ElsieD

Chris & qrn, thanks for your suggestions. I am going to add a couple of ice cubes to one slab and I will also add a bit of salt to make up for the dilution. I don't know how much salt to put in as I initially used weight as the measure but I'm thinking maybe a couple of teaspoons. Does this sound about right? And adding just a couple of ice cubes should help with overhauling the cure. Chris, since you add water to your cure, do you change the cure ingredient quantities? Thanks again.

Chris, this is interesting. I too, use the Ruhlman method and find, as you did, that there doesn't seem to be much liquid. I have three bellies curing in the fridge now - I started them last Wednesday - do you think I can add a bit of water to them? Mine are in large zip-loc bags with as much air expelled as possible. Maybe I could add a couple of ice cubes to each one for a slow (but cold) infusion of water? My bellies pieces are about 2 1/2 pounds each. Thanks for your thoughts on this. Elsie

That looks wonderful. I have had the same experience - price versus quality. I just bought some more bellies at a Chinese grocery store, which is where I bought my last batch. I paid $2.59 a pound and they have a very nice proportion of lean to fat. Their bacon is better than the upscale butcher shop where I used to buy my bellies for around $4.00 a pound.

Are you talking about the garlic tops which are called scapes? If they are scapes, try looking for garlic scape(s) soup.

What does the ingredient list say?

I try and cut it about the same as the bacon you buy in the supermarket, not the "thick cut" but the regular cut. I have an electric slicer but it can be a bit tempermental. I got three more pieces of pork bellies today that I will start curing tomorrow. This home made bacon really is very, very good.

I don't know what recipe you used but I use one found in Michael Rhulman's book, "Charcuterie". It uses maple sugar and maple syrup. Also, I let it cure for at least a week, rinse, let it sit on a rack uncovered for 24 hours in the fridge to form a pellicule, and smoked it for 6 hours. I have a Bradley also but I used my Weber this time. (Picture below of the finished bacon.) I have no problems cooking it up. My biggest problem is the cruddy slicer I have that results in bacon sliced less evely than I'd like which means the bacon doesn't all want to cook at the same rate.

In Canada, I pay about $2.50 a pound, but that may not be relevant to the prices paid in the US. $5 a pound sure seems like a lot though. ← Here's a picture of some I made the other day.

In Canada, I pay about $2.50 a pound, but that may not be relevant to the prices paid in the US. $5 a pound sure seems like a lot though.

Can you tell me where the recipe is? Thanks! ← http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1669405 ← Thanks for that. They sure look good.

Can you tell me where the recipe is? Thanks!

I used to make the Jacques Pepin's Potatoes Fondant a lot until Fine Cooking produced "Crowd Pleasing Crispy Potatoes" in it's January, 2007 edition. These are spuds that are boiled, flattened and baked in the oven in olive oil. Delicious. But, I can't wait to try these Crash Hot Potatoes. I think the crusty bits on top will be delicious. Thank you for the link.

Where did the recipe come from? Can you share? I'm always on the lookout for new spud recipes.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I made a note of this and will try them out. I often make recipes from Epicurious.

Kerry, that filling sounds interesting. Any chance you could post it? Elsie ← Don't have any quantities - Thinly slice some red onions and caramelize in a bit of butter and olive oil. Add some balsamic vinegar. Set aside to cool. Make a custard with an egg and some heavy cream. Put some onions in the already baked tart, pour a bit of custard over, top with a chunk of bleu cheese (I used danish mild). Bake at 350 until cheese starts to melt. Top with a bit more onion. ← That sounds yummy. I will have to try this. Thank you! Elsie

Kerry, that filling sounds interesting. Any chance you could post it? Elsie

What is a hob? It is not a term used in Canada. We have cooktops and we have ranges. Ranges have a cooktop and an oven(s).

Wow! That sure is pretty. I can't wait to try it out. This is one of the best things I've heard about all year.

I picked up a package that looks very much like yours on the weekend. But, it is Satay Powder. It is a 200 gram package and you use 30 grams of the powder to 120 ml of water or coconut milk. This stuff is made by Hyson Food Industries out of Singapore. I realize that Satay Powder is not what you are looking for, but maybe this company has what you are looking for? The listed ingredients are: peanut, sesame, sugar, dried prawn, chilly (chilli?) salt, coriander, onion, garlic, tumeric, ginger, spices.

I for one would be interested. There is a chocolate shop here that sells cake imported from Belgium by the slice and I will often pick up a piece but then I have to go home to eat it. I would love to be able to try several desserts at one time - in moderate pieces, of course!

I make my lemon butter sauce ahead of time and then reheat. If I don't temper first time around, it breaks when I reheat... ←

I looked him up in Wikipedia and there is no mention of him being "Lord" of anything there, either.

Do the biscuits turn out as flat crispy ones or chewy ones?

I don't know where Oneida is manufactured these days, but they started life in Oneida, new York in 1880. I have had a set of their stainless steel flatware since the early '70s and am still fond of it, although they don't make the pattern any longer. Given that you only paid $15 for the pan, I'd say you got a bargain. Enjoy! (How come I can never find deals like this?)

How are you planning to use your BBQ to smoke the bacon? What kind of wood are you going to use for the smoke?