Here is how to make homemade bacon yourself but before we get started a quick warning, curing salt is a poison if ingested directly in very small amounts.
“You do need to handle it with care because it’s toxic if you ingest it directly. It’s colored pink to prevent accidental ingestion. Keep it out of kids’ reach. According to this link on Oxford University’s site, the exact toxicity is 71 milligrams per kilogram. I weigh nearly 100 kilograms. That means if I ate 7.1 grams, it could kill me (by binding the oxygen carried by my blood to the hemoglobin, making that oxygen unavailable to my cells). That’s about a teaspoon. If you’re a petite 110 pounds, 1/2 teaspoon would be toxic. This article on its toxicity suggest an even lower amount is harmful. Bottom line: Don’t be afraid of it, but keep it well identified, and use it only as a recipe calls for.”
http://ruhlman.com/2011/02/meat-curing-safety-issues/
find a good recipe and follow it, now is not the time to be getting creative, especially with curing salts.
Now onto the recipe
I picked up a full pork belly from the butchers
and gathered my supplies
Kosher salt, black pepper, curing salt, brown sugar and honey
the bellies came in 2 10 pound slabs
so I cut them in half
and for each half, I set up a tablespoon of curing salt, a 1/4 cup of black pepper and a cup of honey, brown sugar and kosher salt
I sprinkled half the curing salt on one side
and half the black pepper
I poured half the honey on
and packed half the brown sugar into the honey
and finished up with the kosher salt
I flipped them over and did the same with the other side, I did the same with rest of the pieces and wrapped them tight with saran wrap, they will now sit in the fridge for the next 7 days and will be smoked next sunday, to be continued
