Made some Beef Bacon

[smokin'gal]

The local stores in my area stopped selling beef bacon, so I decided to make my own. After finding a meat shop that could sell me beef belly (whole beef short plate primal cut, minus the ribs), I engaged in the process of making some cured beef bacon. I used Morton's sugar cure at a rate of 1/2 ounce per pound, cured for 7 days per inch of thickness. I completed the process and here are your pics of the process and results:

Beef belly rubbed down with Morton's Sugar Cure ( with fresh cracked black pepper added):


I placed each beef belly slab in foodsavor bags:


After 2 weeks, I thoroughly rinsed the slabs, and soaked them in luke warm water. Thicker slabs got a 1 hour soak , thinner slabs got 2 hours. They were then placed on cooling racks and left to dry in the fridge for 2 days and 10 hours:


Side-view of thinner slab cut:


Side-view of thicker slab cut:


Dried slabs stacked and ready for the smoker:


Slabs on smoker after a few hours:


So while the slabs are on the smoker, I decided to take some of the slab trimmings, and cut off a few slices of cured, unsmoked bacon for frying:



The taste is not what I'm used to from the commerical beef bacon I used to be able to buy. It's very "beefy" and has an obvious lack of smoke flavor. Since it was dry-cured, you can see that there wasn't alot of milky-white liquid oozing from the bacon. Also, I think the cattle used for this were grass fed, which I don't think I've ever tried. Nontheless, it is tasty and slightly salty, like bacon should be.

Here are the slabs after about 4 hours on the smoker:


I had been smoking them at 135 degrees, using hickory and cherry wood, and raised this to 150-160 degress towards the end. Here are the slabs fresh off the smoker:

Cherry wood really gives smoked meats a dark, mahogany color.

I let them cool and then refrigerated them overnight. I cut into one of the slabs the following morning, hoping to slice and fry up a few pieces - beautiful:


However, I needed to cut fairly thin slices and the creamy fat would just make a mess on the slicer. So, in the freezer the slab went.

The bacon slab finished freezing and I sliced it up on the Chef's Choice 667:


Frying up the bacon:


Beef bacon, cheesy eggs, and cinnamon sugar toast (breakfast for dinner):


Close-up of beef bacon:


beef bacon BLT, with Hawaiian spicy BBQ chips:

[broncosmoker]

Wow beef bacon. Never had any or even ever seen it, but looks good.

[BigPhil32]

HOLY CRAP!!!!! That is freaking amazing! Thanks for sharing and for giving me even more motivation to make some bacon!!!
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[KulinaryKila]

That stuff is screaming ABS's. Great pics looks delicious!!!!

[borncrazy]

i recently saw beef bacon for the first time at my RD and i have to say yours looks about 1000 times more appetizing. Though i would never try it, but after seeing yours,i may give it a chance.

[whitey]

smokin'newb
WOW!
Very cool.Never heard of such a thing..
Nice job I bet that stuff is some Yummy bacon.
Whitey.
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[OwenStubbs]

Consider me educated as well! Never seen that, in stores, nor anywhere else. Looks tasty! Thanks for sharing!

[zysmith]

The purist in me always shunned 'alternate' bacon, after all swine is divine. But that looks freakin awesome! That would be great wrapped around a pizza fattie...
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[borncrazy]

[Dr Obvious]

Wow. I think I need to find some of that...
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[Toga]

Wow that looks awesome. I have never seen beef bacon. I sure would not turn my nose up at that!!
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[smokin'gal]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I don't think all beef bacon is created equal, although it's hard to find commercally in the first place. I used to be able to buy Gwaltney beef bacon. I was sad when they stopped selling it. But the stuff I'm making now tastes soooooo much better than what I was buying. I'm already curing another batch with garlic and herbs de provence added to the curing mix.

[k.a.m.]

smokin'newb, just stick a fork in me cause I am done. That bacon looks awesome, I would love to try some of that. Nicely done my man.
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[patruns]

I have to admit, I passed over this thread several times when I saw it was beef, but after looking at the pics.....................man that is some great looking beefcon! I might actually have to try since I have never seen it before either. Well done!
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[smokin'gal]

[smokin'gal]

[patruns]

[smokin'gal]

[Rojellio Es Caliente]

Looks great!!!!!!!!!!!!

You didn't by chance include garlic, black pepper, coriander etc in the cure on one of those??? The way I understand it... that is the cut of beef used for proper NY Deli Pastrami. Brisket, Round Roast and sometimes Spare Ribs are merely a substitute.
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[smokin'gal]