How to Salt-Cure Bacon

Fried bacon is a popular breakfast food.

Curing your own bacon at home ensures two things: you control the quality, and you decide how long you to let it cure. This process isn't difficult, but it requires a bit of time and dedication, which both pay off in the end in the form of flavor. Salt-cured bacon, which is also known as dry-cured bacon or "green" bacon, is created by curing a side of raw bacon in salt, sugar and spices to impart flavor. Salt-cured bacon can be fried up alongside eggs for a tasty breakfast or be turned into smoked bacon. Does this Spark an idea?

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2 kg salt
15 g saltpeter (optional)
200 g sugar
2 tbsp. black peppercorns
One whole pig belly, cut into manageable pieces
Food-grade plastic cooler
Butcher's hooks
Blue ice blocks

Instructions

- 1
  
  Mix the sugar, salt, saltpeter and peppercorns together to make the cure.
- 2
  
  Apply the cure liberally all over the pork belly pieces, taking time and care to cover completely.
- 3
  
  Place the pork belly pieces into the cooler and put in a cool place such as the garage or basement.
- 4
  
  Use blue ice blocks to regulate the temperature and keep the pork bellies cool.
- 5
  
  Remove the meat from the box after 24 hours and drain off the collected liquid; the first 24 hours will produce the most liquid.
- 6
  
  Add more cure and place the pieces back into the box, in reverse order.
- 7
  
  Let bellies cure for anywhere from five days to two weeks, draining off liquid and re-applying cure every 24 hours. The salty flavor and shelf life of the finished product increase the longer the pork bellies cure.
- 8
  
  Once the cure is complete, soak the pork bellies in clean water for 2 hours, drain the water and soak for another hour in more clean water.
- 9
  
  Hang the bacon in the garage by butcher's hooks for 24 to 48 hours to allow a seal to form around the outside.
- 10
  
  Cured, un-smoked bacon is called green bacon.
  
  Wrap and store the bacon or smoke it for even more flavor.

Tips & Warnings

Molasses, brown sugar or spices may be added to the cure depending on what flavors you like.
This recipe produces cured bacon, but it still isn't cooked. Be sure you thoroughly cook your bacon before eating it.