Beef Bacon is Ready - Our Family is REALLY Surprised!
We let the bacon 'cure' in the pan over night (24 hours) before cooking it at a low temperature in the oven. The directions suggested 120F to start but 170F is the lowest setting on our oven. After 2 hours the direction wanted us to increase the temperature to 170F. Since we had nothing to loose we started it at 170F and started cooking. Each pan was 12 lbs and about 3 inches thick so we assumed it would cook quickly...I guess that's what we get for thinking. We finally shut the oven off after 6 hours at 170F, still not sure if it was done. It was 1am at this time so it was time for bed. We let is set in the oven until 6am.
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Not sure what we were looking at we decided to cut into the bacon. We cut it into 3 slabs measuring 6.5" x 12". Next step was trying to get it out of the pan, it really didn't want to come up but after 5 minutes we were able to get the slabs out whole.
Years ago (10 or more years...) we traded someone for a small slicer that I never tested to see if it worked. We pulled it out, cleaned it up, and turned it on. It was a little noisy but it worked!
It was now time to slice the slabs of meat into bacon size pieces. After 5 minutes we were about to get into a rhythm and we knocked out all 24 lbs in 40 minutes. The meat was juicy yet firm just like thick cut bacon from the butcher!
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Luke was so excited to try it he pulled out the cast iron and started frying up 4 pieces while we were cutting and packaging it. It was nice to have a sample ready once we finished packaging.
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I think the bacon was great! Nice texture and great flavor. Next time we cook it we are going to try and cook it a little longer to see if can get is a little crispier!
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If you are looking for a healthier option for bacon or wanting to follow the biblical diet then this is for you!!
Thank you all for reading our series on the cow, commenting, and upvoting. I wonder what we can add to our meat selection next year...any suggestions or ideas?
This is an awesome way to utilize beef. Excellent post.
you make that with ground beef?
Yes - it is made with ground beef. The specific area on the cow was the meat on the under belly. Each year we are finding the location of the animal we make our extras with, slowing understand what all butchers already know....or I hope they know!
Very impressive! How about hotdogs or brats.
Beef polish sausage?
I think brats maybe something fun but the casing can be tough to deal with. But I guess if it was easy it wouldn't be homesteading :) When you come down next we can do a taste test.
awesome!
Have you ever had cow heart? Is that even ok to eat? I noticed one buried in our deep freeze. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with it.
We have never eaten one but I'm sure you can find a good recipe on line. I don't mind eating chicken hearts or livers but not sure about a cow. I would love to see a post on cooking one!
That would make a good post! You may seen one in the near future.
Impressive work! A much healthier alternative than that gross beef bacon at the grocery with all kinds of added nitrates and nitrites. We have been eating Biblically Clean for 3 years now. Such a blessing in so many ways. Thank you for your post. I loved it.
Wow! I've never even heard of that! Thanks for sharing!
Looks really good! I had the same problem with the lowest temperature setting on the oven being above the recommended temperature for something I was making. I read that you could just put the oven on the lowest setting and open the oven door a crack. Seemed to work out just fine. But then again, your bacon came out great as is!
love !
Thanks for sharing Chris I never would have thought you would be able to make bacon from ground beef!