EQ Bacon

Cold Smoke Reserve

Cold Smoked Style EQ Bacon

Cold Smoke Reserve is an equilibrium-cured bacon made from pork belly. Smoke at <90°F (32°C). Exact amounts scale to any batch weight in the DeepWoodz Smokehouse app for iPhone and Android.

Cold smoked, meaning the belly never cooks — it takes smoke below the temperature where fat begins to render, which gives a cleaner and more delicate result than hot smoking ever will. It has to be sliced and fully cooked before eating. Alder and apple are the traditional woods and they suit it.

• Delicate
• Smoky
• Traditional

Smoker temp

<90°F (32°C)

Bloom

12-24 hours (pellicle)

What goes in it

• Kosher Salt
• Cure #1
• Brown Sugar
• Coarse Black Pepper

Amounts are calculated for your batch weight in the app — including the cure, which is held at a fixed, food-safe rate.

The meat

Pork Belly

How it's made

1. Weigh the pork belly on a digital scale. Calculate all cure amounts as percentages of this weight.
2. Mix salt, Cure #1, brown sugar, and black pepper together thoroughly.
3. Rub the cure mix evenly over the entire surface of the belly.
4. Vacuum seal or place in a zip-lock bag with air removed.
5. Cure in the refrigerator for 10-14 days (longer cure recommended for cold smoke), flipping every other day.
6. Remove from bag — do NOT rinse. Pat dry with paper towels.
7. Place uncovered on a rack in the fridge for 12-24 hours to form a firm pellicle.
8. Cold smoke at under 90°F for 6-12 hours. Use a smoke tube or cold smoke generator.
9. For deeper smoke flavor, do multiple 4-6 hour sessions over 2-3 days, refrigerating between sessions.
10. Refrigerate overnight before slicing. Remember: cold smoked bacon must be cooked before eating.

Wood

Apple · Cherry · Alder

Before you start

• How much Cure #1 per pound
• Venison to pork fat ratio