Dry-Cured Bacon | Homemade Bacon

There's been a few comments about the quantity of cure that I used. This is the specific one, other makers may vary: www.ebay.co.uk... If in doubt, do what the manufacturer of the product you are using recommends. This is not sodium nitrate but a commercial curing salt with less than 1% nitrite
% Salt 99
% Salt Range 97-100.
You might never have thought of making your own bacon, but it's very easy to do and home-made bacon is fantastic. In this video I show you the 2 main types of British bacon - streaky bacon made from pork belly, and back bacon made from pork loin. This is a dry-cured process, rather than wet-cured or brined. You don't get any excess moisture in the bacon with this method, it's just delicious.
The written recipe for Homemade Dry-cured Bacon is here: keefcooks.com/...
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[@JanTheNan]

Mum always snipped the edge.

[@manuelstarr3602]

Keef, can I borrow your "Time Machine"...I want to go back about 55 years...those were the days...cheers

[@mikewhitcombe101]

Wasn’t expecting you to do it immediately, Keef! Thanks!

[@samaitcheson7057]

Blimey Keef! What a fab video! I'm doing this at the weekend. Thank you 😁

[@JTMusicbox]

Correct! All things bacon are collectively the best thing ever! Your teleportation shirt change segue is a close second though. Made me laugh.

[@dwaynewladyka577]

You made some great bacon, Keef. What I like is crispy bacon sandwiches with HP sauce. So good. Cheers!

[@jamescarr1467]

I used to travel from Manchester to Doncaster market to buy my bacon. I always bought a full side with the ribs in. The side was about 2 feet long, maybe more. I sliced it thick, put it in a cast-iron skillet and fried it. When it was nearly done and the fat rendered out I put in a small tin of baked beans and fried them with it.

[@Keefcooks]

Wow, Donny Market. I grew up in Doncaster but left before I really started getting into cooking. Never seen the 2-foot long bacon slab but it sounds amazing!

[@jamescarr1467]

@@Keefcooks I also bought what they called, 'Arbroath Smokies' there too. Real strong smoked fish. The bacon man looked like an old farmer--probably gone now along with lots of other good old fashioned food. Love your channel. I was the bloke that cooked the steak and kidney pudding in a plant-pot!

[@elmo319]

I worked in Denmark for about five years, they called back bacon ‘English bacon’ and regular bacon was the streaky like the yanks call it. I found the best way to cook it is in the oven. Yummo!

[@brendarigdonsbrensden.8350]

I can't get a lovely loin cut like that so I end up with loin cut bacon what is called Canadian bacon. I prefer dry cured bacon but its still better than the smoked fat they call bacon here, I even bought a meat slicer but that was a plus because I use that for other things to slice too. I know you are enjoying that bacon in many ways yummmmmm

[@jameslamb4573]

There is only one thing that makes bacon better. MORE BACON!

[@isyt1]

Brilliant video! That’s an education I’ve always wanted but never got round to looking up 👍🏻

[@SaposJoint]

The only thing better than bacon is more bacon. Love the video. Edit: I believe you meant to say sodium _nitrite_ instead of nitrate. No harm... Edit again: I agree with Mrs. Keef wholeheartedly about tomatoes. Thanks very much.

[@Keefcooks]

Apparently it starts off as nitrate and becomes nitrite during the curing process - loses an atom or something, means nothing to me.

[@timkouba4347]

Awesome vlog! I love making my own bacon, it's always worth the effort and wait. I have always smoked mine, but must try this method.

[@samaitcheson7057]

I prefer smoked bacon too. You can find smoked curing mix on Amazon 😁

[@Sanderly1820]

Instacure is ok for keeping your bacon for long period of time, but for home use don't bother, the best thing to use is celery salt During the curing process, the nitrates in celery powder break down into nitrites and provide all the benefits of botulism prevention, bright pink color and that delicious cured flavor.plus its natural and free from synthetic ingredients

[@JanTheNan]

In the 60’s mum used to send me to grocers for half pound best back bacon..

[@DavidFrankland]

I've just made some today using the same kit. I'll find out in 6 days what it's like. I cut the skin into bite size pieces and it's currently in the oven turning into smoked paprika pork crackling.

[@mattruz9238]

Thanks Keef! My Lancashire bride is tired of smoked streaky bacon in the states. This is perfect. Going to give it a go.

