This bacon came out quite well; it was cured for 8 days, and then smoked for several hours to 65C. Texture was good, as was fat-to-meat ratio. The extra curing time meant that there was less water in the bacon, which is good from a fry-up perspective.

Tip: vacuum-packing the bacon when curing ensures that the entire surface of the bacon cut is continuously in contact with the cure. It also helps to draw some initial liquid out of the meat to mix with the cure (and, thereby, kick-start the curing process). It also helps produce a drier bacon (which is more pleasant to fry).

I could have quite happily sold this bacon (if we were at the commercial stage yet).

Unfortunately, I lost the pictures of the finished product. But, trust me, it was delicious.

As it was, the flavour is a little too subtle for my liking; next time, we’ll be going for the full cure-and-dry before smoking.