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Author Topic: Hampshire Back Bacon!  (Read 10958 times)

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #15 on: November 16, 2011, 08:09:28 pm »
Being or will be a complete newbie to pig keeping (haven't got them yet - coming in the spring)

I'm reading with interest the bacon threads,  I remember when the bacon my mum cooked the fat was always crisp and crunchy leaving some fat in the pan (which we mopped up with bread  :yum:) - not the watery stuff you get now with the bacon sticking to the pan...

This was way back in the 50's with five of us to feed money was tight so we only had streaky bacon.

Would this have been 'dry cured' and if so HOW do you do that?
Yup, I'd bet it was dry cured stuff  :yum:
The easiest way to make it is buy a pack of ready mixed cure (you can always have a go at mixing your own later, but for first attempts & to save getting it wrong play safe with the ready mixed stuff - check ebay  ;)) then you get your piece of loin or belly, rub the cure into it - really get into all the nooks and crannies. Then either pop it in a big tuperware box (or large size ziplock bags work really well) and turn it every day, opinion differs as to whether to drain off the juices or leave them - I've tried both ways and not noticed much difference to be honest. After about 2 weeks (depending on the mix and the size of the piece of meat) all you need to do is soak it in clean water then 'temper' (put in the freezer til it's almost frozen) and slice (makes cutting much easier)  :yum:
There's bound to be lots of other ways of doing it too - but that's my (ever so technical) method  ;) :thumbsup:
HTH
Karen  :wave:

JulieS

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Devon - EX39 5RF
    • Ford Mill Farm
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #16 on: November 17, 2011, 05:23:21 am »
Great instructions from Karen.

Dry curing is definitely my preferred way to cure bacon.  But then that's the great thing about curing.  You start off trying different ways of doing things and then 'tweak' the recipe each time until you find what you like the best.

My mouth is watering just thinking about bacon and ham........I think I'll have a bacon sandwich when I get back from milking this morning  :) :) :) :) :) :)

Pedigree GOS Pigs and Butchery for Smallholders.

princesspiggy

  • Guest
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #17 on: November 25, 2011, 11:26:15 pm »
can u cure a belly that has been frozen?
is dry cure better than wet cure?

btw lillian, they look amazing!!!

RaisinHall Tamworths

  • Joined May 2011
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #18 on: November 26, 2011, 06:14:19 pm »
Looks fab Lillian  :yum:

If it's half as good as your sausage it will be fantastic  :thumbsup:

princesspiggy

  • Guest
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #19 on: November 26, 2011, 08:15:32 pm »
what did ur ham-lops taste like lillian?  :wave:

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #20 on: November 27, 2011, 11:28:03 am »
princess  i don't think it cures the same after being frozen
Lillian thinks wet cure is the best just her opinion
have not tasted them yet should do just before Xmas      if you are eating them you are not selling them
feed back from buyers   they could not detect any difference either live or dead betwean there commercial pigs and our hamlops just on conformation  and looks   the taste never came into it
another says the Hampshire  tastes better than the hamlops but the Hampshire was a bigger carcase 160 kilos liveweight as opposed to 120-130 kilos see what they say when they get hamlops the next time :farmer:

artburr1

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #21 on: November 27, 2011, 04:18:10 pm »
Hi, just discovered this site which I love! Thanks for the inspiration!  Am feeling excited about early successes selling "non-shrinking" bacon here in Cebu Philippines and learning a lot from you all. 

I love the look of your fine bacon.  Being quite new to all this am curious about the quantities of "saltpetre" people are using, 6 oz saltpetre to a half kilo of salt in one recipe, sounds a lot.  Research on internet suggests in a number of places that excessive saltpetre can be a health threat.  Personally I use pink salt (prague salt) which is mainly salt and only 5% sodium nitrite and I use just a teaspoon per cup of salt and am happy with the result..  Can any of you more experienced curers offer any more information on this topic?

lill

  • Joined May 2011
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #22 on: November 28, 2011, 03:23:42 pm »
thanks for the comment jodie, are you going the the bpa agm? ;) :wave:

lill

  • Joined May 2011
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #23 on: November 28, 2011, 03:29:49 pm »
thanks princess

RaisinHall Tamworths

  • Joined May 2011
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #24 on: November 29, 2011, 07:29:08 pm »
thanks for the comment jodie, are you going the the bpa agm? ;) :wave:

No we're not going, let us know what happens though  ;)

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #25 on: November 29, 2011, 11:20:28 pm »
Hi, just discovered this site which I love! Thanks for the inspiration!  Am feeling excited about early successes selling "non-shrinking" bacon here in Cebu Philippines and learning a lot from you all. 

I love the look of your fine bacon.  Being quite new to all this am curious about the quantities of "saltpetre" people are using, 6 oz saltpetre to a half kilo of salt in one recipe, sounds a lot.  Research on internet suggests in a number of places that excessive saltpetre can be a health threat.  Personally I use pink salt (prague salt) which is mainly salt and only 5% sodium nitrite and I use just a teaspoon per cup of salt and am happy with the result..  Can any of you more experienced curers offer any more information on this topic?

Sorry artburr1 I can't shed any light at all as I have not used saltpetre in my cures, either.  Hopefully someone will be along soon to tell you something more informative!   :wave: Sally
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

JulieS

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Devon - EX39 5RF
    • Ford Mill Farm
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #26 on: November 30, 2011, 04:45:24 am »
Like Sally I don't use saltpetre either.
Pedigree GOS Pigs and Butchery for Smallholders.

lill

  • Joined May 2011
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #27 on: November 30, 2011, 04:39:19 pm »
will do jodie  :wave:

Sylvia

  • Joined Aug 2009
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #28 on: November 30, 2011, 05:16:48 pm »
Talking to my nephew concerning saltpetre or not he says yes, use a little every time. It inhibits the developement of botulism.
Lil, we will be using your recipe on Friday when we get the girls back. Meanwhile, black pudding every meal :o :o ;D

lill

  • Joined May 2011
Re: Hampshire Back Bacon!
« Reply #29 on: November 30, 2011, 06:31:22 pm »
Hi Sylvia,
Remember it needs to be left for 4 days in the brine maybe longer depending on how much saltpetre you have used, turn once a day, after the 4th day take a bit out and cut in the middle to see if the saltpetre has penetrated into the middle, you will see how pink it has become once cooked. It can be left for longer but please remember to look at it once a day.
Happy back baconing, let us have some pics in due course. :pig: :pig:

 

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