Curing uses salt and sugar - 1 day per 1cm thickness and then 2 days extra. Wash and allow to equalise for 5 days - smoke should you wish and equalise again. so all that smoky flavour gets inside. When you slice it, the bacon should be hard and almost waxy. Ive got 2kg curing in the fridge at the mo!
That's what I did to cure bacon but not keen on anything smoked, used to like smoked meats but a good dose of gastric cancer turned me off, even the smell puts me off eating. I can buy lightly smoked bacon for $3.00 a kilo that is about 1.50 GBP so just isn't worth it. Sausages on the other hand are $8.00 for 600 gram so well worth making and there are plenty of ingredients to play with.
Fair play mate - forget the smoking bit. In that case, after curing, really let it equalise in the fridge for a minimum of 5 days. Your a beer guy - yes- let time be your friend and leave it there and dont rush. It should still come out hard (like Brett Lee) and easy to carve and portion up. I think u are half way there!
