I have no idea why but last weekend I had a sudden thought that I would make some bacon. I went to Makro on Monday and bought 1 k salt (could not find brown sugar there so used some at home that I had) and about 1 k of back. It was a lovely slightly marbled piece but with no fat on the edge at all. I really had wanted to get some with fat and skin as well because I loved bacon rind, but the only option was a large belly piece which would have produced streaky / american style bacon which does not interest me at all.

The process I used is very straight forward.

1) Mixed 1k of salt with 250g sugar. On a whim I added a pinch of ground cloves which worked out well. (30 seconds)

2) Washed and dried the pork then took hand fulls of the salt mix and vigorously rubbed this into all of the pork. (2 minutes)

3) Popped the pork into a plastic box, sprinked more of the salt mix on top, and set it in the fridge with a potato wedged under the box so that the blood / water puddled at the other end of the box away from the pork. (1 minute)

4) Each day, took the pork out, emptied the water out of the box, brushed off the excess wet salt mix and replenished it with fresh until Friday (2 minutes).

5) Cut as thinly as I could this morning, griddled it and placed it delicately on the slightly toasted bread. Bit into it and thought "bloody hell, that is sooo good"

Job done.

Thinking about smoking my next batch but I tend to like unsmoked bacon anyway but for Bacon lovers; try it. So easy and so much better than the stuff in the shops AND no nitrates added because I did not use saltpetre as even all the farang butchers use.

Yum, that sounds good. I wonder how it would taste on deep fried Irish Soda Bread. Kinda like Indian fry Bread......

Because it has virtually no water in it its crisps up very nicely indeed. Delightful with a poached egg on top. Also, as there is nearly no fat in it, and the griddling took away most of the meat fat, it might be good with the deep fried soda bread.

I will be making more today for next week and might, if I can be bothered, photo the process

A week in the fridge was enough?

seems to be - smelled like bacon. tastes like bacon. i left the lid off so the fridge helped with the drying out process of course. I saw one youtube where the buy used saltpetre as the first rub and he reckoned 4 hours was enough. I will compare tastes each morning over the next 5 days though; if it gets better by the end of next week I might change the plan a bit.

Interesting.

The brew forums have instructions for converting a cheap Makro freezer into a coolroom, might have some application in this case.

Saltpetre was used to keep the sex drive of convicts and soldiers low in times gone by, I'd stay away from that.

I have enough trouble as it is.

Just mix a little viagra with the saltpetre and you should be fine.

Not to mention that when you start selling it you will have lots of happy customers.

beauty, something for the mrs to try to make for me, beware her, when the pork truck comes past in the morning, 0620 everyday, followed by the vegie girls.

also the scotch eggs, another one for her to try, got the mincer, forward my dear, another step into farang food world.

What colour was it ? I was always told the saltpetre gave it the pink colour.

Salt gives the pink color.

Salpeter is a type of salt.

What kind of bacon did you create with that method?

I never knew that Bacon was "made"!! just realised that's why it is so different to Ham or Pork chops... You learn something every-day!

What colour was it ? I was always told the saltpetre gave it the pink colour.

It's not as pink as store bought bacon and when it cooks it goes pinky grey prior to browning up nicely. This makes me think I need more time.

Salt gives the pink color.

Salpeter is a type of salt.

What kind of bacon did you create with that method?

I made Back bacon. Saltpetre is Potassium nitrate;not the same as table salt and often used as part of home made explosives hence why it can be hard to buy. The process would work with all cuts of pork though; the salt pulls all the water out of the pork basically and adds some saltiness. Give me 10 minutes I will document the cooking and post pics (after eating of course)

Pic 1 and 2 - This is the bacon having been salted for 5 days, and rested for 1 day. The black specs on top are ground cloves which give it a ever ever so slight christmas taste As you can see this cut has virtually no fat on the edge ( )

You can cut it as thick or thin as you like. First cut is for the GF, and the rest is for me

Cooking it like this so you can see there is zero water / fat in the bottom of the pan after 30 seconds of cooking. No shrinkage

Finished- A bit of crispy action on the side

Two bacons sandwiches ? Done.

Well done. Try a molasses and black pepper or honey and mustard cure for loin or back bacon. Really good.

Saltpetre was used to keep the sex drive of convicts and soldiers low in times gone by, I'd stay away from that.

