Name: Bear Bacon
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8-10 lbs bear belly, skin on; 1/2 cup kosher salt; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 2 tbsp black pepper, coarse ground; 1 tbsp garlic powder; 1 tsp pink curing salt (Prague Powder #1); Apple or cherry wood for smoking; *Traditional Bacon Method**; 1. **Curing Process**:; - Mix all cure ingredients thoroughly; - **Application**: Coat belly evenly with cure; - **Time**: Cure 7-10 days refrigerated, turning daily; 2. **Rinsing and Drying**:; - Rinse cured belly thoroughly under cold water; - **Pellicle formation**: Air dry 2-4 hours until tacky; - **Purpose**: Creates surface for smoke adhesion; 3. **Cold Smoking**:; - Cold smoke at 80-90°F for 12-18 hours; - **Wood selection**: Fruit woods for mild, sweet smoke; - **Equipment**: Requires cold smoking capability; 4. **Final Cooking**:; - Cook to 150°F internal if eating immediately; - **Storage**: Can store whole, slice as needed; - **Safety**: Always cook to safe temperature before eating; *Service**: Slice thin, cook like regular bacon; *Flavor Profile**: Much richer than commercial bacon; ### Specialty Preparations; ##

Curing Process:
- Mix all cure ingredients thoroughly
- Application: Coat belly evenly with cure
- Time: Cure 7-10 days refrigerated, turning daily
Rinsing and Drying:
- Rinse cured belly thoroughly under cold water
- Pellicle formation: Air dry 2-4 hours until tacky
- Purpose: Creates surface for smoke adhesion
Cold Smoking:
- Cold smoke at 80-90°F for 12-18 hours
- Wood selection: Fruit woods for mild, sweet smoke
- Equipment: Requires cold smoking capability
Final Cooking:
- Cook to 150°F internal if eating immediately

Bear Bacon

1Setup & Prepare

2Ingredients

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3Cooking Instructions

4Chef's Notes & Pairings

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