- 5 Gallons of ice cold water (35-40°)
- 5 lbs. Maple Cure #159 (02-0021) (or 8-3/4 lbs. #784 sweeter than sweet cure 02-1039)
You will need:
- 5 Gallons of ice cold water (35-40°)
- 5 lbs. Maple Cure #159 (02-0021) (or 8-3/4 lbs. #784 sweeter than sweet cure 02-1039)
Suggested Procedure: Mix thoroughly. In the absence of a salometer an egg will float in the proper mixture.
Cover Pickling Procedure: Inject bellies (8-10% of gross weight) with above solution with a hand or electric brine pump. Place bellies in plastic or stainless steel lugs and submerge in same solution cover pickling solution (add weight to keep submerged). Cure 4-6 days. Remove from cure and wash thoroughly in warm water. Let product dry for several hours before smoking.
Smoking Procedure: Preheat smoker to 100 degrees with damper 3/4 open; hang bellies on bacon combs or hangers (no parts touching). Add 2/3 pan moistened sawdust. Increase thermostat to 100 degrees F and smoke for 5 hours. Increase thermostat to 130 degrees F and add another 2/3 pan of moistened sawdust. Smoke for 5 hours and remove sawdust pan. Then close dampers. Increase thermostat to 170 degrees F. Run until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Turn off the thermostat. Remove to cooler for 10-12 hours before slicing.
BUTT BACON
You will need:
- 25 lbs Fresh Pork Butts
- 10 Gallons of Water
- 9 lbs Maple Cure #159 (02-0021)
- 1 lb Brown Sugar
- 5.5 oz Sodium Erythorbate (01-142P)
Suggested Procedure: Trim butts. Slide knife along the flat side of the bone. Use this chunk for what we call Butt Bacon. You may wish to trim end square off the chunk somewhat. Use the balance of the trimmings for sausage.
Pump butts with 10% of butt weight with brine mix. Then submerge the butts in the balance of the brine. Soak for 2.5 days. Then remove from brine and rinse with cold water, brushing a little will help open the pores.
Then place in smoker at 110 degrees F. Dry for 3 hours. Then add 2/3 pan sawdust and smoke about 3 hours. Then raise temperature to 165 degrees F. Run until an internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Then chill the butt bacon to 100 degrees F. Place in cooler or slice and package.
Note: Slicing will be easier if you chill the butts to about 25 degrees F.
SMOKED HAMS
You will need:
- 5 Gallons of ice cold water (35-40°)
- 5 lbs. Maple Cure #159 (02-0021)
Suggested Procedure: Mix thoroughly. In the absence of a salometer an egg will float in the proper mixture.
Cover Pickling Procedure: Inject meat with solution (10% of total weight) making sure the cure is pumped around bones and in all muscles. Place in plastic or S/S containers and fully covered with pickling brine (add weight to hold submerged). Keep meat in brine at 35-40 degrees F (for length of time see brine chart below). Remove from solution and wash surface with brush using warm water. Put product in stockinettes and hang on smoke sticks.
Smoking Procedure: Preheat smoker to 90 degrees F. Hang product in stockinettes not touching each other with the temperature probe and not touching the bone. Run with dampers wide open for 6 hours. Add 2/3 pan (moistened) sawdust, increase temperature to 130 degrees F, and smoke for 5 hours with top damper 1/8 open, and bottom damper 3/4 open. Increase temperature to 150 degrees F, add another pan of (moistened) sawdust. After 4 hours increase temperature to 170 degrees F, heat until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees-155 degrees F. Turn off smoker and cool to 100. Remove to cooler.
BRINE CHART: Inject per above directions:
Leave in brine:
2 – 3 lb Ham: 1-2 days
5 – 8 lb Ham: 4-5 days
10 – 16 lb Ham: 7-8 days
SMOKED POULTRY
You will need:
- 5 Gallons of ice cold water (35-40°)
- 5 lbs. Maple Cure #159 (02-0021)
Suggested Procedure: Mix thoroughly. In the absence of a salometer an egg will float in the proper mixture.
Cover Pickling Procedure: Inject meat with solution (10% of total weight) with the above solution, using a hand brine pump or an electric pump. Place in plastic or stainless steel lugs and submerge in the same pickling solution with a cover. Remove after 4 to 5 hours and wash with cold water and dry for 2 hours.
In the absence of an injector you may use the following method:
Make the same pickle solution and place poultry in brine as follows:
3-5 lb poultry: 36 hours
6-8 lb poultry: 40 hours
9-11 lb poultry: 50 hours
12-14 lb poultry: 60 hours
15 lb + poultry: 70 hours
Smoking Procedure: Preheat smoker to 110 degrees F with dampers 3/4 open. Hang product in stockinettes (no parts touching). Insert temperature probe into the ball socket joint, but not touching the bone. Run at this temperature for 1 hour. Increase thermostat to 125 degrees F, place 1/3 pan (moistened) sawdust on burner. After 4 hours place another 1/3 pan of moistened sawdust on the burner. Increase temperature to 140 degrees F. Close dampers. After 4 hours remove sawdust pan; increase temperature to 185 degrees F. Heat at this temperature until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Turn off thermostat and let cool to 100 degrees F.
Note: For less smoke, use 2/3 pan and omit second smoking.
