How To: Make bacon from scratch with Karen Solomon

Karen Solomon shows how to make bacon. You need 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of pork belly with no skin or bone. Rinse the belly with water and pat really dry. Mix ingredients for cure which includes 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, 2 tablespoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon curing salt. Curing salt may be obtained at local butcher shop or online at Sausage Maker. Curing salt helps preserve the color of the bacon and ensures no spoilage. Mix ingredients until fully incorporated. Cover the pork belly with mixed ingredients (cure) making sure entire surface is covered. Put meat inside zipped up plastic bag and refrigerate for 7 days, flipping it once daily. Make sure there's no air in the bag. If the meat is firm after 7 days, then it is fully cured; however, if meat is still tender to touch, add more salt and refrigerate another 3 days, flipping it daily. Once meat is cured, rinse and fully pat dry. Make a wood chip package by placing a bowl of wood chips in a sheet of foil and fold into a flat package. Light your BBQ grill and place wood chip foil package on top. Place grill on top and add meat on the cool side of the grill. Place cover and have the holes of the cover be above the pork belly. Bottom of BBQ should also be open to allow proper ventilation. Check the meat in 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Stick thermometer in pork belly and if temperature is 150 degrees, it is done. Slice to desired thickness and fry it up in a pan. You've got bacon!