PREP: 30 minutes CHILL: 6 days + overnight SMOKE: 1 hour 30 minutes MAKES: 5 lb.
⅓ cup brown sugar
¼ Tbsp. coarse kosher salt
1 Tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
¾ tsp. pink curing salt (optional)*
1 7- to 7½-lb. slab pork belly,** rind removed
1. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, and pink curing salt (if using). Halve the pork belly crosswise and place each piece in a large resealable plastic bag. Add half of the sugar-salt mixture to each and rub it evenly into both sides of the pork belly.
2. Seal the bags, squeezing out all the air. Set the bags in shallow pans and refrigerate at least 5 days or up to 7 days, turning the bag once a day. (Liquid will begin to gather in the bag.)
3. Rinse cured pork belly with cool water. Pat dry with paper towels. Set a rack over a shallow baking pan. Place the cured pork belly onto the rack, fat side up, and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 24 hours or up to 36 hours to dry.
4. Prepare a smoker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Smoke the cured pork belly, fat side up, at 225°F to 250°F 1½ to 2 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 150°F. (Or for unsmoked bacon, preheat oven to 225°F. Roast the pork belly, fat side up, on a rack set over a shallow baking pan 1¾ to 2 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 150°F.) Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate bacon overnight until well chilled.
5. To serve, thinly slice desired amount. Cook slices in a large skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until browned and crisp, turning to brown evenly. Store unsliced bacon in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 3 months.
Maple Bacon: Prepare as directed, except omit black pepper and substitute ¼ cup pure maple sugar for the brown sugar.
Seasoned Bourbon Bacon: Prepare as directed, except add 1 Tbsp. bourbon; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsp. snipped fresh thyme; 1 tsp. crushed fennel seeds; and 1 bay leaf, crumbled, to the rub mixture in Step 1.
*Test Kitchen Tip: Pink curing salt contains a mixture of table salt and sodium nitrite. It preserves the pink color of the meat and aids in the prevention of botulism. Without it, the cured meat will become slightly gray in color. Look for pink salt at specialty cooking and food stores or from online sources.
**Test Kitchen Tip: Look for pork belly at Mexican markets or big-box stores. Or you can ask a butcher to special-order it for you.
PER 1 OZ. BACON, PLAIN OR VARIATIONS: 168 cal., 16 g fat (6 g sat. fat), 23 mg chol., 94 mg sodium, 0 g carb., 0 g fiber, 3 g pro.