http://blogs.msdn.com/avip/archive/tags/bacon/default.aspxTags: baconen-USCommunityServer 2.1 SP1 (Build: 61025.2)http://blogs.msdn.com/avip/archive/2008/09/11/microsoft-bacon-home-edition-rc0.aspxThu, 11 Sep 2008 10:39:46 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8943751Avi Pilosof2http://blogs.msdn.com/avip/comments/8943751.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/avip/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8943751http://blogs.msdn.com/avip/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8943751<p>Totally unrelated to programming, but I deem this worthy of a blog post. A few weeks ago I decided to make my own bacon.</p> <p>&#160;</p> <p><strong>Why?</strong> Don't ask stupid questions; bacon is an axiom.</p> <p><strong>How?</strong> turns out that it's actually not so complex:</p> <ol> <li>Buy some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_belly">pork belly</a>. <ul> <li>Any butcher (even the one inside the supermarket) will be able to get you a piece. I used about 1.5Kg worth (~3lbs). </li> </ul> </li> <li>Brine it for a week in the fridge. <ul> <li>I used salt+sugar+pepper. Next time I'll add honey or maple syrup. </li> </ul> </li> <li>Smoke it. <ul> <li>I had a little trouble here, since I don't have anything resembling a smoker. Next step is to build one. </li> </ul> </li> </ol> <p>The details are in <a title="Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing" href="http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298">this great book</a>, and I recommend that you read it before you accidentally make your own botulism. The truth is that I didn't, but only because the bookstore was out of stock! But seriously, there are risks involved - the fridge temperature has to be just right.</p> <p>Here are some photos from the adventure:</p> <p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/avip/WindowsLiveWriter/MicrosoftBaconHomeEditionRC0_F321/Food%20003_2.jpg"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="164" alt="Before the brine" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/avip/WindowsLiveWriter/MicrosoftBaconHomeEditionRC0_F321/Food%20003_thumb_1.jpg" width="244" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/avip/WindowsLiveWriter/MicrosoftBaconHomeEditionRC0_F321/Food%20013.jpg"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="164" alt="Salting the meat" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/avip/WindowsLiveWriter/MicrosoftBaconHomeEditionRC0_F321/Food%20013_thumb.jpg" width="244" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/avip/WindowsLiveWriter/MicrosoftBaconHomeEditionRC0_F321/MakingBacon%20004.jpg"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="164" alt="The Poor-Man&#39;s Smoker. Yes, that&#39;s just a cast iron pan with wood in it." src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/avip/WindowsLiveWriter/MicrosoftBaconHomeEditionRC0_F321/MakingBacon%20004_thumb.jpg" width="244" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/avip/WindowsLiveWriter/MicrosoftBaconHomeEditionRC0_F321/MakingBacon%20050.jpg"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="164" alt="Removing the skin" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/avip/WindowsLiveWriter/MicrosoftBaconHomeEditionRC0_F321/MakingBacon%20050_thumb.jpg" width="244" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/avip/WindowsLiveWriter/MicrosoftBaconHomeEditionRC0_F321/MakingBacon%20086.jpg"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="164" alt="Sacrificial tasting slice" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/avip/WindowsLiveWriter/MicrosoftBaconHomeEditionRC0_F321/MakingBacon%20086_thumb.jpg" width="244" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>&#160;</p> <p><strong>How was it?</strong> <strong>Delicious</strong>. You can slice it thick, giving a good combination of crunch and chew.</p> <p>My next project will either be some salami, or perhaps a more complex Silverlight physics sample. Depends on how hungry I get, and whether the book store can get that Charcuterie book in stock!</p> <p>&#160;</p> <p>I'm so hungry now.</p> <p>&#160;</p> <p>Avi</p> <p><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?wt=nw&pub=avip&url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'addthis', 'scrollbars=yes,menubar=no,width=620,height=520,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,screenX=200,screenY=100,left=200,top=100'); return false;" title="Bookmark and Share" target="_blank"><img src="http://s9.addthis.com/button1-share.gif" wid</p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8943751" width="1" height="1">bacon