Molasses-Cured Pork Shoulder Bacon

• Meat

  • 1 (4- to 6-lb boneless pork shoulder boston roast, boneless

• Condiments

  • 1/2 cup Molasses, mild

• Baking & Spices

  • 4 tbsp Black pepper, coarsely ground
  • 2/3 cup Brown sugar, packed dark
  • 1 cup Kosher salt

• Frozen

  • 3 cups Ice cubes

• Liquids

  • 6 cups Water

• Other

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Instacure No. 1*

Found on epicurious.com

Description

Ingredients

• 1 (4- to 6-lb) boneless pork shoulder Boston roast (Boston butt)
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Instacure No. 1*
• 1/2 cup mild molasses
• 3 cups ice cubes
• 4 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
• Special equipment: 1- to 2-gallon plastic storage tub or stainless-steel bowl; a 221/2-inch covered kettle grill with a hinged top rack; a 12- by 8- by 2-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan; 3 lb hardwood sawdust*; charcoal briquettes; a chimney starter; long metal tongs; an instant-read thermometer

Directions

• Preparation Put pork butt, fat side up, on a work surface, then halve horizontally with a sharp large knife. Stir together water, salt, brown sugar, and Instacure in storage tub until solids are dissolved, about 3 minutes, then add molasses and stir until dissolved. Add ice and stir until cure is cold (ice may not be completely melted; keeping liquid cold slows salt absorption). Add pork to cure, then weight with a large plate to keep submerged. Chill, tub covered with a lid or plastic wrap, 36 hours. Rinse pork and pat dry, then discard brine. Sprinkle pork evenly with pepper (if using). Prepare grill and smoke bacon: See preceding recipe. Cut bacon crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife, then fry in a heavy skillet over moderately low heat, turning, until browned. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Available at The Sausage Maker (888-490-8525). Cook's notes:·Bacon keeps, chilled, 1 week, or frozen 2 months. ·As long as you monitor the sawdust as directed, you will probably not need to add more briquettes. If your sawdust does stop burning, however, light more briquettes in same manner and reignite sawdust. ·The preparation for traditional belly bacon is the same as for shoulder bacon, but the curing time is longer because belly is fattier. Halve a 6- to 8-lb belly crosswise and cure 72 hours (3 days). Cold-smoke as for shoulder bacon. Skinless boneless pork belly can be mail-ordered from Niman Ranch (510-808-0340; www.nimanranch.com).