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- Ingredients
- 1/3 cup course sea salt (sea or kosher)
- 3T cracked pepper corns
- 2 teaspoons pink curing salt (Prague Powder #1 or Insta Cure #1)
- 1/3 cpu packed dark brown sugar
- 1 piece (3-3.5lb) pork belly (skinned - see Notes)
- Process
- 1. Plase salt, pepper & curing salt in a mixing bowl and mix well with fingers. Add sugar - breaking up any lumps
- 2. Place belly on a rimmed baking sheet. Rub half of cure into the top, flip - use rest of cure.
- 3. Put belly and any remaning cure in a large plastic bag. Remove air - seal bag, put in foil pan or roast pan to contain leaks
- 4. Cure for 6 days - flip each day - liquid will accumulate in bag - don't freak
- 5. Drain and rinse well with cold water - blot dry w/ paper towels
- 6. put on wire rim rack over baking sheet to dry in fridge overnight
- you might be tempted to salt this again - don't it will come out super salty
- however adding cracked black pepper and any other spices here might be a good idea
- 7. put on heated smoker (~170F) smoke until internal temp hits 155F (3.5-4 hours)
- 8. put on wire rim rack over baking sheet to cool to room temp
- 9. Wrap in butcher's paper or plastic wrap 4 hours to overnight
- 10. Keeps for 5 days in fridge or frozen for months
- Notes: Pork belly can be bought at Whole Foods - but usually comes in 10-12lbs - ask them to remove the skin
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