Curing bacon takes a while, but the wait is worth it. For crispy, deeply seasoned bacon, we started by curing a 4-pound skinless pork belly with a mixture of seasonings, sugar, kosher salt, and pink curing salt. The curing salt preserved the belly longer, boosted the meaty flavor, and kept the red color characteristic of cured meats. Rinsing the bacon after curing kept it from being too salty. A second seasoning with black pepper gave it a peppery crust. And smoking it low and slow over a…
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