How to Make Smoked Maple Syrup Bacon - A Step-by-Step Guide

Bacon has been a beloved breakfast staple for centuries, and for good reason. Its crispy, smoky flavor and rich, savory taste make it the perfect accompaniment to eggs, pancakes, and just about anything else you can think of. But what if we told you that you could take your bacon to the next level by infusing it with the warm, sweet flavor of maple syrup and the rich, smoky essence of a barbecue? That's exactly what you'll get with this recipe for Smoked Maple Syrup Bacon.

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Ingredients

  • 1 ½ gallons water
  • 2 tablespoons sodium nitrate (saltpeter)
  • 1 cup sugar-based curing mixture (such as Morton® Tender Quick®)
  • 2 cups coarse salt
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1 (14 pound) whole pork belly
  • maple, apple, or cherry wood chips for smoking

Information

  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 8 hrs 20 mins
  • Additional Time: 5 days 1 hr
  • Total Time: 5 days 9 hrs 50 mins
  • Servings: 1
  • Yield: 1 pork belly

  • Pour water, sodium nitrate, curing salt, coarse salt, brown sugar, and maple syrup into a large kettle. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until everything is well dissolved. Pour brine into a 5 gallon plastic bucket and cool to room temperature, 6 to 8 hours.
  • Leaving the skin on the pork belly, cut against the grain into 4 to 6 slabs so they fit inside the bucket, and inside your smoker. Place into the bucket of brine, and weigh down with a glass or ceramic dish to keep the pork submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days, rearranging the pork in the brine daily.
  • On smoking day, remove pork from the brine and rinse well under cold running water, rubbing to remove all external brine. Pat pieces dry and place onto smoker racks. Allow pork pieces to stand, preferably underneath a fan, until the surface of the meat becomes somewhat dried and notably glossy, 1 to 3 hours depending on air circulation.
  • Smoke pork belly slabs using wood of your choice at a temperature of 90 to 110 degrees F (32 to 43 degrees C) for 8 to 12 hours. Remove rind before slicing.