Scrap Iron Chef's Bacon (Homemade Bacon)

By Beefman-2

This is from Good Eats with Alton Brown.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup salt
• 8 ounces molasses
• 1/2 gallon water
• 1/2 gallon apple cider
• 2 tablespoons fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 5 lbs raw pork belly, from the loin-end

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 4320mins
Cooking time 4350mins
Adapted from food.com

Preparation

Step 1

1 In a large non-reactive pot, bring half the water, 1 cup of sugar, salt, and 8 ounces molasses to a boil. 2 Stir to dissolve the sugar. 3 Pour into a large container with the remaining water, and the apple cider. 4 Place in the refrigerator and cool to 40 degrees F. 5 Press the black pepper into the pork belly. 6 Once the brine has cooled place the peppered pork belly into the mixture until completely submerged. 7 Refrigerate for three days. 8 After three days have passed, remove the pork from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. 9 Lay on a rack over a sheet pan and place in front of a fan for 1 hour to form a pellicle. 10 Lay the pork in the protein box of a cold smoker and smoke for 4 to 6 hours. 11 Chill the meat in the freezer for 1 hour to stiffen for easy slicing into strips of bacon. 12 Slice what you need and keep the remainder in a freezer safe bag in the refrigerator or freezer. 13 Place the strips of bacon onto a sheet pan fitted with a rack and place into a cold oven. 14 Turn the oven to 400 degrees F and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon. 15 Remove from rack and drain on paper towels. 16 Enjoy.