I have noticed my homemade bacon has a tendency to brown up and burn more easily than commercial bacon does.
I assume it has to do with the sugars caramelizing in the hot skillet, but how do the commercial bacons avoid this?
I don’t think most are using significantly less sugar than I do in mine. Could it be additives?
Paul
Beats me… I know mine cooks in about 1/2 the time in microwave as commercial bacon does. Still taste great though.
processhead I think there may be many factors at play. Dry brine vs wet and smoke temperature are among them.
Commercial pork belly for bacon is pumped full of brine and water, my step dad use to make commercial bacon, I was lucky to watch the whole process from kill floor to finished product. I cure and smoke my own pork belly at home for bacon, as well as make my own pork sausage, smoked ham hocks etc. I use a wet brine as well for my bacon, ham hocks, jowl meat when I can find it.
processhead Yes I have noticed this over the years. The stuff I would buy from a local butcher would be similar to mine in frying. It would be great to be able to tour an industrial producer. I am guessing their process is pumping the sides and vacuum tumbling. A buddy of mine was in charge of the hot dog production at Oscar Mayer and he would explain their process and it is a bit different just because of the scale.
I cure my bellies with a dry cure, wrap, refrigerate, and then short soak in cold water when they are done.
Very happy with the flavor but the aesthetics of the cooked bacon is a minor irritant. I suspected the commercial curing process was tweaked to address this?
processhead funny you should mention this. With me being new to this processing thing, my wife is not a fan of my latest endeavors (yet). However, she says to me a couple of days ago, “how come you don’t make bacon?”
I don’t think I can pass up an opening like that. It seams relatively easy, and doesn’t look like I need a bazillion dollars worth of equipment to get it done.
You guys keep talking, I’ll keep reading.
"Never eat more than you can lift."
Jonesy said in Home made bacon vs Commercial bacon and cooking:
processhead funny you should mention this. With me being new to this processing thing, my wife is not a fan of my latest endeavors (yet). However, she says to me a couple of days ago, “how come you don’t make bacon?”
I don’t think I can pass up an opening like that. It seams relatively easy, and doesn’t look like I need a bazillion dollars worth of equipment to get it done.
You guys keep talking, I’ll keep reading.
Always listen to your wife when she suggests you make bacon. On other matters, take it under advisement. lol
processhead do you use a lot of brown sugar in your dry rub cure process? If so that would be my guess as to why it browns up more. Kind of like BBQing low and slow with a lot of sugar in the rub. The bark will be super dark.
ND Mike
I get it with any sugar in the cure. Brown or white. I don’t use particularly high levels of sugar either.
Cabelas90 If you see this, want to jump in on how you guys avoid this? Im guessing it probably has to do with the fact that they get a more ven distribution through injecting and vac tumbling but having never made bacon in a commercial environment I dont want to speak without knoweldge.
My guess is wet brine vs dry cure. I dont dry cure at all though so I couldn’t say for sure.
Just recently started curing bacon myself. The way I do it is pretty simple but I’m sure it’s definitely not the best recipe out there.
pork belly cut in half or thirds
Dry rub with:
Cure #1 0.25%
Salt. 2.25%
Sugar. 1.50%
Pepper. 1.00%.
There is actually a calculator app that makes it pretty simple
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ismokehog/id965533201
Seal in vac bag
Place in tub turn daily for 10 days
Remove from bag ( rinse if desired )
Leave open in fridge to form pellicle for 24-48 hrs
Smoke ( I use an MES )
1:1 JD bourbon barrel and apple wood chips
200 for about 3 hrs til internal 150
Let cool to room temp then wrap and let sit overnight or at least 4 hrs.
Like I said, this is how I do it but I’m sure there are better ways out there. Open to suggestions, critiques, etc.
I wet brine mine for 10 days to 2 weeks in a solution of, 3/4 cup kosher salt, 1 cup dark brown sugar and a well rounded tablespoon of #1 cure per gallon of pure water. Seal lid and keep it in the refer so the temps are 34 to 39 degrees.
Remove and light rinse and let them lay open in the fridge for a day or two.
Hang in smoker and light a maze tray and cold smoke for 6 to 8 hours each and rest in the refer over night only to repete 2 to 3 times.
Last time smoke at 160 to 180 till the IT is 135/140. Remove and refrigerate for 24 hours then slice and vac into portion sizes.
We fry ours lower temps and slower. Very little pop and cracking to none at all, almost no need for a splatter screen.
Wellish flavor!!
Each batch is getting better than the last. The last one was awesome!
I have been wanting to make some beef bacon but finding a butcher shop in my area is proving to be hard
processhead To elaborate on my first answer. I don’t think its so much the sugar in the brine as the dryness of a dry brine bacon vs a wet brine. My thoughts is the extra moisture picked up in a wet brine helps dissolve the sugars and keep them from caramelizing. I think having that extra moisture also helps with cooking.
processhead said in Home made bacon vs Commercial bacon and cooking:
I cure my bellies with a dry cure, wrap, refrigerate, and then short soak in cold water when they are done.
Very happy with the flavor but the aesthetics of the cooked bacon is a minor irritant. I suspected the commercial curing process was tweaked to address this?
Processhead, we had them same issue as you with my homemade bacon. I tried different widths when slicing the bacon. Cooked in different types of frying pans and different levels of heat. Finally we tried cooking it in an oven. and we are are very happy with the results. Cover a a baking sheet with aluminum foil. The bacon is placed on the foil and then the baking sheet is placed into a cold oven, then set the temp of the oven to 400 degrees. Once the oven reaches the set temp of 400 check the bacon. If it’s not done to your liking put it back into the oven and check in 2 min. Repeat the 2 min. check as necessary until it’s cooked to your liking.
John Belvedere bacon cooked in an oven is actually a really good way to do it!
John Belvedere ND Mike I like bacon in the oven too, and it- comes out nice just like you describe. I would like to solve the issue with frying in a skillet though. Maybe it does have to do with dry rub curing process.
Visit waltons.com to find everything for meat processing.
Walton's - Everything But The Meat!
