It’s very satisfying to cure your own bacon at home, and you can change the flavors to suit your tastes. There are two ways to cure pork belly: whole or cut into strips. If you want to make bacon slices, or “rashers,” you can cure pork belly slices. You can make your own bacon in just a few easy steps and with just a few simple ingredients.
Why Cure Your Own Bacon?
There are several great reasons to try curing bacon at home:
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Change the taste—If you cure the bacon yourself, you can try different spices, sugars, and curing salts to make it taste different. This allows you to make sweet, spicy, herby or classic bacon.
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Avoid preservatives – Store-bought bacon contains sodium nitrite for curing. While small amounts are considered safe some people prefer to avoid this preservative. Home curing allows you to control what goes into your food.
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Quality ingredients – You can choose high-quality pork from a trusted local farmer or butcher. The source and breed of pig affects the final flavor.
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Cost savings – With some upfront investment in curing ingredients, homemade bacon ends up costing less per pound compared to store-bought.
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Fun weekend project – The process takes just 10-14 days from start to finish. Curing your own bacon makes for a fun weekend activity and a great recipe to try with friends.
How to Cure Sliced Pork Belly
Curing sliced pork belly into bacon is very similar to curing a whole pork belly The only difference is that you’ll apply the cure individually to the slices, rather than rubbing it over the exterior of a pork belly chunk
Here are the simple steps
Ingredients
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Pork belly – Buy high-quality pork belly sliced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick pieces. Avoid belly that’s been pre-sliced for bacon, as it likely has already been cured or smoked.
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Curing salt – This provides the salty, savory flavor. Use a pre-made curing mix or make your own with kosher salt, pink curing salt, and any desired spices.
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Sugar – Sugar balances the saltiness and helps impart flavor. Brown sugar, maple sugar, or honey work well.
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Spices and herbs – Customize flavors with black pepper, crushed juniper berries, rosemary, sage, garlic powder, or any other seasoning you enjoy.
Directions
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Prepare the pork slices – Rinse and pat dry the pork belly slices. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet or tray.
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Make the curing rub – Mix together the curing salt, sugar, and any spices in a small bowl. The basic ratio is 1 cup sugar to 1/4 cup of salt.
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Coat the pork – Rub the curing mix evenly all over the pork slices, coating both sides. Really massage it in.
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Cure the pork – Layer the coated pork slices in a container, separating each slice with parchment paper. Cover and cure in the fridge for 7-10 days.
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Rinse and dry – Once cured, rinse the pork well under cold water to remove any excess cure. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
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Let dry – Lay the pork on a wire rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered overnight to develop a pellicle (dry exterior).
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Cook and enjoy! – Your bacon is ready to be cooked and eaten! Store cured, uncooked bacon in the fridge up to 2 weeks.
The salty cure draws moisture out of the pork over the curing time, so rinsing it off afterwards is an important step. Drying the exterior allows for crisper cooking.
And that’s it! With just a few ingredients and a week or so of waiting, you’ll have delicious homemade bacon ready to slice and cook.
Tips for Curing Bacon Slices
Here are some tips to ensure success when curing pork belly slices into bacon:
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Weigh slices – Weigh the pork accurately so you can calculate the proper amount of cure. The basic ratio is 1 teaspoon of cure mix per 1 pound of pork.
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Ensure even coating – Rub the cure mix thoroughly over every surface of the pork slices to prevent uneven curing. Cure should look caked on.
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Cure in fridge – Temperature matters! Cure pork between 34-40°F for best safety and texture.
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Flip daily – During curing, drain liquid each day and flip slices to prevent sticking.
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Rinse very well – After curing, rinse the pork under cold water for at least 1 minute to remove excess salt.
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Pat very dry – Remove as much moisture as possible from the surface before drying. Use clean paper towels and press firmly.
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Air dry uncovered – Drying uncovered in the fridge develops a tacky pellicle for better smoke absorption (if smoking) and crisper cooking.
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Rest before slicing – Let the bacon rest at room temperature for 30 minutes after curing and before slicing for easier, cleaner cuts.
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Store properly – Keep cured, uncooked bacon refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer storage.
Recipe and Method for Basic Home Cured Bacon
This straightforward cure recipe and method works very well for beginners. Feel free to double or triple the ingredient quantities as needed for larger pork belly slices.
Cure Ingredients:
- 1 pound pork belly slices, about 1/4 inch thick
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pink curing salt
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Equipment:
- Kitchen scale
- Small bowl
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Resealable plastic bag or container
Directions:
- Weigh pork belly slices and calculate cure at 1 tsp per pound of pork. Combine cure ingredients.
