Maple Bourbon Bacon

Rinse the belly and thoroughly pat it dry until the surface is tacky. Trim off any thin edges so that the piece is one long rectangle.

In a large, rectangular baking dish or pan, mix the sugar with the maple and bourbon until thoroughly incorporated. Then mix in the coarse salt, curing salt and pepper and rub it evenly into the meat (like a relaxing spa treatment), spreading it evenly around the sides as well as the top and bottom.

Carefully tuck the meat, encased in all of the rub, inside a zip top plastic bag (gallon sized will work, but over-sized are better if you can find them). Seal the bag and lay it flat in the refrigerator for 7 days, massaging the liquids that will amass inside the bag into the meat and flipping it daily.

After 7 days, inspect your bacon. It should be firm to the touch all over, like touching a cooked steak. This is a sign that it has been cured. If the flesh still feels spongy and soft in spots, leave the meat in the bag and sprinkle it evenly with an additional 2 tablespoons salt and check it again after 1 or 2 days.

Once the bacon is fully cured, discard the solids, rinse the meat well, and pat it completely dry. The next step to giving bacon that familiar flavor is the addition of smoke.

For smoking the bacon: Smoke the bacon in your grill or smoker using your favorite wood until the meat reaches 150°F (you can’t really use a time measurement for this; you must check with a meat thermometer).

For roasting the bacon: Heat the oven to 200°F. Place the belly, fat side up, on a rack set inside of a roasting pan and roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the interior temperature of the meat reaches 150°F (you must check with a meat thermometer). Gently brush the liquid smoke over the entirety of the bacon, covering both sides evenly.