[@SuperMagnumguy]

Oh my God…..Hendo’s…a real bacon butty.

[@halfinchholes88]

I do the same with pork back loin for canadan bacon. Rinse, pat dry, pellicle formation(MOST IMPORTANT}, smoke @250F until internal temp 145F. Pull, slice, vacuum pack, and freeze.

[@IMBlakeley]

I bought some curing salts last year but haven't as yet got enough round tuits to have done this. Thanks for this I was going to soak in brine but this is another good idea. Where I currently live the local streaky is okay but the back not so much so

[@steveday4797]

Great video Keef, one question, do you have to cut off the rind? I remember loving it when I was a kid

[@Keefcooks]

No, if you can stomach it, leave it on. I could never swallow the stuff.

[@hualani6785]

Or BLT on sourdough? Agree Mrs Keef! Fried Tomatoe plus your preferred green (lettuce, spinach, etc) Back Bacon I thought was well known, world wide in English speaking parts, although I've head people in US refer to it as Canadian bacon, Idk history of that colloquialism.

[@rickbear7249]

Keef, you say you popped your bacon joint into the Freezer until it was "almost frozen" to make slicing easier. Hmm, not sure that's not dangerous?! Think about why frozen meat keeps so much longer. Then think about what happens after it's defrosted. In particular, that once defrosted, your meat must be cooked immediately. That's because the bacteria growth that was inhibited by the cold temperature is massively increased during the defrosting. (Also why you must never defrost using a heater or hot water.) So, Keef, although I salute your idea of slicing almost frozen meat, I'd say you must then immediately complete the freezing or cook immediately on defrosting. Do NOT allow to defrost and store in the fridge. Love the idea of your home dry cured bacon and it's something I look forward to trying. Thank you, Rick

[@Keefcooks]

'Almost frozen' meaning firm enough to slice without the bacon wobbling. So it's not actually below zero, there's no ice crystals forming and anyway the meat is cured so I think it's perfectly safe. I'm 63 and I've never had food poisoning.

[@rickbear7249]

@@Keefcooks Yes, I did consider that your bacon contains preservatives (that was the original reason for making bacon). So what you're really saying is to chill the joint to firm it up for ease of slicing, rather than "almost frozen" 😉. I'd go along with that. Keep up the recipes, please Keef. You are inspirational. Rick

[@kernow62]

I add an equal amount of brown sugar and some liquid smoke to mine. Unfortunately my local shop sells the loin but not the bit running off of it. Nevermind it makes a servicable English bacon for not much money in the colonies where I am currently exiled.

[@mikeplatts2603]

Looks great Keef, trying it this weekend.

[@philmuskett265]

Looks good, mate. And Henderson's sauce -- world famous in Sheffield!!

[@SuperMagnumguy]

AND Canada !!!!

[@CharlieMcowan]

Keef, splendid video as always. As you spent time in Spain, do you have any idea what I would ask for in a butcher's here?

[@Keefcooks]

Well, the big round bit is lomo de cerdo, the bit of streaky/belly is pancetta. Good luck!

[@hoytmccloskey5967]

I like how he starts out by straightening out us misfit yankees on 'wat bacon is'

[@michaelbarton5169]

I was hoping for a TARDIS sound effect on the time jump, but I suppose some lawyers wd take issue 😉. Thanks for the video!

[@mikeosborne6254]

Love it - love it - love it !!!😄

[@JuiceTerry87]

My local butcher sells middle bacon, can't remember seeing it much elsewhere

[@richardmullins1883]

If you made this and found it was a little too salty, try this method. Weight of pork in grams x 0.25 = the amount of cure needed in grams.

[@philipcrosland9527]

I like to put in some dried juniper berries and cold smoke it as well.

[@JuiceBanger1]

Oh looks good I may try this. I hate the white goo in me pan and the water

[@karendaley3184]

Do you want to know how to keep bacon from curling in the pan? You take away its little brooms. 😂🇨🇦

[@Keefcooks]

Ouch!

[@admirathoria0073]

I've considered doing this. Even considered buying a bacon curing kit.

[@royclark1564]

Hey guys thank you. Bloody ace video

[@Dunstire]

Tesco does middle bacon.Rind on thick-cut and lovely

[@Keefcooks]

Never spotted it in mine!

