The Elliott Homestead
  • Issues
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Recipes
  • Podcast
  • Cooking Community
  • Art Prints
  • Issues
  • Blog
  • Books by Shaye
  • Recipes
  • Podcast
  • Cooking Community
  • Shop
  • Contact

Homemade Bacon is this simple: salt, sugar, and 7 days.

December 6, 2021 - 6 Comments

It's been seven years now since Brandon Sheard of Farmstead Meatsmith came to visit our (then) farm and taught us how to properly kill, clean, cut, wrap, and cure our own pork. During those days, I remember feeling like it was the greatest thing I'd ever learned. Like climbing the Mount Everest of homesteading skills. Raising and butchering a pig is no small thing.

We're not currently raising our own pigs here on the farm – after spending years chasing them through orchards and out of gardens, we figured we'd better wait until we'd built a new structure that better keeps them in. We also tend to favor red meat – choosing to raise a calf and lambs each year. Frankly, it just made more sense to buy the few pieces of pork that we'd need each year from Brandon (who until recently lived fairly close to us).

Bacon is the obvious exception. Bacon is life.

Did you know that homemade bacon is as simple as salt, sugar, and 7 days in the refrigerator? Your only real job is to source some good, local, high-quality pork belly. After that, it's simply a matter of letting the magic happen.

Here's how to do it:

If you like it, Share it!
Share
Tweet
Pin6
6 Shares

Comments:

  1. Rebecca

    December 6, 2021 at 8:23 pm

    Wow! Thank you SO much! I tried making bacon once and had dismal results. But now I see all the things I did wrong. I will try again with these new instructions!

    Reply
  2. Ruth

    December 9, 2021 at 12:43 pm

    Hmmm I love the idea of doing this. I live in the UK and I cook with an Aga which is on most of the year, it airs the washing, keeps the kitchen warm etc. If I was to do this the obvious place to hang it would be over the Aga but I’m guessing it would be too warm. Often when I cook, I am not just cooking for the family so I think I would be even more anxious in case I made someone sick. I imagine waking at 3am and feeling tragic!

    Reply
  3. Ruth Cunningham

    December 9, 2021 at 12:47 pm

    Also did you ever read ‘Jude the obscure’ re. pigs?

    Reply
  4. Dawn

    December 28, 2021 at 4:12 am

    Not sure if we can use our bacon or not. We took our pig to have it processed. When we received it back all bacon was sliced however, not smoked – the butcher we used, last minute, doesn’t smoke/cure. What can we do? Can we put this in our smoker all sliced? Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks!

    Reply
  5. Teresa

    December 28, 2021 at 5:44 am

    Thank you for this video. I buy my sausage already made from a local butcher and the I can it in pint jars. The outcome is delicious and so convenient. I will ask my butcher about getting a pork belly . What are other options do I have if my butcher can not supply me with one? Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Marie

    January 23, 2022 at 12:42 am

    Could a similar process be done to make pancetta which I use for pastas, soups and snacking?

    Is that something you could post later?

    Reply

Leave us a reply: Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




You May Also Like

Vegetable soup to heal.

Who was it that said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” – wasn’t it someone famous?  Or important?  I’m thinking it was a philosopher of sorts……

Read More

Whole Wheat Goodness

I gots a new recipe for ya.  Excited? Whoa, whoa, whoa there! Calm down.  I know you’re excited, but we must remain focused if we are to execute this properly.  You…

Read More

Easy Homemade Pasta

Not a lot of people seem to be enjoying a plate of pasta these days. Unless, of course, you’re in Italy where pasta always has… and will… reign supreme.  But here,…

Read More

Bake Better Bread at Home eBook

And as experience is the best teacher, I’m here to share with you how to bake better bread at home. Save yourself years of bad loaves. My many baking flops are your gain. Here’s how to bake better bread at home.

Subscribe to the newsletter

  • Home
  • Issues
  • Cooking Community
  • Recipes
  • Blog
  • Contact

Follow us

Pinterest Twitter Facebook Instagram

 

© Copyright 2022 The Elliot Homestead | Privacy Policy