Philliefan33
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2014
- Messages
- 1,677
Baked beans are pressure cooked in the can. That little piece of pork is for flavor.
Wow, I think I’ve been there!
My cousin from north GA was interested in their version of prosciutto. Unfortunately I did not know to try their bacon!
At least a couple of pounds a month, usually more.
We have a local butcher shop that makes its own double smoked bacon, and it is superb.
But I often make it myself as well. Pretty easy to do as long as you have access to pork bellies, and Costco usually has them.
Hunk? you say? You mean that tiny sliver of something they put in pork & beans?
I had a friend go blind trying to find that tiny piece.
have you got a recipe for the homemade bacon?
Yes. One of my petty amusements is the case at Trader Joe's where all the meats are marked "uncured." This is actually a consumer fraud abetted by the FDA. All of those are cured with celery juice, but apparently someone convinced the FDA that the amount of cure was a little uncertain, hence the meats could not be considered cured. Of course the manufacturers know the amount of cure pretty much down to the molecule count, but they rejoice in the consumer fraud. Check the ingredients list. It will almost always list celery, though there is one other vegetable that IIRC is sometimes used.Yes, a whole lot of vegetables contain nitrates, especially celery.
Here's my quickie: Morton's Tender Quick per the package directions. Vacuum seal the pork belly. (My sealer won't take a whole belly, so I cut it lengthwise and have two bags.)Refrigerate the packages for a couple of weeks, turning them once in a while. Cold smoke to taste; try 6, 12, and 24 hours. I use this gadget: https://www.amazon.com/MAZE-N-Pellet-Smoker-Smoking-Works/dp/B007ROPJ1M in an old metal-box that was originally an LP smoker: https://www.campchef.com/smoke-vault-24/CC-SMV24S.html but pretty much any enclosure will do. It just needs enough air leak to keep the pellets smoldering.have you got a recipe for the homemade bacon?
It is indeed so bizarre that products cured using celery juice or celery salt are required by law to put “uncured” on the label. This is of very long standing BTW and may date back to when people wanted to be sure what they purchased was properly cured. In practice these “uncured” products today probably contain more nitrates than those using pink salt for curing. I’ve also seen “no nitrates added” on products like Boars Head charcuterie except that they added celery juice which contains lots of nitrates!Yes. One of my petty amusements is the case at Trader Joe's where all the meats are marked "uncured." This is actually a consumer fraud abetted by the FDA. All of those are cured with celery juice, but apparently someone convinced the FDA that the amount of cure was a little uncertain, hence the meats could not be considered cured. Of course the manufacturers know the amount of cure pretty much down to the molecule count, but they rejoice in the consumer fraud. Check the ingredients list. It will almost always list celery, though there is one other vegetable that IIRC is sometimes used.
My medical condition recommends no processed meats because of the salt. Still, I’ll cheat and have bacon, ham and a few other treats from time to time. Before my medical situation changed, I’d have bacon once or twice a week when I went out for breakfast.
It is indeed so bizarre that products cured using celery juice or celery salt are required by law to put “uncured” on the label. This is of very long standing BTW and may date back to when people wanted to be sure what they purchased was properly cured. In practice these “uncured” products today probably contain more nitrates than those using pink salt for curing. I’ve also seen “no nitrates added” on products like Boars Head charcuterie except that they added celery juice which contains lots of nitrates!
The human body makes nitrates, uses nitrates readily and tons of food particularly many vegetables contain plenty of nitrates/nitrates. I’m not concerned about them. There may even be a health benefit.
Some say it’s not the nitrates that are carcinogenic but rather the nitrosamines created when cured meat is subject to high temps. Moral: don’t burn your bacon!
It’s the same. Nitrates/nitrites are very simple molecules. NO3- NO2- and NO for nitric oxide. They readily convert back and forth to each other. Much ado about nothing IMO.I seem to recall reading that celery juice nitrates aren't the same as nitrates used in cured meats but that there's a suspicion it converts to it or isn't so benign?
I'd be curious about rates of cancer in Europe compared to other countries which don't consume as much cured meats.
Now increasingly burgers are commonly served but burgers still cost more than say a sandwich from a few thin slices of mortadella or prosciutto or other cured meats which are so common over there.
So the locals may still consume cold cuts rather than burgers, which has its own problems if over consumed.
https://chriskresser.com/the-nitrate-and-nitrite-myth-another-reason-not-to-fear-bacon/In fact, the study that originally connected nitrates with cancer risk and caused the scare in the first place has since been discredited after being subjected to a peer review. There have been major reviews of the scientific literature that found no link between nitrates or nitrites and human cancers, or even evidence to suggest that they may be carcinogenic. Further, recent research suggests that nitrates and nitrites may not only be harmless, they may be beneficial, especially for immunity and heart health. Confused yet? Let’s explore this issue further.
Thanks so much for sharing the videos. I really enjoyed the making bacon one - that was a great walk through their process. Quite different than mine.I enjoy any type of bacon (any real pork bacon of course).
This is my all time favorite:
https://shop.bentonscountryham.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=hscb
It’s VERY smokey and produces some of the best bacon fat for cooking.
This bacon is shipped all around the country and used by many chefs. I stop in when I’m driving through Tennessee, but they ship too.
How it’s made:
This video is an interview and tour with Allan Benton.
Thanks so much for sharing the videos. I really enjoyed the making bacon one - that was a great walk through their process. Quite different than mine.
Then the next video up was Two Bearded Butchers making beef bacon. Had to watch that too!
Chocolate Carmel cake with chocolate dipped carmelized bacon.
Bacon goes with everything!