Home-Cured Bacon

• 1 fresh pork belly, skin removed, 7 to 9 pounds
• 2 to 3 tablespoons ground Aleppo pepper, to taste
• 3 pounds kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon curing salt
• 1 pound granulated sugar
• 1 pound brown sugar

1. Rub the pork belly top and bottom with the Aleppo pepper.
2. Combine the kosher salt, curing salt, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large, nonreactive container and bury the belly completely in the mixture.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days.
4. Remove the belly from the refrigerator and discard the cure.
5. Rinse the remaining cure off the meat and pat it dry.
6. Set the belly on a baking sheet and loosely cover.
7. Allow to sit in the refrigerator another 2 days.
8. On the second day, set the hickory chips in water to soak overnight.
9. Using a conventional smoker, smoke the belly until the internal temperature reaches 145F.
10. Once the belly is smoked and cooled, cut into 4 sections.
11. Wrap the sections well in plastic wrap and foil and store in the freezer until needed, up to 3 months.

pork belly, ground aleppo pepper, kosher salt, curing salt, sugar, brown sugar

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/home-cured-bacon-383904 (may not work)