Mmmmm… Bacon

 

Salt, sugar, chili, shallot, garlic, thyme, peppercorns

Add half the water you will need, bring to boil and simmer till salt and sugar have fully dissolved

Add ice to thin out the strong brine and will also cool it down fully

Skin on Pork Belly

Add belly to a non reactive container

Cover with ice brine, refrigerate for 8 days

After the 8 day brine

Remove from brine and lightly rinse

Discard the brine

Perforated pan with a rack

Smoking chips in a foil trey

Lay the bacon on the rack while you start your smoking chips

Place the pan with the chips on a burner turn on high or start with a blow torch

Turn down the burner once the chips have started to smolder

Once the chips are burning but not on fire add the belly and keep the burner on low

Cover with a pan and let it smoke for 20 minutes on low

Keep smoking for 20 or 30 minutes more

Perfect

Remove smoked belly and transfer to a rack on a sheet trey

Cook at 285 f for 30-40 minutes or till cooked through

Nice

Hang belly in fridge for 24 hours to let all flavors melt together and settle

Bacon slab cut in half

Remove skin and save

Remove all fat, skin, scraps and then slice while very cold

Skin and scraps are great for pork and chili braised tomato sauce

Save fat for all the great things in life.