Black bacon experiment

[British Red]

Its quite similar in its a dry firm cure, It'll be sliced on Sunday, still in the smoker right now

 

[TLM]

That's not fair, I am hungry.

 

[British Red]

Its still in the smoker . There's some maple cinnamon back bacon ready for slicing though

 

[British Red]

18 hours of cold smoking, my vintage hand cranked bacon slicer and here's the result!

Black Bacon by English Countrylife, on Flickr

 

[British Red]

Black Bacon Frying by English Countrylife, on Flickr

 

[Janne]

It looks cooked enough to slice thinly, place on some Polish style Rye bread, a thin smear of a Moutarde Ancienne, topped with shaved onion...
Aaahhh....... a dream!


(I have not had my breakfast yet! )

 

[British Red]

Fiona really enjoyed it. She found the black colour a bit off-putting but said the flavour is actually subtle, neither salty, over sweet or too smoky. She gas asked me to cure like that again

 

[Janne]

To please her, could you use light (Golden) syrup instead?

Do you think it would change the taste a lot?

I am sure you know that treacle/molasses was the cheapest sugar preparation in the past, hence so many ‘peasant’ recipes contain it.

 

[British Red]

To please her, could you use light (Golden) syrup instead?

Do you think it would change the taste a lot?

I am sure you know that treacle/molasses was the cheapest sugar preparation in the past, hence so many ‘peasant’ recipes contain it.

Its an interesting thought. I've done a batch of maple syrup cured which is nice. I'm wondering about honey cured!

 

[Janne]

Well, I think you are going back in history. Honey was basically the only sweetener ( sugar from the Indian sub continent was incredibly expensive) available so it must have been used to help preserve pork.

I am sure it would be delicious!

 

[baggins]

Its an interesting thought. I've done a batch of maple syrup cured which is nice. I'm wondering about honey cured!

Have you ever tried the Black Bee honey from Colonsay? Such a delicious honey; and with that i'm off to the butchers for another side of gloucester old spot!!!! may try it with some heather flowers mixed into the cure.

 

[British Red]

I haven't, I don't normally buy honey (we kept bees for a long time, had to stop because Fiona developed sting allergy, still have many beekeeper friends). I would like to try true native black bee honey though.

 

[santaman2000]

Yeah. I prefer buying local honey from a beekeeper as well.

 

[Robson Valley]

Many honey brands across North America have been diluted with cheap sugar syrup.
I won't buy any store honey. Instead, I've sourced a few hobby producers here in the valley.
I've come to trust that they know the fate of fakes. I like clover or fireweed wild honey.