If you smoke your own bacon without nitrates, you can save a lot of money and get a better, healthier product. It’s not as hard as you think! You don’t have to raise your own pigs or buy a fancy smoker. You just need pork belly (which you can get from a butcher, farmer, or grocery store), spices, salt, a fridge, wood chips, and a way to smoke the bacon. We’ll talk more about that later.
Every year, my husband, my neighbors, and I raise four pigs. The pigs get big and fat by eating pasture grass, organic non-GMO grain, and the whey that I have left over from making cheese. It’s the best pork I’ve ever had. If you don’t raise your own, buy organic meat from a good source; it’s so much better for you and tastes better too.
Our home-cooked bacon tastes better than store-bought bacon because we use a mix of salt, sugar, spices, and smoke to keep it fresh. Because we dry cure the meat, it loses water. This makes the bacon taste stronger and makes it cook with less splattering and popping than regular bacon.
We don’t use nitrates when curing bacon. Nitrates are often added to cured meats to keep them fresh, kill bacteria, and keep people from getting botulism and food poisoning. A lot of people think nitrates are safe, but I don’t trust them because N-nitrosamines have been shown to cause cancer in animals in several studies. I would rather not put nitrates into the bodies of people I love. Bacon that has been cured, smoked, and vacuum-packed is kept in the freezer instead of hanging from the rafters like it used to be done. This keeps botulism and food poisoning from happening.
Let me explain how we have safely and successfully cured and smoked bacon without nitrates for years.
You need five pounds of pork belly, skin or rind taken off. When you make bacon from pork belly that has been frozen, the end result won’t be as moist.
In a bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of sea salt, 1/2 cup of maple syrup (you can use sugar instead), 1 tablespoon of black pepper, and any spices you like. We use 2 tablespoons of organic salt-free spice mix from Costco, but you can use thyme, toasted fennel seed, coriander, rosemary, or any other flavor you like.
Rub the meat vigorously with this spice mix. Make sure that the salt covers the whole pig belly. If it doesn’t, it might not pull enough water from the bacon.
Place it on a rack on top of a cookie sheet or casserole dish that is big enough to hold all the liquid that will come out.
Leave it in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours. The temperature in the fridge needs to be under 38 degrees for safety. Opinions on the length of time to leave it in vary widely. If your bacon slabs are small, leave them in for less time. If they are big, leave them in for longer. We once kept ours in the fridge for three days, and it turned out way too salty.
Every day, make sure it’s okay and happy being inside by itself, and empty the liquid that will come out from under the rack.
When it comes out of the fridge, it should have firmed up and leaked a bunch of liquid.
Wash off all the salt and spice mixture with water, and do a good job of it. Dry it off with paper towels and put it in the fridge for another day to help it dry and form a “pellicle.” A pellicle is a protein coating that rises to the top and dries out a bit. This pellicle helps smoke adhere better and improves shelf life by keeping oxygen away from the fat.
Apple and hickory wood are great, but we don’t have any hickory trees where we live, so my husband Steve uses dry firewood he has lying around to make alder chips. He also runs some through his planer to make smaller saw-dust type chips. You can easily buy wood chips in many grocery stores or online.
Our smoker looks terrible and rusty, but it works great. It’s actually an old metal refrigerator a friend gave us and converted into a smoker. You could borrow an electric smoker or even turn a BBQ or grill into a smoker if you don’t have one. Google “How to turn your kettle grill into a smoker” to find great guides on how to do this. ”.
To get the meat to 150 degrees on the inside, it’s important to smoke it at a very low temperature. We spent hours on the internet looking at recipes and reading through meat curing forums when we first started smoking our own bacon. There are a lot of different points of view. The smoker has worked for us for years when the temperature inside is kept around 170 degrees. When the meat reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees, we take it out. How long this process takes depends on the smoker you use and how much meat you are smoking. It usually takes us four to six hours with our setup.
Now try it and be happy! If the bacon tastes too salty, soak it in water for a few hours before cooking it.
You can keep it in the fridge for three weeks (good luck with that!) or the freezer for three months (same thing!).
On her five acres of land in the upper Skagit Valley, Corina Sahlin farms. You can find her working in the dirt, stirring curds in a pot of whey, or mixing cabbage in a crock of sauerkraut. She teaches homesteading skills like artisan cheesemaking and fermentation, both at her homestead and also online. More information and inspiration at www. marblemounthomestead. com.
Bacon is a breakfast staple loved by many for its smoky, salty, umami flavor However, commercially made bacon contains sodium nitrite, an additive used to cure the meat and give bacon its signature pink color Some people prefer to avoid nitrites due to potential health concerns. Luckily, you can make delicious nitrate-free bacon at home with just a few simple ingredients.
