Vacation Bacon

VACATION !!!!

I took the Fourth of July week off.

I didn’t have any plans  except to smoke some homemade bacon.

I actually get quite a bit of time off, but I have a hard time getting away from work and I don’t usually take time off early in the year, and it’s not uncommon for me to have 3 full weeks of vacation time left in October/November.

That’s my little smoker.  I think that was my 15th anniversary award from work about 6 years ago.  This is the first smoker that I have had and it’s a good beginner model to learn and to see if you have the chops to smoke your meats!!

Not in the habit of using additives to the fire, but my father in law gave me this bag of hickory pellets so I thought I would use it up today.

Made up two packets.  One will go on the bottom and the other on the top of the charcoal.

The bowl of unlit charcoal gets set inside on the bottom.  I have to hand feed replacement charcoal though that little door on the side and I pick out the biggest lumps from the bag so it is easier to reload the charcoal.  I’ve smoked with lump and briquettes and not sure there is a huge difference in using either one.

This little piggy went to get smoked !!!

The good news is that I have found a local source for getting my pork belly rather than having to go some distance to find the pork belly, but the bad news is that they only have chunks of the pork belly, not the big slabs.  I would rather have the big slab, but this works for me !

Charcoal burning and the pork belly is on the grill.

VIOLA !!

About 2 1/2 hours later, WE HAVE BACON !!!!

It will go into the refrigerator overnight and we will start eating it the next day !

This might be about the 8th time that I have made my own bacon, and I am still learning but just nibbling on a tiny bit of this, I think this might be my best !!

https://bacontime.wordpress.com/2019/01/11/homemade-bacon/

https://bacontime.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/making-bacon-part-iii/

https://bacontime.wordpress.com/2013/10/13/making-bacon/