[@Dunstire]

@@Keefcooks I get mine online,not sure about instore

[@conorkilroe]

British bacon ... Danish ... American ... Streaky ... Back ... the best but maybe least known is Australian bacon!

[@Keefcooks]

Apart from being 'the best', how does it differ from other types of bacon? And where can I get it in the UK?

[@conorkilroe]

@@Keefcooks Danish cut and the American cut are not separated, it's the whole animal from loin to belly, ultimate Bacon!

[@philh77]

I used this method. It was far too salty, and left an after taste in my mouth for the whole day. there's enough pink salt in this method for 4 buckets full of brine. I've since used a salt combined with about one teaspoon of pink salt dry method. It was a lot less salty and less aftertaste.

[@Keefcooks]

I followed the guidance from the manufacturer and certainly wouldn't want to mess with that - this stuff can be dangerous if you get it wrong. I didn't find it salty at.

[@philh77]

@@Keefcooks of course the manufacturer wants you to use more of their product

[@Keefcooks]

LOL 😀

[@thomascallaghan5988]

That was amazing

[@briankane6547]

Hey up lad! Cracklin's perfectly edible - otherwise we'd not be able to buy packets of it.

[@Keefcooks]

Did I say it wasn't?

[@briankane6547]

@@Keefcooks I thought you referred to Bacon rind as inedible? I used to keep it till after I'd eaten the Bacon, then "kizzen it" a bit to make a version of Cracklin. ;¬)

[@keelapermaculturefarm]

Thanks mate

[@harrybond007]

I've been doing various tests making back bacon for about 9 months now, I thought for bacon you should be using Sodium Nitrite and not Sodium Nitrate (which is what was written on the bag you showed), sodium Nitrate is used for longer term cures eg salami

[@Keefcooks]

It's com-pla-cated - I think nitrate turns into nitrite somehow, but I'm no chemist and it's all beyond me.

[@harrybond007]

@@Keefcooks no worries, I have it sorted

[@Sanderly1820]

Here's a recipe for peameal or Canadian bacon Ingredients: • Boneless pork loin - 2 pieces approximately 2 lbs each • Corn meal or ground yellow peas • 2.5 liters of water (boil 1.5ltr , then add 1.5ltr ice cold water to cool brine down quicker) • 210 g kosher salt • 150 g sugar • 25 g pink salt / prague powder #1 • 1 tbsp pickling spice • 54 g brown sugar • 45 ml honey • 5 cloves smashed garlic Method • Trim any visible silver skin off the pork loin, and trim any excess fat on it down to about a 1/4 inch layer • Prepare a brine by boiling the water, salt, sugar, pink salt, pickling spice, brown sugar, honey, and garlic together - then allow to cool completely Once cooled, place the loins in a large ziploc bag or non-reactive container with the brine ensuring that they are completely covered. • Leave in the fridge for 3.5-5 days. • Rinse the pork loin, then dry, and roll in a dish of corn meal, pressing it in until a nice even layer sticks to it • Wrap the whole piece of peameal bacon in plastic wrap or aluminium foil, then put it in the freezer until firm, but not frozen. This makes it much easier to slice.

[@Evans_Yellow]

Bacon!

[@teresanash-mcneil3443]

I’m going to be trying this maestro

[@garythornbury9793]

excellent video Keef! i shoot a wild hog and made hams and bacon out of her, tasted great, but the wild smell is bad.

[@povemeister]

Would have been great to make clear in the video that you are using a pre-made curing salt mix. As it would be quite easy to confuse your guidelines by using 50g of Prague powder which would be very dangerous.

[@Keefcooks]

Yes, that would have been great, but retroactively not possible. Just out of interest, did you see my pinned comment that clarifies this point?

[@povemeister]

@@Keefcooks No, it's not at the top of the comments as a pinned comment would normally be.

[@Keefcooks]

Strange, it is for me. I'll copy it into the description as well.

[@edgarburlyman738]

Was a slice of bacon how much meat the average person was allotted, per day, back in the day? That's what rasher makes it sound like, to my ears. I hope it was a thick slice like you've made, at least. Hey Keef, you like a bit of jazz?

[@JanTheNan]

Like the measure gizmo.

