Air Dryed Bacon

[nickidan]

Hello everyone,

I bought some bacon rashes the other day and hung them out to dry so i could have some meat to take with me out on the trail.

Its been drying for a few days but now im starting to wonder if bacon is ok to air dry... stupid time to be wondering this i know...
The bacon is quite dry now and is just a bit oily... the fats still a bit moist with oil as well...

Anywhos, has anyone ever air dryed bacon before or know if its ok to air dry bacon?

 

[Gagnrad]

Why not just buy some prosciutto, such as parma ham? The good stuff hasn't anything added to it besides sea-salt. That's quite something in a world where highly processed, additive filled food is the norm. I guess the Italians won't put up with the taste of commercialized food, and it's we who are the suckers for whatever the food industry wants to dump on us.

Making something like that is a lengthy and highly controlled matter:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosciutto#Manufacture

I think it would be interesting to really look into it and go from nearer scratch. But you're kind of between two stools when you buy something that's already cured and then try to do something else to it. I'd be reluctant to eat that raw, because pork can be dodgy and you haven't controlled the whole process from start to finish and don't know what the moisture content is and what could have survived in it.

I'd be happy with raw grass-fed beef that I'd dried, but that's different. But I guess you could drop pieces of your bacon in a broth and simmer it for awhile.

 

[santaman2000]

Gotta agree with Gagnrad about the prosciutto. Regular bacon has to much fat content to dry properly. Jerky and other dried meats are done with lean meat. Country ham might be an option but I'd buy it rather than try to make it unless you have a proper smokehouse and lots of time.

 

[sam_acw]

The fat is more likely to go rancid than dry out. Sausages, salamis, pepperami and kabanosy are already dried so pack more punch.