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As you may know, Rach loves shopping for smoked meats and cheeses at Oscar's Adirondack Smokehouse in Warrensburg, New York, not far from her upstate home. She's been going there since she was in first grade, and they make her absolute favorite bacon on the planet: "It's the meatiest, most flavorful bacon I've ever had," she says. If you can't visit in person, you're in luck because they kindly shared their recipe—and it's super easy! Just be sure to plan ahead because the pork belly needs to cure for five days before you smoke it. (Note that Oscar's also ships nationwide.)  

Click here to learn about more of Rach's beloved upstate New York spots.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound table salt
  • ¾ pound granulated sugar
  • ¼ pound brown sugar
  • ¼ ounce curing salt
  • One 3- to 4-pound piece of raw, skinless pork belly

Yield

Serves: 2 to 3 pounds

Preparation

In a baking pan large enough to hold the pork belly, mix together the table salt, sugar, brown sugar and curing salt until completely combined. Coat the pork thoroughly on all sides, shake off any extra curing mix and transfer the meat to a clean baking pan or rimmed baking sheet. Cover with parchment paper and refrigerate for 5 days. 

Preheat a smoker to 200°F, using your favorite hardwood, such as hickory (Rach's favorite), apple or maple. Rinse off the curing mix from the pork with cold water, then pat the meat completely dry. Add the pork to the smoker, lower the temperature to 150°F and cook until the internal temperature of the meat is at least 145°F. 

Transfer the pork belly to a baking pan or rimmed baking sheet, let cool, then refrigerate until completely cool.  

Cut into slices as desired.