[@PaulBateman1973]

Morrisons (which we can see you shop at) usually has middle bacon at the meat counter, can you still get collar bacon?

[@Keefcooks]

I've never noticed my Morries selling loose bacon - I'll check it out next time I go.

[@arandomperson5434]

Morrisons also does great raspberry jam doughnuts.

[@mstuartjones7800]

Keef, just came accrosss you video, and want to share with you and your viewers, if you are concerned about the sodium nitrite in the curing salt you can replace it with dried celery powder, which is a natural form of nitrite and is easy to make yourself. I have learned that when you see organic on cured meat it means it was cured with salt and celery powder. If you have a dehydrator, it's really easy, just take a bunch of celery, cut up like you were going to cook it, place on your drying trays and dry out, once dryed simply pulverize it in a blender and store in an bottle till needed.

[@marky437]

you can still get middle bacon but you have to look for it.

[@theresa5059]

MOUTHWATERING!!! 😛😋🤤

[@Semeniuk_Oleksii]

Ukraine is famous for a variety of pork dishes, we have a lot of pigs))) I'll try))

[@lordrampenthump422]

Hey im so cunfused with this, can you please post in detail the cure. I have prague power but i dont know the ratios and i keep seeing different recipes

[@Keefcooks]

This might help: keefcooks.com/home-made-dry-cured-back-bacon-recipe/ The powder I used said 50 grams per kilo of meat. Yours might be different.

[@Nannerchan]

Sounded like the TARDIS. Did you have fun traveling with the Doctor?

[@tysondundas1947]

1kg is 2.2lb or 1lb is about 1/2 kg

[@lewisgardner1660]

👍🏻

[@fritsvanstratum3239]

Leave it 24 hours in the fridge

[@bamh1re318]

can you just microwave this meat, instead of hanging?

[@Keefcooks]

I don't think so.

[@andypandy1621]

You need to review the chemical and quantity used in this recipe , urgently !

[@Keefcooks]

You need to read my pinned comment.

[@Keefcooks]

This is what the manufacturer says for dry-curing bacon: DRY CURE for BACON 1. Select a thin piece of meat no thicker than 2 inches. Pork belly or loin is ideal. 2. Debone and trim the meat 3. Whilst wearing gloves add the cure mix and rub in well to the meat at a rate of 50g per 1kg of meat. 4. Ensure curing salt is evenly distributed, particularly in pockets and cavities in the meat 5. Place the meat into a plastic bag and store in the fridge out of the light 6. Allow to cure for the recommended time based on 1 day per half inch or 13mm thickness of meat plus 2 extra days 7. Once the curing process has finished remove from the bag and rinse off the bacon under cold water 8. Dry off the meat before slicing

[@neilpye6089]

Another way to keep bacon flat before cooking apparently pricking the bacon

[@zacherynuk842]

Controversial bacon condiment aside! ace vid! (yeah it's the correct flavour profile but it aint daddy or HP!)

[@MrBrock365]

Do British not do shoulder bacon as well?

[@Keefcooks]

Not to my knowledge. There is 'middle' bacon, but you don't often see it.

[@markpiuscharlton4439]

There used to be a great bacon called collar bacon. Which was made from the shoulder area (what the Americans call the Boston Butt)......makes excellent bacon

[@MOOSEDOWNUNDER]

I think the reason it looks bigger at the supermarket is all the sodding water they pump into it. You should have titled this one "how to make proper British bacon". There are no videos titled properly on how to pick the proper cut for British bacon, especially a side by side comparison to American streaky. We have the best of both Worlds here. British and Streaky in one. Giant rashers of bacon goodness, just dont tell the Rabbi.

[@JanTheNan]

Yum

[@ynys_mon6928]

Nooo! Please don’t cut off the skin! When I was a kid I thought the rind was the best bit. Nice and chewy. There’s something missing from modern bacon. Must try making my own.

[@Keefcooks]

Possibly the dry - cure method won't work if you leave the skin on because the salts won't be able to penetrate the skin. Good luck with it, but I'm very happy that modern bacon doesn't have the skin on and also those two little bony blobs on some cuts.

