Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.

To Cure Back Bacon in the Wiltshire Way

To Cure Back Bacon in the Wiltshire Way is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic method of curing bacon in a brine of sugar, sea salt, common salt and saltpetre before cold smoking. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: To Cure Back Bacon in the Wiltshire Way.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

30 minutes

Total Time:

50 minutes

Additional Time:

(+40 days brining and smoking)

Serves:

10–12

Rating:

Tags : Pork RecipesBritish Recipes

This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.

Original Recipe

TO CURE BACON IN THE WILTSHIRE WAY.

805. INGREDIENTS.—1-1/2 lb. of coarse sugar, 1-1/2 lb. of bay-salt, 6 oz. of saltpetre, 1 lb. of common salt.

Mode.—Sprinkle each flitch with salt, and let the blood drain off for 24 hours; then pound and mix the above ingredients well together and rub it well into the meat, which should be turned every day for a month; then hang it to dry, and afterwards smoke it for 10 days.

Time.—To remain in the pickle 1 month, to be smoked 10 days.

Sufficient.—The above quantity of salt for 1 pig.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

1 fitch (side of pork to be cured as bacon)
340g coarse sugar
340g sea salt
about 5g saltpetre (sodium or potassium nitrite) [0.5g per 1kg meat]
225g salt

Method:

Sprinkle the fitch with salt then set aside in a cool place for the blood to drain off for 24 hours.

After this time, pound together the sugar, sea salt, saltpetre and common salt. Rub this mixture well into the meat. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator. Turn every day for a month, rubbing the brine mix into the meat as you do so.

After this time, hang the joint to dry then cold smoke for 10 days. Alternatively hot smoke for 24 hours.

For the an example of how you can make a home-made cold smoker with modern materials, see the article on: making a home-made cold smoker.

Find more Mrs Beeton Recipes Hereand more Traditional Victorian Recipes Here.