I have enough trouble as it is.

myth.

according to Snopes:

The Saltpeter Principle

Claim: Saltpeter is secreted in the food or drink of enlisted men.

Status: False.

http://www.snopes.com/military/saltpeter.asp

according to Wiki:

Pharmacology

Used in some toothpastes for sensitive teeth.[22] Recently, the use of potassium nitrate in toothpastes for treating sensitive teeth has increased and it may be an effective treatment.[23][24]

Used in some toothpastes to relieve asthma symptoms.[citation needed]

Used historically to treat asthma as well as arthritis.[citation needed]

Combats high blood pressure and was once used as a hypotensive.

Potassium nitrate was once thought to induce impotence, and is still falsely rumored to be in institutional food (such as military fare) as an anaphrodisiac; however, there is no scientific evidence for such properties.[25][26]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_nitrate

according to The Straight Dope:

The official word is that potassium nitrate (KNO3), more commonly employed as an ingredient in gunpowder, has no therapeutic value as an anaphrodisiac, contrary to legend.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/740/does-saltpeter-suppress-male-ardor

good stuff mate...!

Wife does essentially the same thing with belly pork but just marinates slices by tossing in fish sauce in old ice cream container..easy peasy ...fried crispy lovely stuff .....

Well done. Try a molasses and black pepper or honey and mustard cure for loin or back bacon. Really good.

I live out in the sticks in central Thailand.

Where can I get molasses from?

nice

Excellent, i shall have a crack tomorrow - this could be life-changing.

Well done. Try a molasses and black pepper or honey and mustard cure for loin or back bacon. Really good.

I live out in the sticks in central Thailand.

Where can I get molasses from?

Honey; Maple syrup ... all suitable I would believe.

Excellent, i shall have a crack tomorrow - this could be life-changing.

It is - the real challenge is getting the right cut of pork. I am struggling to find a nice cut with some good fat and rind on it; still trying to live the dream.

Sorry to be picky but due to the lack of a nitrate, which is what cures the meat, you are only really eating salted pork.

Nitrates are used in the combat of bacteria. By destroying the bacteria the nitrates give the meat the pink colour. The cure can then be left for longer in a cool place, no fridge needed, and the " bacon" taste will be better.

The effects on heallth are not worth worrying about. The salt in the meat is more detrimantal. The nitrate should be added at about 2 gms per kilo of salt.

KNO3 is readily available as the Thai sausage vendors use it to keep their sausages free of bacteria.

Well done. Try a molasses and black pepper or honey and mustard cure for loin or back bacon. Really good.

I live out in the sticks in central Thailand.

Where can I get molasses from?

Honey; Maple syrup ... all suitable I would believe.

Honey is no problem, maple surple I can probably get at BigC or Makro but I suppose all the molasses goes into rum so I will just get it that way.

Here's my back bacon that came out of it's dry cure this week.

It was cured with dark brown sugar and black pepper and it tastes as good as it looks

Where did you buy it from ??

And if that nitrate is not used....does it taste just like corned beef.....but not ??

Here's my back bacon that came out of it's dry cure this week.

It was cured with dark brown sugar and black pepper and it tastes as good as it looks

Please post your procedure, thanks!

I do use nitrites with my bacon, although you don't have to. It's the salt that cures it, the nitrite means it keeps longer and gives it an added 'cured' flavour as well as the attractive pink colour.

To make it, its rubbed in a mix of curing salt, dark brown sugar and black pepper sealed in a bag and kept in the fridge for about 8 days, turning each day. Then its rinsed off under the tap, dried and left uncovered for 24 hours in the fridge. Then just slice and cook. Its not hard, but to make good bacon you need good pork and that can be tough here.

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on a little side note....what is the cut they use for roast pork and crackling....I have no experience with pork ....and if anyone happens to have a photo as good as the bacon one...please add.

I made a great roast pork and crackling the other day. Buy so

e belly pork( sam chan). Make a dry marinade of slat, black pepper and sugar( in parts in order of 8-2-1). Leave the pork out on the open for about 8 hours. Over night ideal. Don't worry about the temp. The salt will take care of it.

Roast in a hot oven over a tray of water. I didmine at 250oC. About an hour and a half for a 2 kilo piece. You should do a large piece as the family will love it.