The smells of bacon frying on a Sunday morning can get almost anyone out of bed and to the breakfast table. Bacon, which comes from the pork belly, is not the healthiest of meats but certainly one of the most flavorful. Making your own bacon allows you to determine what seasonings will cure your bacon and which flavor wood chips you would like your bacon to taste like.
Smoking Bacon in a Smokehouse
Step 1
Rinse off the bacon in warm water after curing it.
Step 2
Hang the bacon to dry in the smokehouse for two to three days with the door open. Smoke will not adhere to wet bacon.
Step 3
Prepare the smoker with the wood chips you wish to use. Bacon can be smoked with a variety of flavors, such as apple, hickory, maple, mesquite, cherry, oak or pecan. If you are using a hot smoker, preheat the smokehouse at 80 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4
Smoke the bacon for eight to 12 hours if you're using a smoker with heat and 36 to 48 hours you're if using a cold smoker.
Step 5
Remove the rind if it has not been removed already and slice the bacon. Wrap the bacon tightly in plastic wrap.
Step 6
Store the smoked bacon in the refrigerator for up to seven days and in the freezer for up to three months.
Smoking Bacon on a Grill
Step 1
Rinse the bacon in warm water after curing it.
Step 2
Let the bacon dry for two to three hours on a cooling rack so air can flow all around the piece of meat.
Step 3
Prepare the wood chips you choose to use by soaking them in water. Choose from hickory, maple, oak, apple, mesquite or pecan. Put them around the charcoals, if you are using a charcoal grill. If you are using a gas grill, place the wood chips in a smoke box and the smoke box into the grill.
Step 4
Preheat the grill to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a grill thermometer to keep this temperature constant throughout the smoking time. Place the bacon on the grill over indirect heat and close the lid. Smoke it for approximately two hours.
Step 5
Remove the rind if necessary and slice the bacon. Wrap the bacon tightly in plastic wrap. Store the smoked bacon in the refrigerator for up to seven days and in the freezer for up to three months.
Tips and Warnings
- Try using a combination of wood chip types to create different flavors. Have more wood chips and charcoal on hand to add to the grill as needed.
Things You'll Need
- Cured bacon
- Wood chips
- Plastic wrap
- Knife
- Grill thermometer
