Smoked Maple Syrup Bacon Food

SMOKED MAPLE SYRUP BACON

Steps:

• Pour water, sodium nitrate, curing salt, coarse salt, brown sugar, and maple syrup into a large kettle. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until everything is well dissolved. Pour brine into a 5 gallon plastic bucket and cool to room temperature, 6 to 8 hours.
• Leaving the skin on the pork belly, cut against the grain into 4 to 6 slabs so they fit inside the bucket, and inside your smoker. Place into the bucket of brine, and weigh down with a glass or ceramic dish to keep the pork submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days, rearranging the pork in the brine daily.
• On smoking day, remove pork from the brine and rinse well under cold running water, rubbing to remove all external brine. Pat pieces dry and place onto smoker racks. Allow pork pieces to stand, preferably underneath a fan, until the surface of the meat becomes somewhat dried and notably glossy, 1 to 3 hours depending on air circulation.
• Smoke pork belly slabs using wood of your choice at a temperature of 90 to 110 degrees F (32 to 43 degrees C) for 8 to 12 hours. Remove rind before slicing.

HOMEMADE SMOKED MAPLE BACON

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Rinse the pork belly under cold water.
• Pat it dry with paper towels or a clean dishcloth.
• Combine the maple syrup, salt, pepper, and curing salt (if using) in a small bowl.
• Rub the seasoning mixture into all sides of the pork belly, using your scrupulously cleaned hands. Spend a couple of minutes massaging the seasoning/curing mixture into the meat.
• Place the pork belly, along with any leftover curing mixture, into a plastic bag and seal it shut. Store it lengthwise in the refrigerator for 10 to 14 days, turning the bag over occasionally. The bacon should be fully cured at this point, with a firm texture and no soft spots.
• Preheat oven to 200 F. Rinse the bacon.
• Again pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels or a clean, dry dishtowel.
• Place the bacon on a rack over a pan and roast the cured bacon in a 200 F oven until the internal temperature reaches 150 F. This should take about 2 hours.
• Remove from oven and baste the cured and roasted bacon with the liquid smoke. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat all sides and allow it to set on the counter to air-dry for 30 minutes.
• Store the bacon in a tightly sealed container or bag in the refrigerator for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to a year.

MAPLE BAKED BACON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place a large wire rack on top of a large jelly-roll pan.
• Place bacon strips on top of wire rack.
• Drizzle maple syrup over bacon pieces.
• Bake in oven for approximately 20-30 minutes.
• Remove and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.