Homemade Bacon
Making the bacon is a three-step process: Cure, smoke, and roast. To light the small amount of charcoal required, you'll need inexpensive paraffin lighter cubes, available wherever barbecue supplies are sold. You'll also need wood chunks 2 to 4 inches wide. "They give off a little more smoke than chips and last longer," says Lettau. He uses fragrant California red oak chunks (find at fruitawoodchunks.com), but easy-to-find hickory, apple, and cherry make good-tasting bacon too. If you would like to use curing salt, see "What About Nitrite?" (below). For directions for smoking bacon on a gas grill, see sunset.com/bacon-gas-grill. Total time: 6 to 8 days
This Story Originally Appeared On sunset.com