Bacon War-need help
Hi,
So I am in a competition to make my own bacon against a friend. I am basing my recipe off Ruhlman, but have some questions, I hope y'all can answer.
Questions.
1. My local market told me they only have frozen pork belly, is this ok or do I really need fresh?
2. Spices, I was thinking the usual plus mustard. Do I go with mustard seeds or mustard powder?
3. What cooking method for the challenge?
4. Brine?
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14 Comments:
I've been looking for pork belly for months,so I can try my hand at makin' bacon.No luck so far where I live.Central Florida.I think frozen pork belly would be just fine.Sorry but I can't imagine using mustard seeds or powder on bacon.Whenever I do find pork belly,after curing the meat and before I smoke it,I'd rub mine with black pepper.Years ago I could get slab bacon rubbed with pepper and it was the best bacon I ever ate.When the bacon's done smoking,and before you slice it,remove the skin.When you cook bacon with the skin on,the skin gets really hard,and some people don't like it.You can always use the skin for seasoning beans or greens.when you're ready to cook the bacon,slice it a little thicker than regular bacon,but not too thick.I like my bacon fried in a cast iron skillet.Hope this helps.
onepercent99 at 9:25AM on 11/11/08
Onepercent has a lot of great feedback,and I totally agree on the black pepper suggestion.
While I do like bacon from the stove top, I find that baking it in the oven is much easier and less messy.
Just lay the strips over a cooling rack over a sheet pan. GL!
culinarygoddess at 9:37AM on 11/11/08
Thanks for the suggestions. I agree with the black pepper, that is for sure happening. I thought of the mustard because I have made store bought bacon before with a glaze of maple syrup and prepared mustard that was really good.
SkinnyFatty at 2:37PM on 11/11/08
To brine or not to brine? Just ask yourself ... what would Alton Brown do? Then go here.
(PS If you haven't seen this episode of Good Eat's, it a hoot. A take off of Iron Chef, set in a junkyard. Hence the Scrap Iron Chef. )
kjgibson at 2:37PM on 11/11/08
Rather than your local market, have you considered finding a butcher in your area? Mine will custom cut pork belly from a fresh pig if I call before he cures it himself.
I think you will find it to be worth it to find a reputable butcher in your local area. I find that my butcher is a dollar a pound or so cheaper on many meats than the supermarket. He also will custom cut, unlike the "meat cutters" at the market who are unwilling to french tomahawk steaks and the like.
Your other option might be to find out if someone in your area farms heritage pigs. We get Berkshire and Duroc pork around here and it is sublime! I have only had the ribs, chops and tenderloins, but I can imagine that the pork belly is even finer. Try your state agriculture board -- many of them maintain directories of farmers and products.
I would pass on the mustard, but have you considered multi-colored peppercorns? They look great and varied pepper flavors probably would give the bacon a great punch!
Mizbee at 4:36PM on 11/11/08
If you have an asian market with a meat section and/or butcher counter, look there for fresh pork belly. I'd also avoid the mustard- maybe try to replicate the glaze you had post curing and smoking?
nwbywayofla at 6:44PM on 11/11/08
You haven't told us the rules of the game. It may alter the advice. How will you determine the winner? Purely on taste? Who will judge?
I get my pork belly from an Asian market with high turnover. The bellies are always fresh. I've never brined and I prefer a more savory bacon. So, I cure with juniper berries, black pepper and other herbs. Then I lightly smoke at about 170 on my big green egg.
If you are going with mustard, I would go for seeds.
derosa at 7:33PM on 11/11/08
@Skinny....the mustard and maple syrup glaze sounds delicious,just save it till after the bacon's done curing an smoking, IMHO.
onepercent99 at 10:18PM on 11/11/08
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Dang, there are some serious mustard haters out there.
I personally love the combo of sweet and salty so I am going for a mix of cracked pepper-corns, finely ground brown sugar, salt, and nitrate.
New possible magic ingredient- Cooked garlic/shallots generally make everything better so why not this?
The rules are:
1 judge, a non partisan person we both dislike.
(Also the judge is a a very proud Polish-American, any ideas on polish bacon seasonings?)
Rules: We each prep the bacon however we want. However, we will be cooking outdoors in a park so this limits our options to grilling or frying. I don't have a smoker, but that doesn't matter as I am a firm believer that bacon should be cooked slowly in a cast iron skillet.
SkinnyFatty at 11:40PM on 11/11/08
@Skinny,maybe a stupid question here,so please forgive me.I always thought that to make bacon,the whole slab,you had to cure the belly first,and then smoke it for a few hours before slicing it and actually cooking it?
onepercent99 at 8:30AM on 11/12/08
This is a recipe for Miso Glazed Bacon from Lisa on Top Chef Season 4. Can get the full shrimp recipe on the site, but here's the bacon portion. Tried it and it is really good. Now use the Miso glaze for chicken, pork, scallops, etc.
Miso Syrup:
1 cup shiro (white) miso
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cups rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups mirin
1/2 lb bacon
In saucepot, cook miso, syrup, wine vinegar and mirin together. Whisk together and reduce on low heat until thick and glossy. Meanwhile, lay bacon on silpat or parchment paper overlapping and facing same direction. Lay another parchment on top and place smaller sheet pan on top (weigh down with saute pans). Bake at 375 degrees for about 11 minutes. When bacon is crispy, take out without removing weights.
Remove bacon from pan and lay on new sheet pan with parchment. Heavily glaze the bacon with the miso syrup and bake 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool and cut into even long strips.
KB in Toledo at 9:17AM on 11/12/08
Well, well, well. As the other competitor, I would say that most of the advice here is good, but a bit pedestrian. Curing bacon is about 10% recipe and 90% art, and as a meat curing and smoking artist, I think you're in for a ride. That being said, there's nothing wrong with going simple and staying with salt, pepper, and sugar. I'm interesting in tasting the shallot bacon or any other taste sensation you come up with.
Obligitory trash talk aside, I've previously gotten fresh pork belly from MT Supermarket up on Lamar/Braker (in Asian Town). The guys at the counter will assume (and ask) if you want them to cut it into cubes on the band saw, but I opted for a 12'' x 12'' slab as displayed in the meat case. It's the perfect size for brining in gallon sized ziploc bags. Central Market usually only has frozen stuff and I assume this is where you've already looked.
You're in for a wild ride, Ed.
p.s. For those not intimately involved in "the war", this is what grad students do for fun when they're not binge drinking or writing silly papers.
lagomorph at 10:17AM on 11/12/08
Ha Ha to you Sir. I remember discussing Serious Eats with you before, so this has been a massive PSYOP fakeout.
Many thanks to those who wrote in suggestions.
Also, dude, not cool to reveal names on the intertubes. These foodies might stalk me now.
SkinnyFatty at 10:49AM on 11/12/08
My God!!! How can one become a judge for this so called "war".
I love bacon!! Being that I live near Smithfield, it's hard not to.
Anyone have a country ham contest needing a judge?
Oh, and when it does come down to cooking your fat of choice, a well cured cast iron skillet makes a world of difference. How you cure the meat is the biggest part, but is doesn't matter what you do after that, if someone uses a cured cast iron skillet with years of use behind it, and you don't, your toast.
Raiders757 at 6:45PM on 11/12/08