Curing Bacon - Step by Step 

After doing several pork bellies we found that 1/2 cup of salt worked out better than 1 cup. Thanks

Love this video! I'm a long time cold smoker. My family has been doing it for generations. We've always been about imparting the smoke into the meat and leaving the cookin for the kitchen. Here's a few more tips to hopefully answer some questions. Obviously, there are plenty of ways to smoke meat, so this is just some of what I've been taught and learned over the years, so take it for what it is. The amount of salt has been altered for a reason. 1 cup is WAY too salty, so the 1/2 cup Deep South Homestead changed it to is very important. Also, 150F is an internal meat temp. That is the absolute MAX you want to go, otherwise your bacon will come out looking more cooked than a nice smoked raw bacon. I smoke bacon to an internal temp of 130-135F. That's it! The key is to keep your ambient temp down around 150F so it will smoke for a good 4 hours before the bacon temp gets to 130-135F. If you decide to do this, you will need a cold smoker or a cold smoke tube because you're not going to get enough smoke out of a hot smoker or grill at 150-160F. You don't even have to smoke at that temp, but the lower you go, the longer you want to smoke. I smoke ring sausage at around 85F for 6 hours and it comes out beautifully smoked, raw and ready for the pan or grill, and hasn't lost a drop of juice. If its dripping too much, then you're cooking the bacon, which is not what you want to do. After all of these years using a smoker setup like Deep South Homestead, one of the best things I've purchased for cold smoking is a Tube Smoker. You can find them on Amazon for $15-30, and will change your life! Hope this helps answer some questions, and good luck smoking!

I have watched this 5 times and this is the first time I have said how much I liked it. thanks for this. Great video.

absolutely inspiring i am hoping build our smoke house this year like yours and get away from the regular smokers i have used, i love the way you do your neats we have a homestead working on getting ours set up . the old ways are still the best. people really need to know this stuff. thank you for all the time you spent to show how this is done.

You did a great job at showing the brine and smoke process, thank you very much!!! I'm getting a 5lb piece of pork belly tomorrow and I can't wait to get started

Good video. We raise Heritage Turkeys here in Wyoming and use a very similar technique as you do with your bacon. We process the birds, then age at 40 degrees for 3 days. Then we brine with salt, brown sugar and sorghum for 24 hours at 40 degrees. (If we use Cure #1, we extend the brining to 4 days). We then rinse and dry.. let them come to room temperature and smoke. (Hot smoke if we used salt... cold smoke if we used Cure #1) The hot-smoked birds, I like to finish off in the oven. While still warm from the smoker, sprinkle with Kosher salt (to help crisp the skin) and pop in oven (no stuffing) at 450 degrees for 30 minutes (to start rendering the layer of fat under the skin), then reduce heat to 325 and finish. Melts in your mouth good. You can't brine the commercial birds because they inject them with oil and water. (I wonder why they aren't called "Oilball" instead of "Butterball". haha

How long did you smoke 💨 it for? Great Vedic Thanks

Danny...Thank you for taking your time to show us how to do this!! I've watched this video several times and it seems I learn something new each time!??

And to think, a lot of this was common knowledge a hundred years ago. Thank you for posting such an informative video! Very well done!

Great example of how it’s done. Many thanks and God Bless!

Mister, I'm sure I ain't got to tell you this but....you sure do know how to make a fella hungry!

Great video guys! I'm sure glad you went back and showed the whole process. Thanks for the info and awesome content!

Thank You for your knowledge! I’m doing my 1st pork belly and learning alot!

I do some smoking as a retired 70 yr old man and always wished I had done this many many years ago. I been impressed with the flavor and how many new friends I acquired. Thanks for the video and explaining each step.. Enjoy life and stay healthy.

That bacon looks fine, bless you for posting this informative video

Danny how long did you leave it in the smoker? You remind me so much of my Dad. Miss that guy. Love your videos. I watch them all for "HOW TO" do just about everything anyone can imagine.

I am curing my first time ever bacon and hubby recommended your channel for this process. We both watch your channel and learn from you. I will let you know how it turned out once its done. Thanks a million

I've watched a lot of videos the past few days about how to make your own bacon, and I have to say your video has been the most thorough and yielded the best looking finished product. I've got a RecTec pellet grill, and look forward to giving your method a go in a week, after I get done prepping for the next holiday. Happy Holidays!

Great idea for the scraggly pieces, for beans! Love it. Can't believe I haven't found this channel yet but now I'm subscribed. Great educational information for someone learning such as myself.

