[caracroft]

Our 1st Pig went to the abbatoir last month and we had him chopped up into different pork cuts and made some sausages (see other post!!)

We have 2 girls left, who will be ready soon. 
The thing is  we've been telling everyone that we were raising 1 porker and 2 baconners - and I have realised that I havent got a clue how to make bacon,     how easy/hard it is, whether the butcher can do it etc?

Anyone made their own and how do you do it?

Appreciate any help

Cara   

[HappyHippy]

There's 2 kinds of bacon - wet cure and dry cure.

I have one butcher that does wet curing and one that does dry - I personally prefer the dry cured stuff but everyone's different.
If it's your first pigs and you intend on selling the bacon I'd probably recommend getting the butcher to do it for you (he'll charge a higher rate than for pork butchery, but IMHO it's worth it - at least until you perfect your method  )

Dry cure method - wash and pat dry your pork (boned loin for back bacon, belly for streaky) get your curing salts, rub it all over the meat making sure you get into all the nooks and crannies. Put it in a non metallic dish and stick it in the fridge. Turn it every day for around a week then check it's cured all the way through by slicing a bit. If it's not fully cured pop it back in for another couple of days and check again. Once it's fully cured I like to soak it overnight in a couple of changes of clean water to get rid of the excess saltiness. Then dry it, smoke it (if you want) and slice it.
It's much easier to slice if you let it get to almost frozen - called 'tempering' by the professionals  and use either a very sharp knife or bacon slicer. (I wouldn't even think about mixing your own at this stage - too many variables and it's just not economical. You can get enough cure to do 10 kilos of bacon for around a fiver)

Wet sure method - mix up all your ingredients to create your 'brine' place your washed meat in a non-metallic dish, pour in the brine and weight down the pork, it takes about the same length of time as dry curing.
HTH
Karen

[Dan]

We've done our own before in small batches and it's documented here:

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/food/food-processing/making-bacon/

No we get the butcher to do it, mostly due to lack of time but also because he does a better job. 

[lachlanandmarcus]

NB watch out if you use the River Cottage meat book method, we did and it was sooooo salty and apparently theres an error on the salt quantities :-)

[caracroft]

Thank you, Great information everyone!!

I don't think my butcher would do bacon, (he doesn't do sausages)
And I dont want to have 3 pigs in the freezer and buy bacon and ham from Tesco lol!!

How do I know it has cured successfully all through? Does it change colour? 

[Bodger]

I made my first bacon back in 2010. Is it a fool proof method? Well I made it.  
 
A little premature and this could prove to be a little hard to swallow for the Pru fans amongst you, but in a few short months time, I'll be making bacon out of one of her babes.     This is how I'll set about doing it.

OK you lot!  Gather round. 
I'm a slow developer and I only made my first bacon in 2010. I got this piece of streaky pork belly out of the freezer.
 
 

 

Once it was fully defrosted, then my next step was for me to debone the piece of meat.
 


 
Now for the cure. We made this from what we had at hand and used a mix of two parts sea salt to one part brown sugar and also used a few cracked pepper corns. We went with 150 grammes of the mix to every kilogram of meat.
The mix. Not much to look at but it does the job.      
 


 

I spend a good few minutes rubbing the mix into every nook and cranny. I even put some on the pork. :shock: 
 


 

Into a bit of tupperware and on with the airtight lid.
 


 


 

I drained the liquid from the container for the next five mornings as the bacon began to dry.
 

 My youngest lad was the first to put an order in for the first rashers.

My bacon.
 
Before.
 


 

After.
 


 

In truth, this first lot of bacon turned out to be quite salty but after the whole side had been soaked in cold water for an hour or two, it was truly scrumptious.

[caracroft]

Thanks for your blog Bodger, found it very interesting ..
I notice you said the belly was frozen and you thawed it, so how long does it last can you refreeze, when it is cured, in batches? Thanks

[Bodger]

If I'm honest, which I am, then I really don't know.
 
We make sausages for our own use from frozen meat and then freeze them but most books tell you that you shouldn't.

[devonlad]

We always get it done by butcher who can arrange dry cure. I don't have the time or more importantly the space to do it at home and to be honest I wouldn't want to risk our lovely meat to a bumb ling novice like me. If I remember righht  it was about 80 quid a pig additional. Does take some clawing back but blooming gorgeous

[sokel]

we just get ours made where we get them killed and cut. We have actually just collected ours today and got 19 lbs off half a pig on top of the hams and gammon steaks

If I remember righht  it was about 80 quid a pig additional. Does take some clawing back but blooming gorgeous

We only paid £85 for 2 pigs 1 1/2 as joints and chops and a half made into bacon, hams and gammon steaks  that's all in including killing

[Bodger]

You should try doing your own, its an exercise that's well worth the effort and is surely part of doing the whole smallholder thing. As I said earlier, if I can do it, then anyone can.

[caracroft]

Bodger has really made me feel that I could probably give it a go.     Especially as i cant go down the butcher option.

Might look into a premade cure though?  Any thoughts?

[Berkshire Boy]

Or you could find a decent butcher.

[Bodger]

Why when you can do it yourself ?
 There's obviously a big difference between producing on a small commercial scale like you do and making bacon for home consumption. Making your own bacon and sausages is very dooable and great fun to boot.

[devonlad]

I know what you're saying bodger and in so many ways I can't disagree. I just have this idea that my skill is in wallowing around in mud in all weathers getting them ready to eat. The thought that all my hard work is then ruined by my  experimental efforts appals me and feels like a risk I don't want to take. the sausages and bacon produced for us last time were quite simply fabulous. many have said that the sausages were the best they had ever tasted. I am under no illusion that had I processed the meat it would have been edible  but not scrumptious and certainly not something I would have felt able to sell - by the same token I have a pathological hatred of home made bread- I am not a baker, I have not been to bakers school and studied the finest arts of kneading and yeast use- so why on earth should I be able to produce bread anywhere near as good as those who have- years ago my wife started making bread- all went well until she realised I was sneaking out to our local artisan baker to buy gorgeous crusty beautiful  bread- thankfully no bread flavoured bricks have appeared in our bread bin recently. that should put the cat amongst the pigeons "" ha ha