Hog curing/skinless

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In a previous thread, some of you mentioned you skin your hogs, vs. just scalding and scraping.....how do you cure bacon (keep it from falling apart) without the skin? Sue

-- Sue (sulandherb@aol.com), December 27, 2001

Answers

The bacon won't fall apart. Cure the same as with the skin on.

-- David R In TN. (srimmer@earthlink.net), December 27, 2001.

Sue The skin of the hog is on the outside of the bacon. This rind taste great,looks good,etc.but isn't necessary to "hold" your bacon together. Rub the bacon cure ( mortin's cure sold at most feed mills) on the bacon to be smoked (unsmoked bacon is called side pork) Rub the whole slab ( the slab should resemble a rectangle) on all sides ( don't slice it until after it is smoked) soak in brine for 3-5 days, rinse with cold water 2 times. Put a string loop in the 2 corners on one end. then hang the meat by these two strings in the smokehouse. The strings should be about 2 inches from each side and about an inch from the end. This will prevent the string from tearing loose.The sting takes the place of an item called a "bacon hanger" availible at most butcher/meat suppliers.Smoke the meat as usual , then cool and slice. If your bacon is falling apart it is probably because you are getting it too hot and cooking it like a roast. We only "hot" smoke our meat so it is fully cooked like what you buy in a store. This is done by smoking in a heated smokehouse until the internal temperture is 138 degrees "F" in the thickest part. We take ours up to about 150 degrees "F" like bologna or hot dogs. The meat is rinsed with cold water then cooled and sliced. It keeps well in the freezer they say for 5 months but ours is always gone before that !

The internal temperture is very important. triconossis and salmonella die at thes tempertures. Use a meat therometer.the best ones are small with a big dial on the end again sold in most "housewares" section of any store. If you smoke your meat "cold" in an unheated smokehouse, just be sure to cook the meat well before eating.I hope this isn't confusing, we still fry our bacon just as you would "store bought" You see bacon ,ham, hot dogs, kielbasi,etc. sold in stores is government regulated and must be " fully cooked" as described or it can't be sold. I hope in my rambling.. I was able to explain this well enough to you.Feel free to e-mail me if you have more questions and I will try to answer. Good Luck

-- Ralph in N.E.Ohio (Roadapple@suite224.net), December 27, 2001.


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