Kevin's Bacon

Brown-sugar-and-maple bacon. Smoky, sweet, delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 (6-10 lbs) skinless pork belly

Cure

• 1/2 C kosher salt
• 1/2 C maple syrup
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1 tsp curing salt
• 1 tbsp course black pepper

Curing

1. Trim pork belly. I tend to be very aggressive, because the belly needs to fit in a large vacuum bag and on my large Big Green Egg. The trimmings make excellent burnt ends!

2. Mix together cure (everything else), and rub well into pork belly.

3. Wrap tightly in plastic warp or vacuum seal. Refrigerate for 7-14 days, flipping daily.

Smoking

4. Prepare smoker to cook indirect at 170°F. I use a 5lb coffee can with the bottom cut off to hold the lump in my large Big Green Egg.

5. Rinse off the pork belly, pat dry, and smoke until about 155°F (5-6 hours).

6. Rinse to remove rendered fat, and place in ice-water bath for 15 minutes.

7. Slice and fry!