Excellant video, so interesting, Danny and Wanda are great people

I know how to do all of this but this was a very accurate and informative video. All the way down to why he breaks the lighter pine in half. Good stuff sir !!! Heres a hand shake from Georgia.

I love this man. Salt of the earth.

Excellent video. It was very informative, and that bacon looked delicious. I've got a slab cured and dried, and I'm about to fire up my smoker in few minutes. This is my first attempt at making bacon. I will follow your process. Thank you for sharing your expertise!

I always wondered how this was done. Very clean process and packaging. Thumbs up and shared.

Very informative step by step instruction. Ya'll make this look so easy, I bet I can try it .

You did an awesome job walking us thru and to bacon paradise! Great job!

Danny, because of channels like yours we have grown our own apple, peach, cherry, plum, persimmon trees. That will afford us the opportunity to experiment a bit with our smoking. THANK YOU!

My parents did this when I was growing up . I don't remember much of it so thank you you for this video.

Excellent video! I would be interested in seeing how you designed/built your smokehouse.

I only have three words for that yum yum yum.Thank you both for showing us how to do it. God Bless you both.

FINE video sir! Thank you for being generous with your tips and a great instruction.

My favorite channel. I wish my husband was alive to see your videos.

Nicely done! 👍🏼 I pretty much do the same process but, I use my vertical smoker haven’t yet built a smoke house. I’ve do the same process and added some maple syrup makes a more paste like that I rub on the bacon slabs. I also subbed to your channel looking forward to watching your other videos. Thanks for sharing. -Joe

Oh My Goodness!!! Mr. Danny that looks so good, I have definitely got to try to do some homemade bacon! God Bless! 🙏👍🐖

Great video...loved the patience to explain in detail. BTW...should be noted that Pink Salt should be #1, not #2.

Thank You for the video. I looked at many and found your's the best by far. In 8 days I should have some pretty awesome bacon.

I enjoyed your video. I've been making my own bacon for the last year. (About a hundred pounds.) I learned a few things from your video. I wish I had seen this before I started. Good job.

Thank You for all the video's you do we really enjoy them. Thanks for the answer to my question.

thank you so much for sharing. Wow, the end result looks so good!

I have watched a lot of your videos but never hear what state your in keep them coming good jog Danny

you have a absolutely wonderful channel. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

I wish I was your next door neighbor I'm going to try this today got all my ingredients thanks so much for the information

I agree , jagged belly is better. I trim it after its smoked as well. Makes great bean soup, split pea soup and smoked fish chowder! Trimmings are to handy for such things!

thank Danny, its refreshing to see this way of life is still important. I don t have a smoker like yours yet but I can keep mine between 140 and 160. belly will come up to it a little to fast in my current rig. still gonna make it though. ill get me another built after we move.

Cool info. Maybe I'll try my hand at a DIY smokehouse build video.

Wrights brand bacon is the closest I've found to homemade, they make a nice thick cut and a really nice smoky flavor.

I like to vac seal better than paper for freezing. This is a GREAT video on curing

beautiful bacon..great video..very well done and informative

Absolutely love making and eating homemade bacon! So much better than mass market bacon - #DIYBacon for the win!

love your stove pipe I used a old burned out refrigerator on a hill with a smoker 6" down the hill and a stove pipe feeding it back in the 60'S! apple was our favorite wood, and used 18" logs, love the video

Do you lose any smoke flavor when you do the last wash? Best bacon video on youtube, thank you.

great instructions and video Mr. Danny

man I have learned allot just by watching you. thank you, from Washington state. we are looking to move soon . gotta sell first.

I really like it when people smoke their bacon manually

Of all the vidios I've vatched I think yours is the best with the prettiest bacon.

One more thing I have found after twenty years of curing is. I just place the PB in a zip lock and then place half the cure top and spread across the top and place the other half on the other side and spread. A lot less mess doing it inside the bag. I don't feel rubbing every little area is that important because in a few hours all the dry cure is liquid and it's easier to just move the PB around in the liquid coating it well. and I massage and turn the PB everyday until firm about 7 - 10 days

REALLY, REALLY appreciate the video. Can't wait to try it. Thanks Again.

This is on my bucket list. Thanks for sharing.

Great video. ..that's something I've been wanting to do for a few yrs. Hope to get smoker built this spring. Your design is what I have had my thoughts on. Blessings

That is a thing of beauty!

You can take those end pieces and grind in with some Chuck. I call that grill grind. It makes burgers that are truly a step above!