[@russellwood8750]

See I find that whole thing about bacon really weird I grew up in Ireland and I’m currently living in Canada. Now to Canadians bacon is just streaky rashers that’s all it is to them that’s all they know it as. However if you were to walk into a butcher anywhere in Ireland and ask for bacon he look at your funny. They would ask you what type of bacon you want, to us bacon is pork that is cured any kind of pork that is cured is bacon. So he might say do you want a collar a bacon or shoulder of bacon do you want back bacon which is also known as back rashers because rashers are the type of cut of bacon you also have streaky bacon or streaky rashers he also might ask if you want side bacon which is streaky bacon not cut up you can cut it to the thickness you want or you might get belly bacon which is back bacon not cut up. It just blows my mind that people don’t understand this, walking into a butchers and asking for bacon it’s like walking into a bakery shop and ask him for bread they going to ask you what type of bread you want.

[@Keefcooks]

I have had Americans of accusing my back bacon of being thin pork chops! Quite weird.

[@russellwood8750]

@@Keefcooks yep they just can't get their head around it at all total weirdos

[@jonathancook4022]

Im gonna have to produce a YTP video from this to help pass the time during this lonely, wet lockdown. My advanced apologies.

[@Keefcooks]

YTP?

[@shanshanli8099]

👍

[@user-pj8nj1iv6o]

Your wife would get it keef!

[@tyrion3575]

Keef... bril vid mate love it... just one thing, when you skinning that fat you may find it easier to use a fish knife!

[@Evans_Yellow]

You are a fish knife

[@kevinbyrne4538]

4:58 -- Oops. 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds So 1 pound = 1/2 kilogram

[@Beruthiel45]

That's what I thought. Came to say so. Oops is right. 😶

[@kevinbyrne4538]

@@Beruthiel45 -- I've never produced a KZbin video, but everyone who has done so, says that the process is an ordeal. So I can understand a small error slipping past inspection.

[@Beruthiel45]

@@kevinbyrne4538 Oh, of course. However, you did point it out yourself first. 😇

[@tish2561]

Sorry Keef, I am deleting youtube, google, facebook and whatsapp due to censorship.

[@Keefcooks]

Off to Parler are you?

[@johnkirton833]

You forgot the Brown Sauce, shame on you......... A how to make Brown Sauce would be nice.

[@Keefcooks]

Shame on you for not listening properly - I said 'condiment of your choice' - for me that's Worcester sauce, for you, obviously brown sauce but I think that's overpowering when I'm focussed on my fabulous bacon. Brown sauce recipe is in this video: www.keefcooks.com/posh-bacon-and-eggs-confit-egg-yolk-candied-bacon-homemade-brown-sauce/

[@johnkirton833]

@@Keefcooks Thank you and appologies.

[@christophermeadows9134]

you should invest in a smoker

[@Keefcooks]

With our climate I would use it maybe once or twice a year!

[@sorenarp]

That's not bacon! Bacon is smoked!!!

[@Keefcooks]

Much as I love my viewers and want them to be right, sometimes they're not. Bacon can be smoked or unsmoked, but the thing that makes it bacon is curing it in curing salts. Smoking it afterwards is optional to give it more flavour.

[@sorenarp]

@@Keefcooks I guess you're right about that, but being from Denmark I still think it's wrong! 😉😊 But we all have different taste and that's okay...

[@derkhedemann5606]

good bacon should be smoked in a smoker

[@Keefcooks]

So if you don't have a smoker you can't have good bacon? Interesting...

[@fritsvanstratum3239]

Buy a proper knife 😂

[@Keefcooks]

Good, sarcastic advice. I wonder what you think is a proper knife?

[@fritsvanstratum3239]

@@Keefcooks take a good meat filleting knife that has a small thin blade and the blade is about 20 cm long and sharpen that on a sharpening steel

[@Keefcooks]

Actually I just looked at this video again - it's 4 years old and I have acquired quite a few 'proper' knives since then. Not that that knife was 'improper' - it's a Victorinox, which is a hugely popular brand in commercial kitchens.

[@Keefcooks]

There's been a few comments about the quantity of cure that I used. This is the specific one, other makers may vary: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/383904192048?hash=item5962791630:g:L6AAAOSw-mJf8x4K If in doubt, do what the manufacturer of the product you are using recommends. This is not sodium nitrate but a commercial curing salt with less than 1% nitrite % Salt 99 % Salt Range 97-100.

[@orange281gt]

Bacon!