- Arrange pork slices in a single layer on baking sheet. Rub cure mix all over both sides, massaging it into the meat.
- Layer cured pork slices in a container, separating each with parchment paper. Seal or cover.
- Cure in refrigerator for 10-14 days, draining liquid daily and flipping slices.
- Remove pork from container and rinse very well under cold water. Pat extremely dry with paper towels.
- Place pork on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered overnight.
- Slice bacon with a sharp knife. Cook and enjoy!
Be sure to label the container with the date once you start the curing process. The bacon keeps for 2 weeks refrigerated once fully cured. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze.
The initial investment of some curing salts and spices pays off in the long run with delicious homemade bacon. Play around with the flavor profiles and find one you love. Then impress your family and friends with your own custom cured bacon!
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between curing a whole pork belly and curing sliced pork belly?
The process is nearly the same. The only difference is that with slices, you rub the cure individually onto each slice rather than rubbing it on the exterior of a whole chunk of pork belly.
How long does it take to cure bacon?
Most bacon takes about 7-14 days to cure completely. Sliced pork belly cures on the quicker side, around 10 days. Watch for the cure to visibly penetrate the meat, then rinse, dry, and it’s ready.
Can you use a wet brine instead of a dry cure?
Yes, you can brine pork belly slices in a salt, sugar, and water solution instead. Use the same basic ratio of 1 cup sugar to 1/4 cup salt dissolved in 4 cups water per 1 pound of pork. Immerse the slices for 10-14 days.
What temperature should I cure bacon at?
Cure bacon in the refrigerator at 34°F to 40°F for food safety. Colder temperatures slow the curing process. Warmer temps above 40°F increase risk of bacteria growth.
Can I smoke cured bacon slices?
Absolutely! After curing and drying, smoked bacon has incredible flavor. Use any hardwood like hickory, apple, maple or oak in a smoker or grill for 1-2 hours at 200°F until browned and cooked through.
How long does cured bacon last?
Fully cured and uncooked bacon lasts 2-4 weeks refrigerated and 4 months in the freezer. For longest shelf life, wrap cooked bacon slices tightly and use within 1 week refrigerated or 2 months frozen.
Can you reuse the curing liquid?
It’s not recommended to reuse curing brine, as it can carry bacteria. The salt and nitrites also get used up over time. Make fresh each time for food safety.
Enjoy Your Homemade Bacon!
One of the great pleasures of making your own cured meats is seeing the process from start to finish, knowing exactly what ingredients you’re eating, and biting into a tasty slice of homemade bacon.
The initial time investment pays off every morning with fantastic homemade breakfasts. Bacon also makes for a unique homemade gift or addition to cheese boards and charcuterie platters.
Curing pork belly into bacon takes some patience, but is very doable even for novices with some attention to technique. Focus on quality pork, precise weighing, and thorough drying for success.
Explore different flavor combinations like brown sugar and black pepper or maple syrup with cayenne until you find your perfect crispy, savory bacon. Then invite some friends over to enjoy the fruits of your curing labor!
There are few single ingredients that are so universally adored as bacon. And the only thing better than bacon is homemade bacon.
Curing your own bacon, at least once, is a great experience for any meat enthusiast. It takes a while (compared to running to the store and buying some), but the end result is well worth it because you feel like you’ve accomplished something and got something tasty in return. Furthermore, it lets you decide what goes into the bacon, how good the pork is, and of course, the flavoring and smoke level. Not only that, but you can make the slices as thick or thin as you want.
There are a few things you’ll need to make your own bacon. Firstly, curing salt (aka Prague powder) which can be bought at better grocery and specialty food stores or ordered online. Second, you’ll need a smoker of some kind (because obviously that’s how you get the smoke flavor!). A pellet grill is perfect for this task because it’s fabulously easy to use, and will only take a couple of hours. I prefer fruit woods like Apple or Cherry to pair with pork, but of course you can go for something stronger like Hickory. Finally, you may want to consider investing in a great quality thermometer. I use and recommend the Thermapen, and also used a Dot to monitor the temp of the smoker.
This recipe serves as the core foundation for a bunch of different types and flavors you can try. All you need to do is adjust some of the ingredients and experiment with additions. You can make your own signature bacon with brown sugar, molasses, garlic, bourbon, different types of wood, and a lot of other things. Let’s be honest: it’s going to be a really tasty process of trial and error.
It goes without saying that once you have all that bacon, you can use it to make magical meals like these:
