Making Bacon

Homemade Walnut Smoked Bacon

We love bacon.  And now, if the world goes dark, we know that we can make homemade bacon for our families.  But barring this kind of emergency we also know it is far easier to pick up a pound of bacon at the grocery store.   However this was a fun adventure, and what else were we going to do with all of Mark’s walnut sawdust?  This recipe takes 3 days to prepare, but they are not labour intensive days and require only a little effort and some patience.  We found that the Broil King Keg was an excellent vessel for this cold smoking process. 

We bought the pork belly from Brady's Meats and Deli  in Waterloo. The flavour of the bacon was subtle and mild, neither too salty nor too sweet. It is a definite thumbs-up! Maybe we have found a new business for ourselves?!?!

1 pork belly, about 7 pounds

For the Brine:

3 ¾ cups water

3 cups Diamond Crystal kosher salt

¾ cups brown sugar

¾ cups honey

1 cup dark rum

Charcoal briquettes

6-8 cups walnut, or other hardwood sawdust

2 aluminum Loaf pans

Combine all the brine ingredients in a large plastic tub, and stir until dissolved.  Place the pork belly in the brine and set a heavy dish on top of it to completely submerge the meat in the liquid.  Set the tub in the fridge for 48 hours.  Drain it well, set the pork belly on a wire rack and pat it dry with paper towels.  Place it in a cool place, such as the fridge or inside a cold barbecue if the weather is cool enough, so that some air can circulate around the meat.  Let dry in this way for about 6 hours. 

Light 6 briquettes in a chimney starter until they are glowing red and covered with ash.  Place about 2 ½ cups of sawdust in each pan and set them in the very bottom of the Broil King Keg.  Using tongs, transfer the hot briquettes to the loaf pans.  Set the grids on the Keg and place the prepared pork belly on the grids.  Close the lid, and open the top and bottom vents to #4.  Every hour or so, give the coals as stir in the pans, adding sawdust and more lit briquettes as needed to maintain smoke.  The temperature should not rise above 120°F in order to maintain the texture of the bacon.  Continue smoking the bacon for 5-6 hours.  Wrap the slab of bacon tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate before slicing.  Cook and use as you would any bacon.

Spaghetti Carbonara

½ lb spaghetti

6 slices Homemade or store-bought bacon, cut into 1” pieces

½ red onion, chopped

2 cold eggs, beaten

¾ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1 teaspoon coarsely grated black pepper

½ cup reserved pasta water

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta, and cook the spaghetti until just al dente.  Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon.  Cook until golden brown and beginning to crisp, and remove with a slotted spoon.  Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and add the chopped onion.  Sauté until translucent. 

Reserve ½-1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.  Toss the spaghetti in the skillet with the bacon, adding a few tablespoons of water to loosen any of the brown bits in the pan.  Turn off the heat and pour the eggs over the pasta, tossing to coat all the strands of spaghetti.  Sprinkle with the grated cheese and pepper and toss again.  Serve immediately on heated plates.  

Walper Spinach Salad

This was Ted’s mother’s signature salad.   The recipe was created at the Walper Hotel in Kitchener which was owned and operated for many years by her mother’s grandfather, father and brother.  It is a family favourite that we pull together for special occasions. 

2 lbs baby spinach, washed and torn

½ lb homemade bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup heavy cream

3 tbsp white vinegar

1 tsp grated onion

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp  sugar

Salt & pepper, to taste

Wash the leaves in cold water.  Drain the leaves, wrap in paper towels and chill.

To prepare dressing, pour the remaining ingredients into a tightly sealed mason jar and shake vigourously for 3 minutes. The thicker the dressing the better! Taste to adjust seasonings. It should have a sweet-sour taste.

When ready to serve, place the spinach in a salad bowl, sprinkle with bacon and toss with the dressing.