Dave in AZ I definitely notice you don’t get as much splatter when pan frying the home cure compared to store bought. I can’t remember if it was a YouTube video or I read it, but they chalked it up to the injecting of the cure/flavoring.

I think the commercial-pumped bacon has a higher percentage of water in it just like most other commodity type cured meats. If it has more water, it is going to splatter more.

processhead I don’t have any issues while cooking my dry cure bacon in the oven, but definitely have to watch when I cook the Apple or Honey/Sriracha, with all the extra sugars.

No issues for me in the oven either, only when frying in a skillet.
It’s more of aesthetics issue than anything else. Flavor is great.

That explanation seems plausible. Could be the reason for mechanical massaging/tumbling of whole cuts of meat to speed up the process and equalize the cure agents throughout the meat, in commercial operations.

So your bacon has a band of high concentrate sugar right at the edge, as if you rolled it in sugar prior to the pan, tapering from 100% at surface where pure sugar was rubbed to 0% some mm in. The commercial injected and tumbled bacon has a much more diffuse sugar, which is just 1% or so from the brine concentration at it’s highest points, and is also aggressively diffused via the mechanical tumbling.

My guess is these radically different local concentrations of sugar result in much slower sugar burning in injected/tumbled product vs dry rub or even submersed wet cure. Meat temps probably produce meat maillard reaction before enough sugar is concentraded and heated to burn, in the tumbled.

The oven resulting in no sugar burn is probably due to meat maillard browning starting at 300f, while sugar begins to burn at 350f. So the lower more gentle no-contact air heat in oven seems to have a chance to brown the bacon before it can burn the sugars, though they do begin to caramelize at same temps as meat. But the sugars don’t see the intense 700f or more type heats present at a pan surface.

I mentioned the diffusion studies done by Dr. Greg Blonder, see his salt vs msg vs sugar one at genuineideas dot com slash ArticlesIndex slash diffusion dot html, for some graphs and reagent paper tests on the diffusion rates.

Don’t really see a solution besides injecting your sugar brine cure, sticking it in a can and giving it to some kid to shake for a bit But hope it is still helpful or interesting;)

In the oven, but instead of foil try parchment paper you will never do it any other way.

I started cooking my bacon in the oven on parchment paper in the oven years ago. I set the oven at 350 and thick cut only takes 45 mins the way I like it. I’ll never go back to a skillet unless camping.

processhead said in Home made bacon vs Commercial bacon and cooking:

John Belvedere ND Mike I like bacon in the oven too, and it- comes out nice just like you describe. I would like to solve the issue with frying in a skillet though. Maybe it does have to do with dry rub curing process.

I definitely agree the problem is most like.y the dry cure. The dry cure I use has maple sugar along with maple syrup. The high sugar content near the edges is to blame.

The edges do brown up more. That would tend to support that theory.

John Belvedere ND Mike I like bacon in the oven too, and it- comes out nice just like you describe. I would like to solve the issue with frying in a skillet though. Maybe it does have to do with dry rub curing process.

I definitely agree the problem is most like.y the dry cure. The dry cure I use has maple sugar along with maple syrup. The high sugar content near the edges is to blame.

I cure my bellies with a dry cure, wrap, refrigerate, and then short soak in cold water when they are done.

Very happy with the flavor but the aesthetics of the cooked bacon is a minor irritant. I suspected the commercial curing process was tweaked to address this?

Processhead, we had them same issue as you with my homemade bacon. I tried different widths when slicing the bacon. Cooked in different types of frying pans and different levels of heat. Finally we tried cooking it in an oven. and we are are very happy with the results. Cover a a baking sheet with aluminum foil. The bacon is placed on the foil and then the baking sheet is placed into a cold oven, then set the temp of the oven to 400 degrees. Once the oven reaches the set temp of 400 check the bacon. If it’s not done to your liking put it back into the oven and check in 2 min. Repeat the 2 min. check as necessary until it’s cooked to your liking.

Remove and light rinse and let them lay open in the fridge for a day or two.

Hang in smoker and light a maze tray and cold smoke for 6 to 8 hours each and rest in the refer over night only to repete 2 to 3 times.
Last time smoke at 160 to 180 till the IT is 135/140. Remove and refrigerate for 24 hours then slice and vac into portion sizes.

We fry ours lower temps and slower. Very little pop and cracking to none at all, almost no need for a splatter screen.

Wellish flavor!!

Each batch is getting better than the last. The last one was awesome!

Just recently started curing bacon myself. The way I do it is pretty simple but I’m sure it’s definitely not the best recipe out there.

pork belly cut in half or thirds
Dry rub with:
Cure #1 0.25%
Salt. 2.25%
Sugar. 1.50%
Pepper. 1.00%.

There is actually a calculator app that makes it pretty simple

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ismokehog/id965533201

Seal in vac bag
Place in tub turn daily for 10 days
Remove from bag ( rinse if desired )
Leave open in fridge to form pellicle for 24-48 hrs
Smoke ( I use an MES )
1:1 JD bourbon barrel and apple wood chips
200 for about 3 hrs til internal 150
Let cool to room temp then wrap and let sit overnight or at least 4 hrs.

Like I said, this is how I do it but I’m sure there are better ways out there. Open to suggestions, critiques, etc.