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Charcutepalooza: Homemade Bacon
by
Kimberly
Calificación: 4.0
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%20and%20found%20the%20good-quality%20stuff%20to%20be%20a%20pleasure%20worth%20indulgence.%20So%20it%20was%20with%20a%20naughty%20excitement%20akin%20to%20a%20date%20at%20the%20swingers'%20club%20that%20I%20headed%20out%20into%20Portland%20last%20week%20and%20purchased%20that%20thick%20slab%20of%20piggy%20sin%20that%20you%20see%20above.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20also%20needed%20curing%20salt,%20and%20was%20fortunate%20enough%20to%20find%20a%20carrier%20here%20in%20town%20so%20I%20didn't%20need%20to%20mail%20order%20it.%20This%20salt%20has%20nitrates%20and%20nitrites%20added%20to%20facilitate%20proper%20curing;%20in%20small%20doses%20this%20is%20safe%20to%20eat,%20but%20it's%20dyed%20a%20frightening%20cotton-candy%20pink%20so%20no%20one%20accidentally%20cooks%20with%20too%20much%20of%20it.%20I%20only%20needed%20a%20couple%20ounces,%20but%20as%20it%20was%20so%20cheap%20($1.50/lb),%20I%20went%20ahead%20and%20bought%20a%20pound%20of%20it%20in%20anticipation%20of%20future%20Charcutepalooza%20endeavors.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20had%20to%20go%20to%20a%20warehouse%20near%20the%20waterfront,%20in%20the%20Southeast%20Industrial%20District,%20to%20get%20it.%20As%20I%20stood%20at%20the%20counter%20waiting%20for%20the%20heavily-tattooed%20man%20to%20return%20with%20it,%20another%20employee%20came%20to%20the%20front%20to%20ring%20me%20up.%20%22That's%20it?%22%20he%20asked%20with%20perfunctory%20professionalism.%20%22Just%20the%20pound%20of%20cure?%22%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWith%20a%20Brysonesque%20smile%20I%20volunteered,%20%22It's%20worth%20an%20ounce%20of%20prevention!%22%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHe%20blinked,%20faltered%20for%20a%20second,%20and%20shrugged.%20%22Uh,%20okay.%20That's%20a%20dollar%20fifty.%22%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMy%20cheeks%20remarkably%20similar%20in%20color%20to%20the%20curing%20salt%20now%20in%20my%20hand,%20I%20paid%20the%20man%20in%20quarters%20and%20dignity,%20and%20fled%20for%20my%20Kia%20and%20NPR.%20They'd%20get%20my%20jokes%20on%20NPR,%20I%20thought%20wistfully.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo%20I%20got%20my%20illicit%20pleasures%20home,%20consulted%20Michael%20Ruhlman's%20recipe%20in%20Charcuterie,%20and%20decided%20to%20try%20two%20kinds%20of%20bacon.%20After%20whipping%20up%20the%20%22basic%20cure,%22%20a%20combination%20of%20kosher%20salt,%20curing%20salt,%20and%20sugar,%20I%20divided%20the%20pork%20belly%20into%20two%20chunks,%20one%20about%20twice%20the%20size%20of%20the%20other.%20About%20two%20thirds%20of%20the%20total%20went%20into%20a%20sweet%20cure%20with%20brown%20sugar,%20maple%20syrup,%20and%20a%20bit%20of%20nutmeg;%20the%20remainder%20went%20savory,%20with%20peppercorns,%20thyme,%20oregano,%20and%20rosemary,%20and%20I'm%20thinking%20of%20cubing%20that%20one%20into%20lardons%20when%20it's%20finished.%20Both%20are%20now%20curing%20in%20my%20fridge.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI've%20been%20turning%20them%20over%20once%20a%20day%20since%20Wednesday,%20and%20this%20Saturday%20they%20should%20be%20ready%20to%20smoke.%20They%20can%20be%20finished%20in%20the%20oven%20at%20low%20heat,%20but%20what's%20the%20point%20of%20bacon%20without%20smoke?%20I%20have%20a%20friend%20who%20owns%20a%20smoker%20and%20is%20keen%20to%20let%20me%20use%20it%20in%20exchange%20for%20some%20of%20the%20meat.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20think%20we'll%20smoke%20it%20this%20Saturday.%20After%20all,%20my%20friend%20works%20during%20the%20week,%20so%20that's%20when%20he's%20available.%20And%20if%20I'm%20going%20to%20be%20a%20bad%20Jew,%20I%20might%20as%20well%20go%20all%20the%20way;%20no%20point%20being%20half-assed%20about%20it.%20Bring%20on%20the%20Sabbath%20and%20let%20me%20light%20that%20fire.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThis%20bacon%20better%20be%20worth%20it.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}