Freshly Smoked Bacon on wire rack on foil

Bacon — 8-Day Cure, “Three Salts,” Maple-Apple Smoke

Bacon is patience you can fry. Start with good pork belly and measure carefully. The “Three Salts” cure is simple on purpose: Kosher and Sea Salt for structure, sugar balance, and pink curing salt #1 for safety and color. Work by weight, not scoops; the math buys you consistency. Eight days is the sweet spot for a typical slab - long enough for an even cure, short enough to stay clean and bright. After the cure, give it air: a chilled, uncovered rest builds a tacky pellicle that welcomes smoke instead of wearing it like a wet coat. Keep the fire calm and slightly sweet - apple with a tough of maple - and bring the belly to a gentle finish so fat stays silky, not sweaty. Slice after a full chill and listen for the quiet crisp after its hit the pan. That sound is the promise you kept: measured, steady, and just smoky enough to make breakfast feel like a small celebration. No drama - just salt, time and a fire that minds it manners.

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Bacon — 8-Day Cure, “Three Salts,” Maple-Apple Smoke

Chief Flame Tamer Michael McDearman

Servings

Varies

Cuisine

American

Category

Pork

The Meat Hook

Bacon is patience you can fry. Start with good pork belly and measure carefully. The “Three Salts” cure is simple on purpose: Kosher and Sea Salt for structure, sugar balance, and pink curing salt #1 for safety and color. Work by weight, not scoops; the math buys you consistency. Eight days is the sweet spot for a typical slab - long enough for an even cure, short enough to stay clean and bright. After the cure, give it air: a chilled, uncovered rest builds a tacky pellicle that welcomes smoke instead of wearing it like a wet coat. Keep the fire calm and slightly sweet - apple with a tough of maple - and bring the belly to a gentle finish so fat stays silky, not sweaty. Slice after a full chill and listen for the quiet crisp after its hit the pan. That sound is the promise you kept: measured, steady, and just smoky enough to make breakfast feel like a small celebration. No drama - just salt, time and a fire that minds it manners.

Bacon — 8-Day Cure, “Three Salts,” Maple-Apple Smoke

Ingredients

  • 1 Pork Belly (skinned)

  • Cure (see below for measurements)

Directions

  1. Weigh, Mix, Bag (Day 0)

    Calculate cure by meat weight:

    • 2.0% total kosher and sea salt (20 g per kg meat)

    • 1.0% sugar (10 g per kg; white, brown, or maple)

    • 0.25% Prague Powder #1 (6.25% sodium nitrite) → 2.5 g per kg

    Optional: black pepper 0.3% (3 g/kg). Mix thoroughly. Coat all sides of belly; get everything into a 2-gal zip bag or vacuum bag and press out the air.

    Technique: Equilibrium cure means the belly can’t over-salt; the salt level stabilizes across the slab.

    Quick example (5 lb/2268 g belly): ~ 45.4 Kosher salt, 22.7 g sugar, 5.7 g Cure #1.

  2. Cure & Flip (Days 1-8)

    Refrigerate 36–38°F. Flip the bag daily and massage lightly to redistribute brine. Expect natural brine to form by Day 2—don’t drain it.

    Tip: Lay the bag on a wire rack over a tray so both faces stay cold and contact is even.

  3. Rinse, Dry, Pellicle (Night 8)

    Rinse quickly, pat very dry. Set on a rack uncovered in the fridge 12–24 hours to form a tacky pellicle. Edges should feel slightly sticky, not wet.

    Trick: Aim a small fan across the fridge door opening for 10–15 minutes to jump-start surface drying before the overnight rest.

  4. Smoke & Finish (Day 9)

     • Hot-smoke (House path): 180–195°F pit, clean mild smoke, to 145°F internal.

    • Cold-smoke (alt): ≤90°F smoke for 6–12 hours (in sessions if needed). Treat as raw; cook before eating.

    Light wood: apple primary; add maple/cherry for round sweetness. Keep exhaust wide open for clean, gentle smoke.

  5. Chill, Slice & Fry

    Chill fully (overnight). For thin slicing, partially freeze 60–90 minutes. Fry test pieces; adjust future smoke time or sugar level to taste.