Applewood Smoked Bacon Recipe
Delicious Applewood Smoked Bacon that you can add to any meal for an incredible burst of flavour.
Equipment
- BBQ Grill Accessories (Tongs)
- Applewood pellets (applewood chips)
- Medium-large bowl
- Cast iron skillet for frying
Ingredients
- 5 lb Pork belly (skinless)
- 1 tbsp Cracked black pepper
Curing Mixture
- 1 ¼ tbsp Prague Powder #1 (curing salt/sodium nitrite)
- 4 tbsp Kosher salt
- 3 tbsp Cracked black pepper
- 5 tbsp Brown sugar
- 3 tbsp Maple syrup
- 1 ½ tbsp Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Mix together curing ingredients (salt, black pepper, brown sugar, curing salt, maple syrup, red pepper flakes) and rub all over skinless pork belly.
- Coat the pork belly with the curing paste and place it in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for 6 days, flipping daily.
- After 6 days, remove the pork belly from the bag, rinse it under cold water to remove the cure, and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Season with fresh cracked black pepper and place it back in the refrigerator on a wire rack above a baking sheet, uncovered, for 12-24 hours to form a pellicle.
- Preheat the smoker to 165°F and fill the hopper with applewood pellets.
- Smoke pork belly until internal temperature reaches 155°F (around 6 hours).
- Chill smoked pork belly in the refrigerator before slicing it to desired thickness.
- Fry slices in a cast iron skillet until crispy. Serve and enjoy!