Bacon Internal Temperature Food

HOMEMADE BACON

Steps:

• Rinse the pork belly and pat dry. Transfer to a resealable 2-gallon plastic bag. To make the spice rub, mix the kosher salt, pink salt, brown sugar, honey, red pepper flakes, paprika and cumin in a bowl. Coat the pork belly all over with the mixture.
• Close the bag and refrigerate 7 to 10 days, flipping once a day, until the pork belly feels firm. It should take 7 days for a thin belly that is about 11/2 inches thick, longer for a belly that's 2 to 3 inches thick.
• Remove the pork belly from the bag, rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Refrigerate the belly on a rack, uncovered, 48 hours.
• Set up your smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions using applewood chips, and set to 200 degrees F. Smoke the pork belly 3 hours, or until the bacon reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F.
• Remove the rind (optional), then slice and cook as desired. To store, wrap the bacon in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 2 months.
• Pink curing salt is a mix of salt and sodium nitrite. It keeps the meat pink and protects it from bacteria. You can find it at specialty food stores or online.

BACON WRAPPED, FILET MIGNON

Steps:

• 1. Remove any silver skin, and extra fat from the fillets. Wrap a piece of bacon around the outside, and either secure with a toothpick, or wrap with butcher's twine. Don't overlap the bacon by more than 1/4", you want to make sure that the bacon will cook. However, if your using thin bacon, you might want to use 2 pieces to get the extra thickness and flavor. Securing the bacon with toothpicks works, but by tieing the bacon, you're forming a more rounded piece of meat that will look nicer on the plate.
• 2. Oil the meat liberally, dust with the blacken. salt, and pepper, and rub it into both sides of the meat. Se the meat on a platter and place back in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook it. Don't be afraid to use a little more slat than you think you should, it's on the grill and won't end up as strong.
• 3. Cook over a medium hot grill for about 10 minutes per side. Ultimately you want the meat to reach an internal temperature of 110 degrees. If you cook on too hot a fire, the bacon will flame up and you'll end up with burned bacon, and burned meat. The oil on the outside helps the meat to sear (keeping in the juices), and helps keep the meat from sticking to the grill.
• 4. When testing the internal temperature of a thin pieces of meat, be sure to insert the thermometer in from the side.

BACON EXPLOSION!

Steps:

• To kick off the construction of this pork medley you'll need to create a 5x5 bacon weave. If the strips you're using aren't wide enough to span 5x5 inches, then you may need to use a few extra slices to fill out the pattern. Just make sure your weave is tight and that you end up with a nice square shape to work with.
• The next step is to add some barbecue seasoning on top of your bacon weave. (BBQ Addict recommends Bad Byron's Butt Rub, Rendezvous Famous Seasoning, or Steven Raichlen's All-Purpose Rub).
• Now that your pork is well seasoned, it's time to add more pork. Take two pounds of Italian sausage and layer it directly on top of your bacon weave. Be sure to press the sausage to the outer edges of the bacon creating a patty that is the same thickness all the way across. Most grocery stores carry loose sausage, so just pick out one you like.
• Next up is bacon layer number two. Take the remaining bacon slices and fry them up the same way you would for breakfast. If you like soft bacon, make it soft. If you like crunchy bacon, make it crunchy.
• Since this is a barbecue recipe, we need to add another layer of barbecue flavor. Take your favorite sauce and drizzle it all over the top of the bacon pieces. (BBQ Addict recommends Burnt Finger BBQ's homemade competition sauce). Once you've sauced the bacon, sprinkle on some more of the barbecue seasoning you used on the bacon weave.
• Very carefully separate the front edge of the sausage layer from the bacon weave and begin rolling backwards. You want to include all layers EXCEPT the bacon weave in your roll. Try and keep the sausage as tight as possible and be sure to release any air pockets that may have formed. Once the sausage is fully rolled up, pinch together the seams and ends to seal all of the bacon goodness inside.
• At this point we can start to see the final shape of our Bacon Explosion, but we're missing one key item. To complete the construction process, roll the sausage forward completely wrapping it in the bacon weave. Make sure it sits with the seam facing downward to help keep it all sealed up.
• Sprinkle some barbecue seasoning on the outside of the bacon weave, and now it is ready for the smoker. Cook your Bacon Explosion at 225°F in a constant cloud of hickory smoke until your meat thermometer gives an internal temperature reading of 165°F Normally this will take about 1 hour for each inch of thickness, but that could vary depending on how well you maintain your fire and also how many times you open the smoker to take a peek. BBQ Addict recommends 2.5 hours, for a roll 2.5 inches in diameter.
• Now that the Bacon Explosion is fully cooked, you need to add some finishing flavors. Remember that barbecue sauce you used for inner flavor? You'll be using that same sauce to glaze the cooked bacon weave. Using a basting brush, coat the entire surface with a thin layer of sauce. Sweet sauces are loaded with sugars, so they'll give your fatty a nice glossy finish. Spicy and vinegar based sauces don't contain as much, so they won't set up as well. If you're dead set on using those sauces, just cut them with a bit of honey and you'll get the same effect.
• Slice the Bacon Explosion into quarter to half inch rounds to serve. If your roll was good and tight, you should now see a nice bacon pinwheel pattern throughout the sausage.
• Obviously pork is best served by itself, but if you feel the need to make this meat monster into a sandwich, BBQ Addict recommends placing a couple Bacon Explosion slices on a warm Pillsbury's Grands Biscuit.