First, I cut the pork belly into sections big enough for my meat slicer to handle. Then, I use a meat tenderizer on both sides of the belly. Mix all the powder ingredients very well together in a cup. By hand, I rub an even amount of my brine all over the belly portions. Place all portions into a large Ziplock bag and add the cup of maple syrup. Then, I massage the portions in the bag to distribute the syrup evenly. I massage the bag every day for 2 weeks, storing it in the fridge.

SMOKE TIME

For the smoking process, I preheated the smoker to 185 degrees and used Bradley Apple Smoking bisquettes for a six-hour smoke. After this, I simply cooled the portions in the fridge, sliced them, and vacuum-packed them.

THE RESULTS

It's best if you look at the pictures. I got a little over 9 pounds of sliced bacon; this is one of my best batches of bacon ever! The bacon is a bit sweet but delicious, with a unique flavor that you won't find in store-bought bacon. I typically smoke for 6 hours at 185 degrees; it might have been a bit overcooked at 185. I think next time I will try to smoke for 8 hours at 165 degrees. The smoke flavor was excellent; it was not overpowering, and there was no acidic flavor. The RAVEN SMOKER ran perfectly, holding the temperature precisely at 185 degrees.