I will bet you and i have waaaay different polotics but man, we definately will always see eye to eye and good food. To bad we can't have cooks running for Presidents.

Thanks for an excelent tutorial! Cheers from Norway!

I need a smokehouse! This was a very informative video. Well done!

Great video! I followed your process and smoked it in a REC TEC pellet Cold Smoke box. It turned out really well. We did find that the end result was a little too salty for us. The next batch I fry up I'll add some maple syrup to it and see if that helps cut the salt. I rinsed in cold water after 9 days of brining and then washed in cold water after the smoke. Would you say your recipe is on the salty side? Keep the videos coming! Great job!

Nice video. Love all the details. One comment for all - if u use pink curing salt, it contains sodium nitrite. I avoid that wherever possible. Just wanted to point that out for all who are not familiar with that chemical salt.

If you rub your slabs with 100% pure maple syrup right before you smoke it then you will have maple brown sugar bacon. Try it, I love it!

Maintain smokehouse temp. at 150 but for how long???

Awesome video and nice smokehouse. I'm curious if you ever video taped the build, even though it looks simple to do?

You guys did a great job.

Good video and good you made the point about wood purchase i purchased some wood in the store for BBQ and all the meat tasted like oil and turned black i found out the company was spraying the wood using some kinda chemical oil to protect it i had to trow out everything 🤔 You shod start selling bacon, In the stores all you find is bacon and 300 ingredients and all chemicals GMO

Z oh my goodness my mouth was watering the whole entire time! Thank you for The video

nice love the smoke house...how long do you smoke it for ??

THAT looks good enough to eat !!!! Thanks for helping us out.

Thanks for the videos. They are very helpful.

Why not cold smoke? It’s already cured. Why lose the fat drippings by hot smoking? Or am I missing something? I cold smoke mine and then cook it.

Bacon & eggs…. A moment’s indiscretion for the chicken, a lifetime’s commitment for the pig.

Hi Danny and Wanda! I love your vids, keep up the great work! I'm about to try smoking a turkey for the first time but will start with your bacon project first. It looks great! I've raised Blue Slates for 7 yrs but I'm intimidated by the process of smoking one still. so this project feels like a good starting point. I have one question. I'm just curious bout how many pounds of pork belly did you buy and how many 1 lb pkgs did it yield? I will make the salt adjustment you mentioned below. Another person also commented on it further down. Again, thanks guys!

I would be interested in seeing how you build your smoke house as well also, GREAT VIDEO

That was so interesting! Sharing on Facebook again!

nice video, very detailed and informative. where did you buy the slicer?

Great process. Great video!

Great video! Just finished my smokehouse ! Fixing to fire it up!!

Don't need a smokehouse, all you need is a pellet grill if you are going to cook it at the temp you say you cook at. Also, a tube smoker will do what your smoke house will do without the heat. It will cold smoke the bacon without cooking it. !

That was a unique smoke house is there a particular design that is needed? How did you build your smokehouse?

I didn't know it got cold enuf down der in the deep South fer a jacket ....hahaha howdy from Montana ...ima gunna use yer recipe in da mornin

Like your little smoke house! I thought now days they stopped using "pink salt" (sodium nitrate) due to chances of getting cancer? I see majority of folks just using sea salt or kosher salt as the risk for botulism is about the same as home canned vegetables and nobody uses sodium nitrate in their canned beans! Lol

WOW! Now I’m wanting a BLT. Or maybe some white beans and bacon...or maybe just a rasher of fried bacon!!!!

I love Applewood Smoked ANYthing! Cheese, Bacon, Ham & and there's a real BIG difference between the real smoked & the sneaky chemical smoked that unscrupulous (usually factories) producers sell. That bacon looked just....ambrosial!!!

Man that's my most liked meat that I eat turkey next thanks for showing me how to fix my own great videos take care Edd.

Awesome, hungry watching. Hope to build a smokehouse one day.

Ive already seen this under a different name 😆 thanks for sharing though everyone needs ta know this

Yep, that was definitely some seriously nice looking bacon. Makes the store bought bacon look like it is road kill or some kind of leftovers they processed into a bacon look a like.

Great video! Please show me the best way to use the skin

Hello and thank you for the video! Got a couple questions... Is the pink salt instacure or a different type of cure? How long did you smoke the bacon at 150 degrees?

😢 it’s just so beautiful...

Thank you very informative i like your set up

Awesome video thank you!

Thanks for the excellent informative video! :-)

Very educational video. Thank you !!!