My name is Bryan, and I’m addicted to bacon. Maybe it’s the smoky maple scent that wafts from the skillet. Or the crispy bits of fat intertwined with the chewy streaks of meat. Or the irresistible flavor it imparts to everything it comes into contact with. Bacon is just plain good. I’ve recently taken to making my own in bulk. In the driver’s seat, I can start with a relatively inexpensive slab of pork belly and create my own personal blend of salt, sugar, and seasonings to flavor it with. Plus, homemade bacon easily beats anything you’ll be tearing from a package bleary-eyed on Sunday morning.
I developed this recipe using a smoker, which delivers the best results because it’s the ideal source for moderate, indirect heat that allows the bacon to cook slowly and evenly. But for those who don’t own a smoker, I also found a way to make my bacon using a charcoal grill. This method is a great option if you own a charcoal grill and aren’t ready to make the leap toward buying a smoker. Just keep in mind that bacon cooked on a charcoal grill will render a bit more and pick up some extra smoky flavor and color because it is much closer to the heat source—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
This recipe calls for pink salt to preserve the meat’s pink color and add flavor. Pink salt is not just for seasoning; it also contains nitrites, so be sure to stick to the quantity listed.
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Links for bacon-making supplies:
Pink Salt
Maple Sugar
About the Author: Bryan Roof
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Bryan, great video, hope this gets more people to make their own bacon. I’ve made my own for a couple of years and while I generally agree with the technique here, removing the skin after smoking the bacon is much easier (reserve and use in place of salt pork for beans, soups, etc.). I also let the bacon rest uncovered on a cooling rack in the fridge overnight after rinsing off the cure. Curious as to why you omit that step.
What part of beef would I use to make beef bacon?
The first time I tried this recipe at 1/2 cup salt, the bacon came out way too salty! I reduced it to less than half and the bacon was much better. Was 1/2 cup of salt a typo?
Hi Sharon, thrilled to hear you have made our homemade bacon. There is no typo in the recipe—it indeed calls for 1/2 cup salt; most other recipes are usually ratios of 1:1 or 2:1 salt to sugar—but adapt the salt to whatever suits your taste. There’s no major food-safety issues in reducing the salt if pink salt is present. Happy bacon-eating!
Any thoughts on the temperature of the smoker? 250, 300? I’m putting mine on tomorrow AM!
Sharon, the recipe called for kosher salt. 1/2 cup of kosher salt equals 1/4 cup of regular salt
An added benefit of DIY bacon is that you can cut it to the thickness you want. There is only one commercial bacon that is the thickness I want (5 /16″) and it’s not always available. The rashers you’re cutting in the video are perfect. I like my bacon to have a nice crispy exterior and a chewy interior.
The hardest part of the whole recipe is locating pork belly.