Homemade No Nitrates Low Sugar Bacon is the goodness of bacon without added junk. Make your own Keto, Low Carb, Paleo, Dairy & Gluten Free bacon from pork belly and a few basic seasonings!
We were recently able to get half of a pig for our freezer. I have wanted one for a long time so I was very excited to have lots of fresh pork in the freezer. There were a few cuts of meat though, that had me stumped. What in the world is a pork belly and what do I do with one? I went to trusty Google and learned it was what bacon was made from. Oh! Well, we know what to do with bacon! We love bacon! After searching for homemade bacon recipes, I came up with this one from slimpalate. I didn’t use anything exactly like they did but the base came from there. Homemade No Nitrates Low Sugar Bacon works very well for us.
Must the sugar be added?
Usually I do not want to add sugar to things unless it is absolutely necessary. In this case, the sugar balances out the salt (affiliate link) so I do add it. It would be much saltier without the sugar. Also, since it is all washed off, it doesn’t really matter.
Try also: Homemade Italian Sausage.
Ingredients:
pork belly
sea salt (affiliate link)
coconut sugar or your choice of sugar
black pepper (affiliate link)
dried minced garlic (affiliate link)
dried rosemary, broken
Directions:
Rinse and pat the pork belly dry.
Open it up and lay it flat.
Combine salt, coconut sugar, pepper (affiliate link), garlic and rosemary and mix well.
Rub the seasoning mixture into the pork belly thoroughly. Use your hands to really rub it in on both sides.
Put the pork belly in a Ziploc bag and in the fridge for 7 days.
After 7 days, rinse the pork belly thoroughly with water.
Put the pork belly on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet (affiliate link) and cook in a preheated 200* oven for about 4.5 hours or until the internal temperature of the pork belly registers 150 degrees.
Allow to cool completely then refrigerate overnight. This hardens the fat and makes it easier to slice.
With a sharp, long knife slice the bacon and cook it up!
YUM!! 🙂
Refrigerate for several days or freeze for up to 12 months.
Are you following me on Pinterest? I have been working very hard making new boards I think you will love and am adding dozens of new pins daily from all of the popular websites!
You can also follow me on my Facebook groups; my Low Carb and Keto group; Low Carb & Keto Recipes & Helpful Tips Group, my recipes for everyone group; Best Recipes You will Want to Make and my Homeschool group; Loving Homeschool. I am adding daily pictures, links and much more than I would on the blogs and it is a place for you to find support from others on the same journey as you are. Come and share with others, ask questions and learn!
I enjoy offering free recipes for my readers. Your frequent visits to my blog and purchases through affiliate links and ads keep the lights on so to speak. Thank you!
You can also follow me on my Facebook groups; my Low Carb and Keto group; Low Carb & Keto Recipes & Helpful Tips Group, my recipes for everyone group; Best Recipes You will Want to Make and my Homeschool group; Loving Homeschool. I am adding daily pictures, links and much more than I would on the blogs and it is a place for you to find support from others on the same journey as you are. Come and share with others, ask questions and learn!
I enjoy offering free recipes for my readers. Your frequent visits to my blog and purchases through affiliate links and ads keep the lights on so to speak. Thank you!
[mv_create key=”140″ title=”Homemade No Nitrates Low Sugar Bacon” type=”recipe”]
Aneka
Friday 5th of April 2024
Hey, I’ve read forums that said the pink salt is needed to prevent botulism if the meat is smoked above certain temps. Any feedback? I want to go the no nitrate route and smoke but scared to death of the oven and smoker step. Don’t want a bunch of salt pork. Thank in advance.
Cindy
Sunday 7th of April 2024
Hi Aneka, I don't blame you for being very cautious of that step. I'm sorry to say that I have never smoked and have no experience to give you guidance on that. If you are on Facebook, I bet you could find a group of smokers who would be very helpful. Maybe try there? I hope you find the info you need. ~Cindy
Martin
Sunday 29th of January 2023
When you wrote 200 degree, did you mean Fahrenheit or Celsius? I am assuming F, as C would be dried to a crisp.
Martin
Saturday 4th of February 2023
@Cindy, Thanks, worked v well. My wife loved it!l, although I think I slightly overcooked it.
Cindy
Sunday 29th of January 2023
Yes, Martin, you are totally correct. All measurements are US based so like the cups and Tablespoons, etc in the recipe, it would be Fahrenheit. I will try to remember to include that in future recipes so it is clear. I appreciate you pointing that out. I don't want anyone to not have important parts of the recipe. Thanks for stopping by! ~Joy
Roxanne
Thursday 10th of November 2022
I made this and it came out soooooo salty! I'm currently trying to reverse brine it before frying it to hopefully save it. 🤞🏼Maybe do 2 teaspoons of salt instead of tablespoons?
steve
Wednesday 6th of December 2023
@Cindy, After being rinsed, slice of a small piece and fry it to test the saltiness. If its to salty for your taste soak it in cold water for thirty minutes or so. then move on to the next steps when your satisfied.
Cindy
Friday 11th of November 2022
Hi Roxanne, I apologize that I am just seeing this note. For some reason I don't get notifications when there is a new comment. :( Oh no, I'm so sorry it was too salty! I am sure it is supposed to be 2 Tablespoons. It needs plenty of salt for the curing process. I assume you didn't miss the step to rinse it off well between refrigerating for 7 days and baking in the oven for 4.5 hours? That should get rid of most of the salt. It sounds like you have come up with a good solution to reverse brine it. I hope that works to taste good to you! Please let me know!