Home-made bacon

[Stravaig]

I recently discovered an excellent recipe for Scottish morning rolls. Though I say it myself, the resulting rolls were magnificent! So good in fact that I've made several more batches since then. They're perfect for a bacon roll.

One of these days I'm going to run out of British bacon and shopping trips to London are currently off the agenda. Pork is plentiful here - it's the easiest meat to get hold of. Therefore, it's DIY time. We'll have our first attempt at it this evening. I have a kilo of boneless loin which I hope to turn into back bacon. Fingers crossed for success.

I just wondered if anyone here made their own bacon. If so, do you have any advice or warnings about the potential pitfalls?

Thanks in advance.

[Primrose]

Have never heard of anybody I know making their home made bacon and it,s food I really enjoy so will be interested to have details of your recipe along with the outcome of your efforts. We have a good butcher in our village (hopefully he will survive the coronavirus economic pressures) so it should be possible to order the appropriate pork joint from him.

The only comment I would make about cooking ham hocks is to soak overnight in cold water first to remove excess salt but doubt this needs to applies to fresh pork loin which isn't salted.

[Westi]

Hi Stravaig! I was surprised how many things turn up when you search & went through a make my own bacon stage as well! Gave up as easier to buy & indecisive, but understand in your predicament it is well essential! If anyone can do it you can! Keep us updated!

[Stravaig]

Like BBQs, it's maybe a man thing as my husband decided he wanted to do this, so I've just let him get on with it.

Goodness knows what the result will be like. That guy struggles to make a decent cheese toastie. His excuse is that he never gets a chance to practise in the kitchen. Tsk.

[Westi]

My heart skipped a beat when Mr Westi told me this week he wants to get back into cooking - I quickly changed the subject! He did have the odd try when we married 30+ years ago & it wasn't bad. What was unbearable was the amount of washing up. Had to be curries & he literally got everything ready & measured out to start - a teaspoon of this or that was every teaspoon filled & ready on the worktop!

[Primrose]

My husband is the main cook in iur hiusehold now from very unexalted beginnings that we'll draw a veil over. Yes, heaps od washing up seems to be a male things, but ai reckon these days if yiu gave him a "Ready, Steady, Cook" list of six ingredients he could produce a reasonable meal out it.

But we,ve never tried making our own bacon so that,s still an untried challenge. Is yiur recipe for "green" bacon" or "smoked"? Presumably green, in whixh case we may have to wait until its bonfire weather !!

[Stravaig]

Hi Primrose,

I expect we'll be making both green and smoked - assuming we have any success at all. We nearly always buy green so it makes sense to start there, but we might try smoking some later on. (I have a stove-top smoker which I've yet to try.)

Just like bread, everyone has their own method of making it and their own recipes so it can get a bit confusing. We decided that the River Cottage Handbook No 13, Curing and Smoking, was the most helpful so we're following their instructions for a dry cure.

[Stravaig]

Bah! I should have known better. The bacon is so salty it's pretty much inedible as it is. Perhaps I can use it little bit by bit in soup, or maybe I ought to soak it.

I don't know exactly what Mr Stravaig did but I suspect he followed the recipe exactly and did not apply any common sense. Cookbooks quite often have typos in them, which I can spot easily. But he's the type who would add 40 litres if that's what the recipe said, even when it seems pretty obvious that it's 40 mls that's required.

Oh well. We'll just have to try again. I'll keep an eye on him next time.

[Westi]

The one I would try if I could get the cut is just a dry brine of salt, not soaked. I found it on Pinterest, some 'Frontier Women' or 'Amish' post. On the subject of cuts we have found a new proper butcher. Right in the middle of Covid 1 he set up on the industrial estate near us along with the plumber's merchants & car repairs so an odd choice of location. Now Covid 2 he has 2 others as the word has spread that unlike the supermarkets he hangs his meat & it tastes of meat with dark flesh & proper yellow fat. He will get whatever for you if prepared to wait for a bit & in early discussions - read trying to get his recipe.

Not as good as the old butcher a couple of villages away, who never had cuts in his window just chicken & stuff & whatever red meat you wanted he would go out back & bring a half a beast out & cut/saw it for you. Had the feathered fowl hanging outside as well. Unfortunately had an accident & never recovered enough to re-open. Great loss!

[ryangardner]

I really like bacon, but I've never tried to make bacon at home. It's really a great idea to try at home.