Ingredients

3 kg fresh pork belly
1 tsp pink salt, quick cure
¼ cup salt
4-5 garlic cloves
⅔ cup maple or brown sugar
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
3-4 bay leaves, crushed
1 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Cut belly to fit in freezer bags. Dredge belly in cure and place belly in freezer bags. Flip belly daily to allow all sides to cure evenly.
2. After 7-9 days, the belly should feel firm at its thickest point. Remove from cure and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry and place on a drying rack. Return to fridge to air dry for 24 hours.
3. Smoke belly at 70°C for 4 hours or until internal temperature reaches 65°C.
4. Once bacon has cooled, remove rind with sharp knife. Cut bacon into 450 g hunks and freeze. The flavour will last longer when stored as chunks.

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