Texture over Taste Pastrami Bacon
Maybe I expected more of a smoke ring
Time: 5 Hours + 8 Days
Difficulty: 1/5
Ingredient Availability: 3/5
I never really thought that I’d make my own bacon one day, but then I came across this recipe. Although I can’t recall having pastrami myself, I know that many people rave about how good it can be. We already all know about bacon. So, how do they work when fused into one? This recipe from Texture over Taste should give me a good idea of whether or not it’s a match made in heaven.
Key Ingredients and Omissions:
This recipe is going to loose a couple points in ingredient availability because I know a skinless pork belly isn’t easy to find. Plus, I wasn’t able to find mustard seeds in any store I visited. I replaced the mustard seeds with caraway seeds. I think that should be a sufficient substitute.
Tools:
Smoker/grill
Large marinating bag (2 gallon)
Blender or Spice grinder
Cooking Review:
Making Cure Rub: 35 minutes
I make the cure, I just toasted the spices and herbs required in a small pan for about 6 minutes on medium heat. I let them cool before adding them to a blender. I mixed in the rest of the spices, salt, and curing salt using the blender to help break up the brown sugar. Finally, I sprinkled all of the rub all over the pork belly. It may seem like too much, but I think the amount of curing salt that you use really matters, so I would use it all to be safe. I put the seasoned pork belly in a 2 gallon freezer bag and let it dry brine in the refrigerator for 7 days.
Smoking Pork Belly: 4 Hours 20 minutes
After brining for 7 days, I removed the pork from the bag, rinsed off the rub, and pat it dry. I mixed some more seasonings together and applied it to all sides of the pork belly. Next, I used a Kamado Joe to smoke the belly for 3 hours and 30 minutes. At that point, the internal temperature as 160 degrees Fahrenheit. I let it cool completely and put it in the refrigerator over night.
Analysis:
This recipe is pretty simple, just takes a lot of time. Most of that time is pretty hands off, so that is definitely a plus. I decided to slice mine into some strips and bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes to give it a try. I really enjoyed the flavor, as it had a nice mild sweetness that works well with all of the savoriness from the spices and smokiness. I used applewood chips, which added a little sweetness along with the brown sugar. Unlike bacon I’m used to, it didn’t get very crispy, but this is probably just because I wasn’t able to slice it as thinly as bacon from the store. This recipe is well placed in the chewy section of the cookbook, as it has a nice chewy bite to it. It’s not too chewy, though. It’s flavorful throughout and surely can fulfill a bacon craving. As for pastrami, I’m not sure. I don’t have much (or any) experience with it. In any case, I think this bacon is certainly worth it. I’ll give it a 9/10. If the ingredients were more accessible, it just might be a 10/10. It’s pretty easy to make and will give you plenty of tasty bacon to munch on.
