Homemade Pork Belly Bacon
November 9, 2022 • 0 comments
Want to learn how to make bacon at home? Get a pork belly and some simple ingredients, and you'll have a steady supply of bacon in just a few weeks. If you want to become more self-sufficient or learn traditional forms of food preservation, this is the perfect place to start.
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Servings: 6-8
Directions
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 pounds pork belly
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt (or other coarse, non-iodized salt)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon celery powder, optional
Directions
- Gather your ingredients. Carefully pat the pork belly dry with paper towels. Score the fat cap of the pork belly in a cross-hatch pattern.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, pepper, and optional celery powder. Mix well.
- Rub the seasoning mixture onto all sides of the pork belly using very clean hands. Spend a couple of minutes massaging the curing mixture into the meat.
- Place the pork belly, along with any leftover curing mixture, into a plastic bag and seal it shut. Store it lengthwise in the refrigerator for 10 to 14 days, turning the bag over occasionally. The bacon should be fully cured at this point, with a firm texture and no soft spots.
- Rinse the bacon well and again pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 200 F / 93 C. Roast the cured bacon on a sheet tray until the internal temperature reaches at least 150 F / 66 C, the minimum safe temperature for consumption of this product. The process should take about 2 hours.
- Store the bacon in a tightly sealed container or bag in the refrigerator for up to one month or in the freezer for up to one year.
- When ready to eat, slice bacon to desired thickness and fry bacon slices in a nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet and enjoy.
