While laying down resting my back the past week, I had a lot of time to think and read. Actually it got rather frustrating after a while since I’ve been reading a lot of interesting recipes. Recipes enhancing a craving to cook and experiment with. On the other hand I also had some time to think about new concepts. I’m about to launch a new section on this blog. The following recipe could be seen as an introduction to the concept.
Those people who read my “about” page, will know I’m not a natural born chef. Actually I rarely cooked as a child though I loved eating. Therefore I had no experience at all when I moved to my own home. My interest for cooking and my wife working late made me look for recipes and talk with other people. This way I found out my colleague (Birger Allary) had a passion for cooking too. Especially BBQ was one of his main interests. He even breeds a pig to share with some others. Since I got a Weber Kettle as a housewarming gift, it couldn’t get much better.
Not the pig we’re talking about. Just a picture I made recently.
We shared some recipes and he taught me more about a salt-cure, brining and smoking. The more we talked, the more we both got passionated about what we made. The perfect man to start with the new concept I want to introduce. The idea is getting people to share their view on BBQ and the passion they feel in live. Regular people like you and me who inspire other regular people and motivate them in doing what they love. After introducing themselves they may ask the person who inspires them in some way to do the same thing. This way we’ll get a chain of interesting people. I have no idea where it will be leading too.
Birger who founded “Tjoppie-doppie BBQ team” last year will soon make his appearance over here and talk about his passion for life. He got the freedom to write whatever he feels like and chose the next person in line. Quite exciting for me (I hope it will work out).
Salt-cure for homemade bacon
I’ll also try to combine these stories with a recipe linked on the content of the portrait. This leads me to introduce you to a fantastic book I got from Birger. The book ” Made at home: curing and smoking” is written by Dick and James Strawbridge. A father and son totally into curing and smoking their own fish and meat. The book provides some step by step technical explanation about what you need to do and supporting advice concerning these interesting techniques. Moreover they provide some really interesting recipes where these techniques are used.
The salt-cure in recipe below is based on the one in the book. I only made a few changes. However the anise flavor enhances the flavor of meat it overruled the rest in my humble opinion. I lowered the amount of star anise to get the cure more balanced. Besides this basic cure I experiment with adding different flavours. Here I used some oregano and used smoked chili flakes instead of the original dried chili. I used the salt-cure for 1kg pork belly.
Salt-cure for Homemade Bacon
Ingredients
- 200 gr . Nitrite Salt
- 80 gr . Sugar (normally brown but I ran out)
- 2,5 pieces of Star Anise
- 1 tbsp . ground Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp . ground Corriander Seeds
- 2 smoked and dried Pepper Flakes (recipe follows)
- 1 tbsp . dried Oregano
Instructions
- Mix ingredients and break up the lumps of sugar.
- Rub the mixture thoroughly on the meat.
- Put the meat in a curing box. This is a box containing a grid to put the meat on. This way the juices don't stay in contact with your meat. The time this stage needs depends on how much flavour you want to add, the weight of the meat, ...
- After curing carefully rinse the meat! If you don't do this appropriately, you will end up with too much salt in your dish.
- Pat the meat dry and set aside for another period to dry further. (also depending on what you're making).
Notes
Thanks for reading. If you liked this recipe and want to stay tuned for more? Please sign up for the newsletter! Want to share some passionate stories? Please drop a link below! I’ll be glad to read!
My husband has been curing bacon for year but with more traditional flavors. Love these flavors! I can’t way to try your version!
Thanks for passing by Sarah! Do you share yours? Im rather curious now 🙂
So now I’m curious about this, but I think instead of doing it myself, I’ll purchase the stuff for my brother as a gift. He likes this sort of thing and I’ll eventually be a beneficiary. muahhahahahaaaaa
Hey Lydia,
Sounds like a fantastic present for your brother! Im sure he will appreciate and you will end up with the benefits too ;). Maybe he can try this one to start with so you can taste before giving the present haha
Grtz Simon!
Wow I have never ever thought of making bacon at home…will have to look into this interesting idea. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful idea!!
You’re welcome Gloria! You will be glad you’ve made your own! It rocks making your own 🙂
This will be an interesting project for me. The spices will definitely give this homemade bacon a different flavor.
Yes it will! You can go creative at your own taste!
Thanks for passing by!
Love the idea of a salt cure for bacon. Although, I’d def toss in some red pepper for some heat!
You sure can Spice it up more! I mostly keep it subtle so I can combine the bacon with other recipes more easily!
My husband and I have been meaning to make bacon at home for a while now!! I need to give this a try!!
Hope you have a great experience! Please let me know afterwards; ) cheers
Whoa! Love the blog title and the recipe! God help me, my partner is a vegetarian:)
Hey Raquel! Thanks for your enthousiasm! Maybe we can convert him 🙂 otherwise: there will follow some veggie conveerrtable recipes too 😉
Bye!
I am definitely keen to do more home chacuterie and this is going straight in my to make folder!
Bon apetit;)
Oh my husband would be all over this! We are big bacon and bbq fans here.
Glad to hear 😉 this is an awesome project for bbq lovers 🙂 at last I love this haha
I have always wanted to make my own bacon. I bet it tastes so much better.
Hey Dannii! Thanks for stopping by! You can adjust it at own taste that’s the biggest advantage 🙂
Whaaaaaaat, I’ve never thought of curing bacon at home! I’m really into the combination of spices you use and now I’m really intrigued to try it myself. I have a monthly meat CSA; the next time I get a pork belly, I am so trying this. I might just request a special order instead of waiting to see if will just appear (I don’t know what’s in my box until I get it). Thanks for sharing!
Seems like a solid plan to me 🙂 Thanks for reading! A monthly meat csa is rather unknown here! I talked about it with my wife and Mother recently! May be a good idea to participate something like that too!
Cheers
My husband and I just bought a couple of pigs this year. I picked up a 1943 copyright book at a yard sale and was checking it out. I want us to cure our own meat and found your recipe. Is this the only rub you have or am I just not looking in the right place. I want to compile a variety of recipes to have on hand.
At the moment it’s the only published salt cure! You need to More will follow later on! You can’t use this as a rub it would be to salty. For this recipe you wash the meat so the salt is removed! The café au lait ribs have a rub recipe! And the urthel saisoniere link to one. I prefer curing and brining actually! It’s more subtle in the end! That book sounds really interesting! What’s the name and where did you find it?
Cheers and good Luck with the pigs 🙂
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