Prepare Curing Mixture

1. Mix dry cure

In a medium bowl, combine kosher salt, granulated sugar, pink curing salt (Prague Powder #1), coarsely ground black pepper, garlic powder, crushed bay leaves and dried thyme. Whisk thoroughly so the curing salt and sugar are evenly distributed.

Cure the Pork Belly

2. Coat the belly

Place the skin-on pork belly on a rimmed tray. Spread about one-third of the dry cure on the bottom surface of the belly. Press the cure into the meat so it adheres; then flip the belly and spread the remaining cure evenly over the top surface, pressing again so every part of the meat (but not the skin) has direct contact with the cure. If the skin has a thick rind you may leave it uncoated or lightly dust it — the goal is to preserve the meat and not oversalt the rind.

3. Bag and weight

Place the coated pork belly into a heavy-duty zip-top bag or vacuum-seal bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal. Place the bag on a tray, then place in the refrigerator. Put a small weight (a plate or can) on top to ensure even contact between cure and meat.

4. Curing time

Cure in the refrigerator for 7 days, turning/redistributing the bag and any pooled juices every 24 hours. Each day, massage the belly briefly to redistribute the cure. After 7 days, the pork should be firmer and evenly colored; if your belly is thicker than 2 inches, you can extend curing to 9–10 days.

Rinse, Dry & Rest

5. Rinse thoroughly

Remove the belly from the bag. Pour away accumulated liquid. Rinse the cured pork belly under cold running water to remove excess cure — use several passes and turn the belly so all surfaces are rinsed. Use up to the indicated cold water as needed.

6. Pat dry

Pat the pork belly very dry with paper towels, removing as much surface moisture as possible. If you plan to cold-smoke or roast later, leave the skin intact; if you will slice for lardo/bacon, you can trim to desired shape now.

7. Air-dry in fridge

Place the dried belly on a rack set over a tray and refrigerate, uncovered, for 12–24 hours to develop a tacky pellicle (a slight dry film) on the surface. This helps smoke adhere if you intend to smoke. If not smoking, 4–6 hours uncovered is adequate to firm the surface.

Finish (Cooking or Smoking)

8. Option A — Roast (to serve as cooked belly)

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Place the belly skin-side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 150°F (65°C), about 1 to 1.5 hours depending on thickness. Rest 20 minutes, then slice. This method produces a tender, sliceable cured pork belly.

9. Option B — Hot-smoke (for smoked bacon)

Preheat smoker to 200–225°F (95–110°C). Smoke the cured, dried belly until internal temperature reaches 150°F (65°C) — expect 2–4 hours depending on smoker and thickness. Cool, then chill before slicing thin for bacon.

10. Option C — Cold-smoke & cook (traditional bacon)

If cold-smoking, cold-smoke the cured dry-dried belly at temperatures below 90°F (32°C) for 6–12 hours to develop flavor (ensure the belly was fully cured). Then finish by roasting or hot-smoking to an internal temp of 150°F (65°C) before chilling and slicing.

11. Season & slice

After cooking/smoking and a 20–30 minute rest or after chilling overnight for easier slicing, season the cut surface lightly with freshly cracked black pepper. Slice to desired thickness and serve or refrigerate. Store sliced cured pork belly/bacon wrapped tightly in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, or freeze for longer storage.

Cured Pork Belly Recipe

Recipe information

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Curing Mixture

Pork Belly

Rinse & Finish