Be sure to leave your questions, comments & suggestions below! I make every effort to reply to folks in a timely fashion. If you have any ideas as to what you might like to see me cook next or if your interested in any side by side comparisons of cookers and how they perform, be sure to leave that in the comments section as well. I’m open to any requests within reason! BIG SHTICKS OUT!
@@BigShticks yes, please do - thanks a ton. I've cured and smoked bacon to give as gifts over the holidays and the butcher hates slicing it for me... last year I hand sliced it, way too much effort.
@@brianmiller5109 It’s a Chefs Choice 615. I usually unlock the slide to give me an added inch or so of slicing length. I can usually get away with 9-10in slices. If my bellies are to big I’ll generally trim off the edges & vac pack those for seasoning beans, soups & long cook veggies. Or simply use them to render flavored fat to cook in or chop & use as bacon bits. My trick to slicing uniform is to freeze the slab a bit. You’ll find it much easier to handle that way.
Thanks for the info! I’m surprised on how many slicers cannot handle a 10” long belly. Some people try to fold it to cut, but since partially freezing it to get good slices, that obviously wouldn’t work…
@@brianmiller5109 Sure thing! Many at home & reasonably priced slicers don’t accommodate long pass items. Deli style butcher slicers are huge & cost a fortune we often overlook that aspect when thinking we can accomplish at home the same things they do but on a smaller scale.
Jason Rockenbach You can pull it when you think it’s got the right color & taken enough smoke. I’ve pulled it off around 110-120 & it’s fine. You don’t want it to render too much fat & you only want to pasteurize it, not so much cook it.
Charles C Yeah, the removal tool is actually from the Barrelhouse cooker. I prefer it over the provided wooden tool. As for the charcoal basket, I use the tool provided from a Butterball turkey fryer for lowering the fry basket into the oil.
Love it! Been binge watching your videos. Keep 'em coming! (Got a Pit Barrel for Christmas and I am waiting for it to warm up a bit here in the Northeast).
It's an amazing cooker, actually super efficient and keeps heat well don't be afraid top use it in the cold, I'm in northern PA and have used it all year. Going to be using it for my first bacon soon. Best Thanksgiving Turkey BTW.
Found this video doing some research for my first homemade maple bacon, going to try the pit barrel for the smoke using your method. Did you soak the wood chunks before smoking?
Who would have believed you can make your own bacon?...OR,.. that if you did, it would be that GREAT! THE BEST THING is that it does NOT contain Sodium Nitrates or Nitrites! One bout of colon cancer was enough for me to CAREFULLY avoid THOSE nasty agents! Thanks, Charles, for ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO!! My PBC is already on the way!!
Be sure to leave your questions, comments & suggestions below! I make every effort to reply to folks in a timely fashion. If you have any ideas as to what you might like to see me cook next or if your interested in any side by side comparisons of cookers and how they perform, be sure to leave that in the comments section as well. I’m open to any requests within reason! BIG SHTICKS OUT!
Great video! quick question - what brand and model slicer are you using? I can't find one that will fit the entire length of the belly.
Not sure at the moment. When I get home I’ll follow up with you.
@@BigShticks yes, please do - thanks a ton. I've cured and smoked bacon to give as gifts over the holidays and the butcher hates slicing it for me... last year I hand sliced it, way too much effort.
@@brianmiller5109
It’s a Chefs Choice 615. I usually unlock the slide to give me an added inch or so of slicing length. I can usually get away with 9-10in slices. If my bellies are to big I’ll generally trim off the edges & vac pack those for seasoning beans, soups & long cook veggies. Or simply use them to render flavored fat to cook in or chop & use as bacon bits. My trick to slicing uniform is to freeze the slab a bit. You’ll find it much easier to handle that way.
Thanks for the info! I’m surprised on how many slicers cannot handle a 10” long belly. Some people try to fold it to cut, but since partially freezing it to get good slices, that obviously wouldn’t work…
@@brianmiller5109
Sure thing! Many at home & reasonably priced slicers don’t accommodate long pass items. Deli style butcher slicers are huge & cost a fortune we often overlook that aspect when thinking we can accomplish at home the same things they do but on a smaller scale.
Great video. I have my pork belly curing now. I will put it on the PBC in 7 days. What was the internal temp when you pulled the pork belly?
Jason Rockenbach
You can pull it when you think it’s got the right color & taken enough smoke. I’ve pulled it off around 110-120 & it’s fine. You don’t want it to render too much fat & you only want to pasteurize it, not so much cook it.
I liked the tool you used to lower the charcoal basket and the one that you used for removal of the meat. Where did you get them?
Charles C
Yeah, the removal tool is actually from the Barrelhouse cooker. I prefer it over the provided wooden tool. As for the charcoal basket, I use the tool provided from a Butterball turkey fryer for lowering the fry basket into the oil.
Thanks!! 👍🏾👌🏾
Love it! Been binge watching your videos. Keep 'em coming! (Got a Pit Barrel for Christmas and I am waiting for it to warm up a bit here in the Northeast).
Stephen Zipp
Thanks for watching! The PBC is definitely a gift that keeps on giving! It’s probably the best $300 I’ve ever spent.
It's an amazing cooker, actually super efficient and keeps heat well don't be afraid top use it in the cold, I'm in northern PA and have used it all year. Going to be using it for my first bacon soon. Best Thanksgiving Turkey BTW.
Found this video doing some research for my first homemade maple bacon, going to try the pit barrel for the smoke using your method. Did you soak the wood chunks before smoking?
Country Boy Ogre
Sure did! It turns out awesome
Who would have believed you can make your own bacon?...OR,.. that if you did, it would be that GREAT! THE BEST THING is that it does NOT contain Sodium Nitrates or Nitrites! One bout of colon cancer was enough for me to CAREFULLY avoid THOSE nasty agents! Thanks, Charles, for ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO!! My PBC is already on the way!!
ronald kondler
What do you think this is? 1/2 tspn pink curing salt #2, that is sodium NitrAte