Patent ID: 6051264
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: A23B,A23L

Abstract:
A method of curing and processing pork bellies to produce fully cooked sliced bacon using a single heat source and omitting any smokehouse treatment of the pork bellies, any injection of liquid pickle solution into the pork bellies and holding of the pork bellies for 32 to 48 hours at 48 to 52.degree. F., comprising the steps of:providing pork bellies having a preselected weight;macerating the surface of the pork bellies;coating the macerated surface of the pork bellies with a dry cure seasoning;tumbling the coated pork bellies for a time period and at a temperature sufficient to achieve adequate penetration of the dry cure seasoning;slicing the pork bellies into a plurality of individual slices, heating each slice rapidly with the heat source to a finished weight of no more than 40% of the slice preselected weight; and,continuing heating with the same heat source until the slices are fully cooked.