All Day
Elite Refuge Member
I cured this bacon with an old jerky recipe that I used for years. Simple wet cure. I use a lug from the Chefs Store that has measurements on the side. But any non-aluminum vessel will do if you use a measuring cup. Although the tender quick salt has sodium nitrite in it, it's not enough for a wet cure brine. Do not use pink sea salt. It's not the same as sodium nitrite. You can fit several goose breasts in the curing brine, but I only cured two large breasts as this was the first time I have made goose bacon. The breasts that I used weighed just under 1 pound each and were about an inch and a quarter thick at the thickest part. The bacon after frying wasn't over salty and maybe could have been cured an additional day.
Curing brine:
1/2 gallon of fresh water.
1/2 cup of Morton Tender Quick curing salt.
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar.
1 TBSP crushed red pepper.
1/2 TSP sodium nitrite, (pink curing salt)
Course ground black pepper.
Well mix all ingredients except the black pepper together in your soaking vessel and add the goose breasts. Cover and refrigerate for at least three whole days flipping them in the brine once a day and stir the brine. I think I could have gone with four days so next time I will.
After that rinse the breast really good under cold tap water and soak for another day in fresh water.
Then rinse well again and pat dry on paper towels or use cloth towels. Coat generously with course black pepper, place on a rack and refrigerate uncovered for at least a whole day.
After drying, place in your smoker for about four hours. Use the lowest setting that you have. I built my own smoker so that I could cold smoke. A Little Chief smoker would do fine. Then cool the breasts and slice under 1/4 inch thick.
Fry in bacon grease if you want. I use olive oil, but any fat will do. Fry for a few minutes on each side with a high heat setting. I even over cooked a few slices to see if it made it tough, but it didn't.
Enjoy, I know I did!!!
Curing brine:
1/2 gallon of fresh water.
1/2 cup of Morton Tender Quick curing salt.
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar.
1 TBSP crushed red pepper.
1/2 TSP sodium nitrite, (pink curing salt)
Course ground black pepper.
Well mix all ingredients except the black pepper together in your soaking vessel and add the goose breasts. Cover and refrigerate for at least three whole days flipping them in the brine once a day and stir the brine. I think I could have gone with four days so next time I will.
After that rinse the breast really good under cold tap water and soak for another day in fresh water.
Then rinse well again and pat dry on paper towels or use cloth towels. Coat generously with course black pepper, place on a rack and refrigerate uncovered for at least a whole day.
After drying, place in your smoker for about four hours. Use the lowest setting that you have. I built my own smoker so that I could cold smoke. A Little Chief smoker would do fine. Then cool the breasts and slice under 1/4 inch thick.
Fry in bacon grease if you want. I use olive oil, but any fat will do. Fry for a few minutes on each side with a high heat setting. I even over cooked a few slices to see if it made it tough, but it didn't.
Enjoy, I know I did!!!
