This might just be the best bacon recipe you’ve ever tried. It’s quick (ready in about an hour), loaded with flavor, and has that smoky-salty-sweet balance that makes bacon truly irresistible. And the best part? We’re using a shortcut method that brings the curing time down from 7 days to less than an hour—yes, seriously.
Ingredients
1 slab of pork belly (lean cut, more meat than fat)
4 tbsp sweet soy sauce
- 4 tbsp PitmasterX Deli BBQ seasoning
For the quick brine:
500 ml cold water
50 g or 3 tbsp salt
Meat syringe
Tools
Thanks to Napoleon Grills for sponsoring this recipe Visit their website to learn more.
How to
- Start by mixing 500 ml of cold water with 50 g of salt. Stir until dissolved. Using a meat syringe, inject the brine into the pork belly as much as it will take. Let it rest for 5 minutes so the salt spreads through the meat. Pat the outside dry with paper towels.
- Next, brush on a thin layer of kecap manis (sweet Indonesian soy sauce). It's thick, sticky, and adds an incredible caramelized flavor. Then cover the pork belly with your favorite BBQ rub—we used PitmasterX Deli BBQ seasoning—on all sides. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
- Fire up your barbecue for indirect heat. Place two bricks to create a direct/indirect zone, light a small pile of charcoal with a fire starter, and add long-burning coconut briquettes. Once lit, throw in a chunk of cherry wood for smoke. Set the grill grate, place the pork belly on the indirect side, close the lid, set your bottom vent to 2, and keep the top vent open until your BBQ hits about 120°C (240–250°F).
- Smoke the bacon until it reaches a core temperature of 65°C (149°F). Take it off the grill and let it rest on a wire rack to cool down. Slice off a clean edge, then cut the slab in half for easier storage.
- Slice and fry when ready—or eat it straight. It’s smoky, juicy, salty, sweet… everything bacon should be. If you're not making this, you're missing out.
