Applewood Smoked Bacon

5 from 4 votes

Thick, smoky, applewood bacon sizzling on a Sunday morning—there's nothing like it. This recipe uses Prague Powder, also known as Insta Cure #1, to cure the pork. It can be purchased online.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American, BBQ

Keyword applewood smoked bacon, bacon, homemade bacon

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 4 15

Cure time 6

Total Time 6 5

Servings servings

Calories 614kcal

Cost $10

Equipment

Smoker

Ingredients

3 pounds pork belly skin removed
⅓ cup kosher salt
⅓ cup brown sugar packed
3 tablespoons black pepper coarsely ground
2 teaspoons Prague powder Insta Cure #1

Instructions

Stir the salt, brown sugar, black pepper, and Prague powder together in a small bowl.
Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the entire pork belly. Place the pork belly inside a food saver bag and add the remaining curing mixture to the bag. Remove the air and seal the bag.
Place the bag in a small pan and refrigerate it for 6 days to cure. Turn the bag over every day.
After 6 days, remove the pork belly from the bag, rinse it well and pat it dry.
Place the pork belly on a wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan. Refrigerate the pork belly uncovered, overnight.
The next day, set up the Kamado Joe for indirect heat at 175°F with a few applewood chunks on the coals.
Place a drip pan below the grate and the pork belly on the grate. Close the lid and smoke the pork belly for 4 to 4 ½ hours to an internal temperature of 155°F.
Remove the pork belly from the Kamado Joe and let it cool to room temperature.
Wrap the pork belly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.
Cut the pork belly into ⅛-inch bacon slices, preferably on a meat slicer.
Fry the bacon slices in a hot skillet until crispy.

Video

Notes

Pork belly can sometimes have a layer of skin on the fat side that has to be removed before curing. To remove the skin, cut through it with a sharp knife and peel it off.

Nutrition