Smoked bacon

Ingredients:

• 2.2 kg skinless pork belly
• 1/4 cup table salt
• 2 tsp pink salt for canning
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika, sweet
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Preparation:

1. Rinse the pork belly and pat dry. Place in a 7-quart resealable plastic bag. In a bowl, combine the salt, pickling salt, brown sugar, honey, paprika, paprika, and cumin. Coat the pork belly with the mixture.
2. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 7 to 10 days, turning once a day to ensure the pork is well-seasoned. Thin cuts of pork will need 7 days, while thicker cuts will need up to 10 days.
3. Remove the pork belly from the bag, rinse thoroughly, and dry. Refrigerate for 48 hours.
4. Light the coals and maintain a temperature of 95 degrees Celsius. Place the pork belly on the grate and, using applewood chips, smoke for 3 hours, or until the bacon reaches 65 degrees Celsius.
5. Remove the rind (optional), then slice and cook as desired. Wrap the bacon in plastic wrap, refrigerate, and store for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 2 months.
   Exit: 1.5 kg.
   
   Note
   
   Hygroscopic (pink) canning salt is a mixture of salt and sodium nitrate (not to be confused with sodium nitrite, which prevents botulism). It preserves the sausage's pink color and imparts a delicious aroma. You can find this salt in specialty stores or order it online.
   
   E251 - Sodium nitrate (food preservative)
   E250 - Sodium nitrite (antioxidant and preservative)
   
   If you don't have a smoker, you can make pork belly marinated in liquid smoke by roasting it in the oven at 225 degrees F until it reaches 160 degrees F on a candy thermometer (cooking time may vary; check after 2 hours)..