what can i do with fresh bacon?
i got a bunch of fresh organic bacon, not cured or smoked.... it's raw and currently frozen in 1 lb. packages and is not sliced..... any suggestions? i was wondering if i could cure it or smoke it in my stovetop smoker..... i've really never done anything with raw, fresh bacon. any suggestions out there in baconland?
thank you all..... pooch
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16 Comments:
i don't see why not. try it with 1 pkg and see what happens.
dearrie at 5:59PM on 12/10/08
The sky is the limit. I would make bacon or pancetta for sure. To cook, braise it with chinese spices, some mirin and hoisin, slice it thin, served with pickles, julienned carrots and pears, and sriracha, to make a faux Momofuku pork bun (you'll need to find a chinese bakery for the buns.) I like to cut it into 2" x 3" rectangles, sear it quickly on all sides and then roast it in the oven atop leek whites and quartered apples, basted with a little butter and lemon juice. Sooooo decadent. You could slice it in 1/4" slices and do it up korean style on a griddle (samgyupsal) with sesame oil, coarse salt, ground peanuts, jalapeño peppers, red chili paste, rice and kimchi. It's awesome slow roasted in a stovetop hot smoker with applewood chips, glazed with a little maple syrup or creme de cassis... As I said, with pork belly, sky is the limit.
simon at 6:10PM on 12/10/08
Braised pork belly - Asian style, is heaven on a fork! Hmmmmmmmm, sexy, decadent, luscious.
You could cure and smoke it, just cure it for pancetta, or make twice cooked pork. You could do all that, the braised is the way to go!
Fanciesmom at 6:19PM on 12/10/08
hey simon, how long would you do it in a stovetop smoker.... i love all of your ideas..... thank you, thank you.....
pooch at 6:21PM on 12/10/08
I'd say about 30mins / lb, check it after that time has elapsed. If you're going to eat it right then, you want the temp to be at 155 - 160. Stove top smokers are funny, a little unpredictable (to me) so it's kinda like, cook it till it's done. I have two slabs in a pancetta cure in my fridge right now, waiting to be rolled up. Tonight's the night! How much do you have? Enough to play around with? Sounds like fun!
simon at 6:25PM on 12/10/08
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/09/dining/091crex.html?_r=1&ex=1137301200&en=11b6971131342d7b&ei=5070
andshewas at 6:29PM on 12/10/08
michael ruhlman's bacon recipe! http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/09/dining/091crex.html?_r=1&ex=1137301200&en=11b6971131342d7b&ei=5070
andshewas at 6:33PM on 12/10/08
our very own blake is an expert. go to thepauperedchef.com
simon at 7:10PM on 12/10/08
I would roll around in it.
pjracz10 at 7:37PM on 12/10/08
I would roll around in it.
pjracz10 at 7:38PM on 12/10/08
@ simon - thanks for the smoker directions, i'll have to experiment. i have about 8lbs of it.... have a half of an organic pig from a local farm in the freezer... i'll definitely try the smoker version and also.
@andshewas - thank you for the nytimes links.... that cure sounds easy enough to do. i have everything in the house except for sodium nitrite which i wouldn't use anyway.
pancetta???? love that stuff, i'm going to try that too.... nice winter project. in fact -- hmmm.... xmas presents. the asian braise sounds delicious, too.... i have a few hocks, feet also.
pooch at 8:48PM on 12/10/08
You could send it to me. ;-)
missvenuz at 11:20PM on 12/10/08
A whole half pig? Eight pounds of belly? From a local organic farm??? So jealous!!!!
ps: cooking time is assuming approx - 300 - 325 F (obviously if your smoker gets hotter than that, the time would be less, and vice versa)
simon at 11:40AM on 12/11/08
What about the Alton recipe?
pjracz10 at 1:23PM on 12/11/08
what CAN'T you do with fresh bacon?
veggieout at 1:28PM on 12/11/08
yes guys, we're lucky we have lots of small farms around.... have no trouble getting good organic chickens and meat. very lucky....and the animals are treated very humanely (one thing that's important to me)... other than that i live on grilled cheese sandwiches and salads!
it's a stormy day today so i just might get that smoker out - i've got a one pound package defrosted in the fridge. will certainly let you know how it
turns out.... thanks:^)
pooch at 2:25PM on 12/11/08