Coming soon to a theatre near you.

[Baglady]

1956
Saturday is the chosen day to harvest this big boy. He'll weigh around 500lbs now.
I will take pics, and some video. The big challenge for me will be if I can successfully
upload video.
Stay tuned!

[hawgrider]

Mmmm ham and bacon!

[BucketBack]

Pork Chops

[Inor]

Baby back ribs.... Enough said.

[DerBiermeister]

Awww -- you're going to murder the poor piggy? :violin:

[Sasquatch]

Is the name of this movie gonna be Porky's?

[Baglady]

Is the name of this movie gonna be Porky's?

Porky's the sequel...

[Slippy]

:beerchug:

Excellent!

[Auntie]

Looking forward to it as we recently acquired a pig. He is not nearly as big as yours and is not as dark.

[OSFG]

Porky's the sequel...

Porky's the cease-squeal

[Baglady]

Porky's the cease-squeal

:bounce::bounce::bounce:
Damn that's a good one!!

[Baglady]

Looking forward to it as we recently acquired a pig. He is not nearly as big as yours and is not as dark.Ours was supposed to be "harvested" last winter. I don't recall why we didn't, but here we are.
This time I'm going to brine some of the bacon, then cold smoke with apple wood.
The rest of the bacon, and the hams will be in the cooler, rubbed down with a hickory flavored sugar cure.

[Inor]

Ours was supposed to be "harvested" last winter. I don't recall why we didn't, but here we are.
This time I'm going to brine some of the bacon, then cold smoke with apple wood.
The rest of the bacon, and the hams will be in the cooler, rubbed down with a hickory flavored sugar cure.

How long do you brine the bacon before smoking it?

[Slippy]

Ours was supposed to be "harvested" last winter. I don't recall why we didn't, but here we are.
This time I'm going to brine some of the bacon, then cold smoke with apple wood.
The rest of the bacon, and the hams will be in the cooler, rubbed down with a hickory flavored sugar cure.

That sounds freakin DE Licious!

Brine for 24 hours in a cold brine. Cold smoke for, what? 10-12 hours or so? Then cure. And cook... I hope I got that right, I never did it by myself just once with a BBQ team that asked me to help out one weekend. But one day soon..


Should I be salivating? Hell Yes!

[Inor]

That sounds freakin DE Licious!

Brine for 24 hours in a cold brine. Cold smoke for, what? 10-12 hours or so? Then cure. And cook... I hope I got that right, I never did it by myself just once with a BBQ team that asked me to help out one weekend. But one day soon..


Should I be salivating? Hell Yes!

Maybe I am confusing brine and cure? I thought it had to soak for something like a month changing the solution every couple days?

Okay, let's start over here. What is the process for making bacon from the pig in the photo? This is something I wanted to try ever since I started making sausage. :biglaugh:

[Slippy]

Maybe I am confusing brine and cure? I thought it had to soak for something like a month changing the solution every couple days?

Okay, let's start over here. What is the process for making bacon from the pig in the photo? This is something I wanted to try ever since I started making sausage. :biglaugh:

Had to look up some recipes. Many of them have the brine for 24 hours then change out the liquid for another 23 hours of brining. Then cold smoke for at least 6 hours. The Que team that I helped out did a 12 hour cold smoke. Then they brought out some Pork Belly they had been curing (hanging somewhere in storage) with salt and sugar for a while ( don't remember how long) Then they cooked it.

here is one recipe that looks easy. Got to try it;

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/applewood-smoked-bacon.aspx

[Baglady]

How long do you brine the bacon before smoking it?

This is the first time I'm trying a brine. I've been re-reading up on it. Most call for 24 hours, then smoke for 5-8 hours.
There are so many options for making a brine, I'm not sure what I'll use yet.
I know I want Peppercorn and/or fresh cracked pepper. Salt, sugar...?
Some use Garlic, some call for Red Pepper Flake, some use Onion..
I guess the sky is the limit.

[Baglady]

Maybe I am confusing brine and cure? I thought it had to soak for something like a month changing the solution every couple days?

Okay, let's start over here. What is the process for making bacon from the pig in the photo? This is something I wanted to try ever since I started making sausage. :biglaugh:

The brine is a meat cure. (wet style) The dry rub is also a meat cure. We'll be doing both, and I'll show you that in the photo's I'll put on here.
To be safe, you need to use Nitrites and/ or Nitrates. (Sodium Nitrate also known as Salt Peter) will cure the meat and give it that pink color.
The dry rub takes longer to cure than the brine.

[Baglady]

That sounds freakin DE Licious!

Brine for 24 hours in a cold brine. Cold smoke for, what? 10-12 hours or so? Then cure. And cook... I hope I got that right, I never did it by myself just once with a BBQ team that asked me to help out one weekend. But one day soon..


Should I be salivating? Hell Yes!

You got it all right, except there are 2 steps, not 3. The brine is the cure.
BTW, I don't need any NASCAR competition here...:p

[Inor]

The brine is a meat cure. (wet style) The dry rub is also a meat cure. We'll be doing both, and I'll show you that in the photo's I'll put on here.
To be safe, you need to use Nitrites and/ or Nitrates. (Sodium Nitrate also known as Salt Peter) will cure the meat and give it that pink color.
The dry rub takes longer to cure than the brine.

This is the one I looked at when researching it.

http://www.meatprocessingproducts.com/11160.html

The way it is described in the instructions that you mix up 2-3 gallons of water and some of this "cure" stuff in a Coleman cooler. Every few days, you drain the cooler and mix up more and let it set. This continues for about a month. Then comes the cold smoke for many many hours (24-36). Finally, slice it and fry.

That seems a bit severe to me for what the pioneers did 150 years ago. So, is there a faster, better way?

Please do keep detailed notes and photos of every step you take. This is one of those adventures that, even though you are the one doing all the work, we are all there pulling for you and learning from you.

[Baglady]

This is the one I looked at when researching it.

http://www.meatprocessingproducts.com/11160.html

The way it is described in the instructions that you mix up 2-3 gallons of water and some of this "cure" stuff in a Coleman cooler. Every few days, you drain the cooler and mix up more and let it set. This continues for about a month. Then comes the cold smoke for many many hours (24-36). Finally, slice it and fry.

That seems a bit severe to me for what the pioneers did 150 years ago. So, is there a faster, better way?

Please do keep detailed notes and photos of every step you take. This is one of those adventures that, even though you are the one doing all the work, we are all there pulling for you and learning from you.I'm learning as we go. This will be our 4th pig, and each time I have to learn all over again. I'm taking what I read on-line, and what a lot of the old timers (and some not so old) around here tell us.
There are many recipes that only brine for 2 days to a week, then cold smoke.