Bacon

Ingredients

• 5 pounds pork belly, skin OFF
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons pink curing salt
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey (preferably chestnut honey)
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Recipe 2:

For every 5 pounds Pork Belly Skin OFF

• 1 1/2 tsp pink salt
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Kosher Salt

Directions

1. Rinse the pork belly and pat dry.

Transfer to a resealable 2-gallon plastic bag.

1. To make the spice rub, mix the kosher salt, pink salt, brown sugar, honey, red pepper flakes, paprika and cumin in a bowl.

Coat the pork belly all over with the mixture.

1. Close the bag and refrigerate 7 to 10 days, flipping once a day, until the pork belly feels firm.
2. It should take 7 days for a thin belly that is about 11/2 inches thick, longer for a belly that’s 2 to 3 inches thick.
3. Remove the pork belly from the bag, rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Refrigerate the belly on a rack, uncovered, 48 hours.
4. Smoke using applewood at 200 degrees F for 3 hours, or until the bacon reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F.
5. Remove the rind (optional), then slice and cook as desired.
6. To store, wrap the bacon in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 2 months.