 TBS. Curing salt 
• 1/2 Cup dark brown sugar
• 1 can of Guinness beer
• 4 Bay leaves, crushed
• 1 Head of garlic, smashed
• 2 TBS. Black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Mix all together and size a vacuum bag to fit the belly... One Belly per bag.... Put belly in and fill with spices/liquid. Seal loosely. Refrigerate. Flip Daily.

I'll follow this up when I smoke them in a few days...

Ciao!

-Andrew