Why Make Your Own Nitrate-Free Bacon?
There are a few key reasons why making homemade nitrate-free bacon is worthwhile:
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Control ingredients. By making your own bacon, you can control exactly what goes into it. No need to worry about mystery additives.
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Avoid nitrates/nitrites. You can leave out sodium nitrite and make bacon without this controversial preservative.
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Customize flavors. Tailor your bacon with your choice of sweeteners spices woods for smoking – get creative!
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Quality meat Start with high-quality pork bellies from a trusted source
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Cost savings. With some time investment, you can make bacon far cheaper than buying gourmet versions.
How to Make Bacon Without Curing Salt
Making your own nitrate-free bacon is a multi-day process but surprisingly straightforward. Here’s an overview of the bacon making steps:
Step 1: Choose the Pork
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Pork belly is the cut of choice for making bacon. Look for high-quality, fresh pork bellies at a butcher shop or Asian market.
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Pork belly should have nice marbling of fat throughout. This ensures your bacon will be deliciously streaky.
Step 2: Prepare Cure
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Mix together salt, sweetener, and any spices for the cure. Kosher or sea salt works best.
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Brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey will provide sweetness and help balance the saltiness.
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Add any desired spices like black pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, etc.
Step 3: Apply Cure
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Rub the cure mixture all over the pork belly. Make sure to coat both sides evenly.
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Place pork in a sealed container or bag in the fridge. Let cure for 5-7 days, flipping occasionally.
Step 4: Rinse and Dry
- After curing, rinse off pork and pat very dry. Allow to air dry in fridge for 6-12 hours before smoking.
Step 5: Hot Smoke
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Set up smoker or grill for hot smoking around 225°F. Use preferred wood like hickory, apple, pecan.
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Smoke pork belly until it reaches an internal temp of ~150°F, about 2-3 hours.
Step 6: Cool and Slice
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Allow bacon to cool to room temperature before slicing to desired thickness.
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For safety, be sure to refrigerate sliced bacon promptly.
And that’s it – you now have delicious homemade bacon without nitrates! Enjoy it fried up for breakfast or BLTs.
Tips for Making Great Nitrate-Free Bacon
Through trial and error, I’ve learned a few tips for making the best possible nitrate-free bacon at home:
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Leaner is better. Look for a pork belly that is leaner. Too much fat can lead to shrinkage.
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Pat dry thoroughly. Remove as much moisture as possible before smoking for crisper bacon.
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Use brown sugar. I prefer brown sugar over maple syrup for flavor – it gives great caramelization.
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Try a touch of liquid smoke. Just a dash of liquid smoke in the cure adds nice depth.
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Slice thicker. Cut bacon slices a bit thicker, at least 1/4 inch. They hold up better when frying.
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Fry low and slow. Cook nitrate-free bacon over medium-low heat to render the fat without burning.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nitrate-Free Bacon
If you’re new to making your own bacon, chances are you have some questions about the process. Here are some common FAQs:
Is nitrate-free bacon safe to eat?
Yes, nitrate-free bacon made following food safety guidelines is perfectly safe to eat. Key is keeping it refrigerated and cooking thoroughly before eating.
How long does homemade bacon last?
Nitrate-free bacon will last 1-2 weeks refrigerated. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for 2-3 months.
Why does my bacon look gray rather than pink?
Without sodium nitrite, the bacon will not turn pink. It will take on a more grayish hue but will still taste great!
Can I use celery juice or powder instead of curing salt?
Yes, celery juice contains natural nitrates so it can be used. However, it may be difficult to achieve the same results as traditional curing salt.
Is it possible to cold smoke nitrate-free bacon?
Cold smoking without nitrates poses a botulism risk if not done properly. It’s safest to hot smoke homemade nitrate-free bacon.
What’s the best wood to use for smoking bacon?
Fruit and nut woods like apple, pecan, hickory, and cherry impart delicious flavor during hot smoking.
Does the bacon need to be cooked before eating?
Absolutely! Raw homemade bacon can contain harmful bacteria. Always cook nitrate-free bacon thoroughly until crispy before eating.
Conclusion
While it takes a bit of effort and patience, making your own nitrate-free bacon can be extremely rewarding. With complete control over ingredients and flavors, you can craft premium artisanal bacon in your own kitchen. Pay close attention to proper food safety and handling guidelines. Then relax and enjoy your first batch of homemade bacon free of preservatives. The taste of smoky, salty bacon made with your own two hands is unbeatable. Give nitrate-free bacon a try – your weekends will never be the same!
