准备

Brine the pork belly:

• Pour 1 gallon of cold water into a 12-quart nonreactive container, such as a plastic storage tub or stainless-steel pot or bowl. Add the salt and sugar and stir until dissolved.
• Put the pork pieces in the brine, weighting them down with a plate if necessary to keep them completely submerged. Cover the container and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• 从盐水中取出猪肉，几次搅拌盐水，然后将猪肉放回盐水中。再冷藏24小时。
• Drain the pork and discard the brine. Rinse the pork in cold water and pat dry. If using the black pepper, evenly sprinkle it all over the pork.

Cold-smoke the pork belly:

• If using a charcoal grill, open all the vents. Remove the grill grate and put a 4×8-inch disposable foil loaf pan on the charcoal grate. Put 5 cups of the sawdust in the loaf pan. If using a gas grill, disconnect the propane and put the pan on a back corner of the grill grate. (You won’t be lighting the burners—you’re essentially using the grill as a smoker.)
• Light 5 charcoal briquettes in a chimney starter. When the briquettes are glowing and completely covered with gray ash, transfer them with tongs to the sawdust, spacing them evenly in the pan. If using a charcoal grill, replace the grill grate.
• 当木屑开始闷闷不乐时，将猪肉碎片放在烤架上的脂肪面上，放在面包盘的侧面。将碎片至少相隔1英寸，以使烟雾周围循环。覆盖烧烤炉，将金属即时读温度计插入盖子中的通风孔中，或将其放在炉排上以监视烤架温度 - 应在80°F至120°F之间。如果温度升高到120°F以上，请去除1个或更多的煤球，或者部分发现烤架，直到温度下降。
• Stir the sawdust with tongs every 1-1/2 hours to ignite any that’s unburned, and add more sawdust, 1 cup at a time, to the loaf pan as the sawdust turns to ash. You want a good amount of smoke rising out of the vents.
• 3小时后，旋转猪肉的位置以确保吸烟。只要您监视木屑并且一天不太潮湿或湿，您可能无需添加更多的煤球。但是，如果您的木屑确实停止燃烧，则在防火表面上的烟囱中有更多的煤球并重新点燃木屑。
• The total smoking time will be 5 to 6 hours. Depending on the breed of pork and the duration of smoking, the bacon may become a brownish-yellow color. It will still be raw, however. The bacon will look dry on the meaty side, and the fat may be glistening with moisture. Pat the moisture off with paper towels and cool the bacon completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until firm before slicing.

Store the bacon:

• 您可以将培根存储在切片或大块（平板）中。要存放切成薄片的培根，请将切片片扎成小的，单独包裹的批次。用塑料包裹，培根将在冰箱中保持长达1周，或者在冰箱中持续2个月。如果您将培根冷冻在板上，请在冰箱中除霜几个小时，直到它柔软到足以用锋利的刀切片为止。（部分冷冻时切片更容易。）切片切片，然后重新冻结其余的，紧密包裹。无论哪种方式，都在烹饪前完全解冻。

煮培根：

• 如果烹饪不超过8片培根，请用中火将它们用12英寸的煎锅（最好是铸铁）炸，经常转动，直到褐色，直至褐色，并随心所欲。
• 如果烹饪超过8片，则将培根放在单层上，将培根放在固定在大的有框烤盘上的电线架上，然后在350°F烤箱中烘烤，用钳子转动一次，直到您喜欢。
• Either way, drain the bacon on paper towels and serve hot.

Bourbon variationBarley malt syrup and bourbon add an earthy sweetness to this twist on the master recipe: Substitute 2/3 cup (6 oz.) packed dark brown sugar for the light brown sugar. Add 1 cup barley malt syrup and 1 cup bourbon (such as Maker’s Mark) once the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the pork belly and brine as instructed above. Try smoking this bacon over oak sawdust because bourbon is aged in oak barrels, so the flavors go well together.

枫木变化Fenugreek enhances the flavor of the maple sugar and syrup in this brine: Substitute 1 cup (about 6 oz.) maple sugar for the brown sugar. Add 1 cup maple syrup, 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract, and 2 tsp. ground fenugreek once the salt and maple sugar are dissolved. Add the pork belly and brine as instructed above. Maple sawdust is a natural fit here, but cherry would work, too.