Smoked Back Bacon

Smoked Back Bacon

6 cups of hickory or mesquite wood chips (1.5 litre)

Place back bacon into a large plastic baggie and cover with apple juice, toss to coat and refrigerate overnight.

Create the dry rub by combining all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Remove back bacon from refrigerator. Discard the apple juice brine and pat the bacon dry. Rub the spice mixture vigorously into the bacon being sure to coat all sides. Cover the bacon and place in the refrigerator until it is time to cook.

Submerge 4 cups of hickory or mesquite wood chips in water and soak for 1 hour.

Preheat your bbq for indirect grilling

Prepare 2 smoke pouches.

To build a smoke pouch, remove 2 cups (500ml) of the wet wood chips from the water and squeeze excess liquid out. Spread wet wood chips on a large piece of aluminum foil. Place 1 cup (250ml) of dry wood chips on top and mix them together. Close the foil around the chips to make a sealed foil package. Use a fork to puncture holes in the top and bottom of the foil pack to allow the smoke to flow through and infuse the meat. Make second smoke pouch.

Place one smoke pouch directly over the heat source in your preheated bbq. Close the lid and wait for smoke.

Once you see smoke, quickly place the back bacon on the side of the BBQ without direct heat. Lower the heat to at 220ºF/110ºC. Smoke the back bacon over indirect heat for 90 minutes, replacing the smoke pouch halfway through.

When complete, remove the bacon from the grill, cover with aluminum foil and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Yield: 1 pound bacon