Deirdre makes stuff in the kitchen

Bacon is magic, and amazingly, it is probably the easiest of cured meats to make at home. The first time I made bacon, I was at Save on Meats in Vancouver in their bacon and sausage making class. The sausage portion of the class took over 1.5 hours, but the bacon portion took about 5 minutes; that should give you an idea of how easy it is. Pork belly + curing salt + kosher salt + sugar + flavourings + 7 days in the fridge = bacon. I made about a pound of delicious, aromatic bacon that day, and after the first bite, knew that I would be making bacon at home.

Two things in particular struck me about the bacon. First, the flavour was so much… more than I was used to; I could taste the garlic, pepper corns and herbs that were a part of the cure. These flavours added a wonderful savoury note that tends to be missing from store-bought bacon. Second, the texture was incredibly meaty, apparently because the pork belly was dry cured and not injected with a watery salt solution. Check out a book like this for more information.

I have always loved to make stuff in the kitchen. But In the past weeks and months, I have begun learning to make as many of the foods that inhabit my fridge, freezer and pantry as I can. And by making my own butter and yogurt and granola, I am beginning to feel more connected something deeper: to what is real and good, not just in the kitchen, but in life. Give it a try.

Nigel Slater