Red Pepper Brined Bacon

Name: Red Pepper Brined Bacon
Prep time: 13 min
Total time: 4348 min
Ingredients: 1 cup apple cider vinegar; 1 medium jalapeno, split; 1 teaspoon red chile flakes; 1 cup salt; 1.5 cups brown sugar; 1 cup honey; 2 quarts water; 1 pound pork belly

ACTIVE TIME: 13

TOTAL TIME: 3 28

Yield: 1 pound

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Software

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 medium jalapeno, split
1 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 cup salt
1.5 cups brown sugar
1 cup honey
2 quarts water
1 pound pork belly

Specialized Hardware

Smoker

ACTIVE TIME: 13

TOTAL TIME: 3 28

Yield: 1 pound

Procedure

Combine the vinegar, jalepeno, red chile flakes, salt, brown sugar, and honey in a large saucepot and bring to a simmer. Cook until all of the solids are dissolved. Add the water and submerge pork belly. Remove from the heat and place in the refrigerator for 3 days.
After 3 days have passed, remove the pork from the brine, rinse the belly, and pat dry with paper towels. Lay on a wire rack set over a half-sheet pan and place in front of a fan for 1 hour to form a pellicle (thin crust). Lay the pork in the protein box of a cold smoker and smoke for 4 to 6 hours. Chill the meat in the freezer for 1 hour to stiffen for easy slicing into strips of bacon. Slice what you need and keep the remainder in a freezer-safe bag in the refrigerator or freezer.
Place the strips of bacon on a half-sheet pan fitted with a wire rack and place in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 400ºF and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon. Remove from rack and drain on paper towels. Enjoy.