Bacon

[polecat]

So I've pretty much grown used to "Be Lucky" bacon - in fact I've grown to love it in the same way you would a ginger headed stepchild who's good at foot massage - but now I'm after some nitrate-free bacon.

Any ideas? Most of the ingredients listings carry an ambiguous "Seasonings - 5%" or "Additives 3%".

[bkkjames]

So I've pretty much grown used to "Be Lucky" bacon - in fact I've grown to love it in the same way you would a ginger headed stepchild who's good at foot massage - but now I'm after some nitrate-free bacon.

Any ideas? Most of the ingredients listings carry an ambiguous "Seasonings - 5%" or "Additives 3%".

agreed, this would be something of interest to many. will keep an eye out next time shopping around.

[NanaFoods]

So I've pretty much grown used to "Be Lucky" bacon - in fact I've grown to love it in the same way you would a ginger headed stepchild who's good at foot massage - but now I'm after some nitrate-free bacon.

Any ideas? Most of the ingredients listings carry an ambiguous "Seasonings - 5%" or "Additives 3%".

agreed, this would be something of interest to many. will keep an eye out next time shopping around.

Easy to make and cure at home with some sea salt and sugar (optional flavorings could be to add black pepper, or use maple syrup or honey instead of sugar).

See recipe (and many others) on my friend's website:

http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/Bacon-HoneyCured.pdf

To omit the nitrite, just use a more sea salt, and be sure to soak the meat in ice water to remove excess salt before smoking. Then hang on hooks in a fly-free location until the meat is surface dry. You can use liquid smoke in your marinade, but its much better to build a smoker yourself and smoke the meat.

I built my smoker out of cinder blocks and brick... two chambers connected by a large dia. cement pipe - one chamber for burning the wood (brick, covered by a steel plate), and the smoke gets piped through the cement tube into the meat hanging chamber (cinder block, with steel higned lid). Not very expensive to make.

I like to use mango wood for smoke - its fragrant and abundant in Thailand.

The pic is the first one I made in Ayutthaya - not very pretty but it functioned just fine. I now have one, of similar design but with a bigger (wider) meat chamber, and its much prettier as I had a local mason make it. I can cold- or hot-smoke meat by controlling the fire. Be sure to soak the mango wood in water before using. I start the fire with my father-in-law's homemade charcoal and place the soaked mango wood on top when the meat chamber has warmed up and the heat creates its own suction into the chamber. Then the meat goes in.... smoke for 12-hours for regular tasting bacon. For extra smokiness, go on up to 24-hours (my preference).

[Beachbunny]

So I've pretty much grown used to "Be Lucky" bacon - in fact I've grown to love it in the same way you would a ginger headed stepchild who's good at foot massage - but now I'm after some nitrate-free bacon.

Any ideas? Most of the ingredients listings carry an ambiguous "Seasonings - 5%" or "Additives 3%".

agreed, this would be something of interest to many. will keep an eye out next time shopping around.

Easy to make and cure at home with some sea salt and sugar (optional flavorings could be to add black pepper, or use maple syrup or honey instead of sugar).

See recipe (and many others) on my friend's website:

http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/Bacon-HoneyCured.pdf

To omit the nitrite, just use a more sea salt, and be sure to soak the meat in ice water to remove excess salt before smoking. Then hang on hooks in a fly-free location until the meat is surface dry. You can use liquid smoke in your marinade, but its much better to build a smoker yourself and smoke the meat.

I built my smoker out of cinder blocks and brick... two chambers connected by a large dia. cement pipe - one chamber for burning the wood (brick, covered by a steel plate), and the smoke gets piped through the cement tube into the meat hanging chamber (cinder block, with steel higned lid). Not very expensive to make.

I like to use mango wood for smoke - its fragrant and abundant in Thailand.

The pic is the first one I made in Ayutthaya - not very pretty but it functioned just fine. I now have one, of similar design but with a bigger (wider) meat chamber, and its much prettier as I had a local mason make it. I can cold- or hot-smoke meat by controlling the fire. Be sure to soak the mango wood in water before using. I start the fire with my father-in-law's homemade charcoal and place the soaked mango wood on top when the meat chamber has warmed up and the heat creates its own suction into the chamber. Then the meat goes in.... smoke for 12-hours for regular tasting bacon. For extra smokiness, go on up to 24-hours (my preference).

Mango wood is poisonous and gives off a toxic smoke.

"Mango wood should never be used in fireplaces or for cooking fuel, as its smoke is highly irritant." http://www.rain-tree.com/mango.htm

Of the troical fruits safe for smoking and giving good flavor are:

acacia, (acacia is similar to mesquite)coconut, corn cobs, guava, guava, mulberry, grape vines, orange, lime, grapefruit (som oh), and also herbs.

Beachbunny