Bacon: Proof of the Existence of God

Want to eat the tastiest bacon ever?  Cure and smoke your own.  It's easier to do than you think, and I'll show you how to do it.

In the 17th Century, the famous French philosopher Rene Descarte, started his proof of the existence of God by first asserting the certainty of his own existence -- I think, therefore, I am. (Cogito ergo sum, if you prefer your philosophy in Latin)  And then, that certain innate ideas must also be true -- one of which was the idea of God.  And there you have it, proof of God.

Well, I say Descarte made his proof way too complex.

If you want proof of the existence God, you don't need any more evidence than a strip of crispy, salty, fatty, yummy, hickory smoked bacon.  A food given to us most surely by a loving and generous creator.

The bacon sold in the market isn't too bad; certainly good enough to make an atheist think twice.  But if you want the ultimate bacon experience, you need to cure your own.  And I'm going to tell you how to do it. 

As with all food ideas I post to this blog, it isn't hard to do or expensive to achieve great results.

Just follow these instructions and you'll make mind-blowing bacon that will make grown men weep.

The recipe comes form Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, by Karen Solomon.  The book has lots of interesting recipes and I encourage you to think about adding it to your book shelf. 

What You Need

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds pork belly (you can get this from a butcher)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon curing salt*
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• Hickory wood chips
• A BBQ Grill
  

*Curing salt is a mixture of salt, sugar and sodium nitrate.  Your butcher may be able to sell it to you or you can order it online from a spice supplier.

Recipe

1. Rinse and dry the pork belly
2. In a bowl, mix the sugar and molasses and then add the salt, curing salt and pepper and mix together.
3. Rub the mixture on the top and bottom of the pork belly.
4. Place the pork belly into a zip lock bag and lay it down flat in your refrigerator for 7 days.
5. Turn the bag over each day. (After 7 days the pork belly should feel firm.)
6. Rinse and pat dry.

Smoking the Bacon

• Smoke the bacon over a low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  I found a temperature of 150-200 degrees Fahrenheit to be about right.
• Remove the bacon form the grill.  Let cool and then trim off the thick skin of the top side of the pork belly.
• Cut into strips with a sharp knife or a meat slicer if you have one.

Note on Grills

• If you're using a charcoal grill, try to use natural hardwood charcoal if you can get it.  Get the grill to the proper temperature and, right before putting your pork belly into the grill, place the  wood chips that you have previously soaked in water for 20 minutes directly onto the coals.
  
• I don't have direct experience using a gas grill for this recipe, but I suspect it will also work quite well.  With a gas grill, you place your hickory chips in a metal tray that is sold as an accessory to your grill.  Ask about this at your local grill store.

Storage

Place into a plastic zip-lock bag and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.  I generally break the bacon into three batches of equal size and place one bag into the refrigerator for immediate consumption, and put the other two bags into the freezer for future use.

A Promise Made

I suppose it seems like I'm posting this bacon recipe out of the clear blue sky.  But there is a connection to gardening.  This week I was planting tomato seeds, and tomatoes always make me think of Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwiches.

My wife has a recipe she calls "The Ultimate BLT."  When we get into tomato season, I'll post her recipe so you can try it for yourself.

A photo of the cured bacon after slicing and before are shown below.

Comments

[Julianne Idleman]

Thanks for the recipe, Mark. We can't wait to try this. And by "we", I mean my husband and his new smoker. ;-) But I'll see what I can do to help with the BLT's.

[H. Mark Delman]

Just smoke it low and slow. You wont be disappointed. Niemann Ranch is a great meat supplier, but they smoke their bacon with apple wood. I much prefer hickory and so I do my own.

[Security Tape]

Ok this sounds amazing! I'm fed up of rubbishy bacon which tastes about as good as the bacon in sandwiches in the cafe near my work. All my collegues get excited and order in their special "treat" of a bacon/sausage/egg bap on a friday. It's at this moment that I feel like a snob! I can't stand it. I'm definitely trying this and then plan to bring in my own version of their baps, with quality stuff and some chunky tomato and crunchy lettuce. No competition in my mind! Thanks very much for the recipe!

[H. Mark Delman]

Thanks for the kind words. I think youll find this is fairly easy to make. Let me know how it turns out.

-PlanterTomato