Can corn heart be used to smoke bacon? What is the most fragrant smoked bacon?

We all know that bacon is a common delicacy. It is made from pork. There are two main methods: air-dried and smoked. Many places make smoked bacon. There are certain requirements for smoking bacon, especially the branches and wood used for smoking. So can corn heart be used for smoked bacon? Let's take a closer look!

Can corn heart be used to smoke bacon?

Corn kernels can be used to make smoked bacon, and generally there is no effect.

First, use wood to start a fire. When the wood is almost burned, you can add rice husks, corn hearts, leaves, and tea leaves. Slowly smoke the meat in this way. It will take about 10 to 15 days. Wash the smoked bacon with hot water and put it outside to dry. Make sure to dry the moisture so that it can be well preserved.

Regarding the production of bacon, the methods in different places are really different, so the methods of smoking bacon in different places are also different! Many people use bran to smoke, some people directly use rice to smoke, and some use some wood sawdust. But in some places, more people use cypress branches and leaves to smoke bacon! The bacon smoked with cypress leaves has a light fragrance, and the color is very beautiful, unlike other materials that are smoked black!

Which branch is the most fragrant for smoking bacon?

When smoking, you must choose the right wood. Although any wood can be used for smoking, the smell and color of smoked wood will be different.

The wood used to smoke bacon in our hometown is firstly the Chinese toon tree, which produces good color and fragrant taste. The second is the green loquat tree, which produces good meat quality and color. At the same time, water melon tree, chestnut tree and other trees are also commonly used as the first choice for smoking bacon.

When smoking, you should also pay attention to not using too much fire and not making it full of smoke. Smoke out a little oil. It is usually best to smoke it for about a day. After smoking, hang it in a dry place so that it can last longer, and the flavor will be fresher when it is blown by the wind.

How to make smoked bacon

First, we choose meat. Generally, we choose black soil pigs that have been raised locally for about a year. The meat is firm and has a strong flavor. Local farmers usually feed pigs grass, add some grains, and of course use mountain spring water. As for which part, my personal favorite is pork belly, which is 70% fat and 30% lean. It sizzles when you bite it, and it is fat but not greasy. (Swallow saliva)

The second step is pickling. Generally, fresh pork that has been slaughtered on the same day is used and pickled with appropriate salt for a week. If you like other flavors, you can add some peppercorns, pepper or other condiments. Personally, I think the bacon made with homemade salt is the most classic and I never get tired of eating it.

The last step is smoking. We hang it directly on the kang and use rice husks, tea seed husks, tea trees, orange peels and tree trunks to smolder. Do not use open flames. Just smoke it for a few hours a day and the bacon will be ready in about a month. The more smoked the bacon is for two or three months, the more fragrant it will be.

A piece of smoked Xiangxi bacon should be slightly yellow on the outside after washing, and rosy and shiny when cut, with distinct layers.

When is the best time to smoke bacon?

Every winter month, from "Xiaoxue" to "Lichun", every household slaughters pigs and sheep. In addition to keeping enough fresh meat for the New Year, the rest is pickled in a jar with salt, a certain proportion of pepper, fennel, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and other spices. After seven to fifteen days, it is hung up with palm leaf ropes, dripped dry, and processed. Cypress branches, sugarcane peels, Chinese toon bark or firewood are used to smoke and roast slowly, then hung up and smoked slowly with fireworks. Or hang it on the top of a wood-burning stove, or hang it over a wood-burning stove, and smoke it slowly with fireworks.