Pork Belly to Bacon – Homemade Bacon (Edit recipe)

Did you accidentally buy pork belly thinking it was bacon and now you’re trying to figure out what to do with it? All the recipes call for curing salts and things you don’t have on hand? Maybe you don’t like added nitrites/-ates and you’re seeking the ability to make bacon without them. Look no further! My method does require a smoker, but from what I can tell - you don’t need to smoke it, but it adds a bit of flavor and helps with texture as well as color. If you don’t smoke yours, please pop over to Instagram and let me know how it went!!!

83 hours

5 minutes

Difficulty:

Intermediate

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	1216
Fat:	120 g
Carbohydrates:	12 g
Protein:	21 g
Cholesterol:	0 g
Sodium:	9189 mg
Fiber:	0 g
Sugars:	0 g
Calculated per serving.

by tashatindall

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 lb Pork Belly, Approximate
0.333 cup Maple Sugar, Any sugar will work, but maple sugar imparts a wonderful flavor
0.333 cup Sea Salt, Course ground, you can use less if you like less salty

Process

Cook Mode

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Rinse and thoroughly pat dry the pork belly.
Mix salt and sugar in the bottom of a casserole dish. Press the pork belly into the mixture, flipping and pressing continually until all sides are coated and most, if not all, of the mixture is used.
Place a cooling rack in the casserole dish under the pork belly and put it in the fridge for 3-4 days, flipping the meat at the halfway mark. It should be open to the air, uncovered. If you like a less salty bacon, I’d cure it closer to 3 days.
Rinse and thoroughly pat dry the cured pork belly. Place in smoker at 200F until it reaches an internal temperature of 150F.
Cut the bacon using a sharp knife, mandolin with cut resistant gloves, or deli slicer. Cook like normal bacon.
I vacuum seal mine in usable portions and freeze it until I need it.

Notes

You technically don’t need to smoke it, but it helps a lot with texture and does impart a flavor and help with coloring. Smoking the meat naturally imparts nitrites. I’ve never tried it another way! The reason you can technically use less salt in the curing brine is that the meat is fresh, it’s always refrigerated and then it’s cooked - so we aren’t hanging raw meat in a cold cellar. Treat it like fresh meat, not properly cured bacon with added nitrites .