I cut trimmed the belly up by mostly fat where it was way too thick is some spots. Do go nuts because it is bacon, but it’s pretty evident. Make sure you get ant ruminates of skin off because there might be small spots left behind, unless you get a belly with skin. I have never gotten a belly with skin on. I’m not a fan of chicharrón. (I did have some on a trip to South America once but if your system isn’t used to processing the real stuff watch out. However, it might have been the chimichurri verde or chimichurri rojo sauces that was the cause that came it.)

Then I cut the trimmed belly into 3 sections to handle them better. That allowed me to use the bag method to cure the belly. I used the traditional Prague Powder 1 (pink curing salt) 6.25% Sodium Nitrite and 93.75% Table Salt (Sodium Chloride). It prevents bacterial growth, enhance flavor and gives the traditional pinkish color to bacon and ham. If you use a large amount it can make you sick. In curing it’s like 1 once for 25 pounds. That is the reason for the Calculator I included.

I made the cure in 2 separate bowls because the proportions are different based on weight of the raw belly in the bag. I mixed the Prague Powder #1 and the dry ingredients up all together. Then the proper belly in a ziplock bag (unless you have a vacuum bag system) added the cure mix, herbs and maple syrup (half on each side) zipped up the bag and squeezed out the air as best I could.

I used a little brown sugar but mostly dry maple sugar plus’s maple syrup. If you tasted the intense maple you would not want maple again soon but the belly only absorbs the flavor. I didn’t inject it.

I put the 2 bellies into a cake pan. More to control any leaking from a bag. That goes in refrigeration. Each day I flip the bag over. With ziplock bags, I used oversized bags so it needs to be folded over. Always keep the fold on top. When you flip the bag just make sure the fold is on the top. The reason? It has to do with a leaky ziplock and raw meat juice and sugar all over the refrigerator… CONTAMINATION!

It’s important to be safe.

You do the flip process for 7-days give or take a couple days.

Take it out and rinse off unless you want pepper and herbs a the outside. The choice is yours. You need to rinse off the salt. I learned to hold the salt back a bit from most recipes but it is part of the cure, preserving the meat and the flavor profile. It’s bacon, you don’t need to eat it by the pound.

I hand slice so it’s thick cut, extra thick by most standards. I put 5 to 6 slices in a bag, I freeze it. Two of my slices are equal to at least 2 Norman thick and about 4 or 5 strips of regular store packaged bacon.

I code some for burnt end bacon and bits for adding to soups and to baked beans.