<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nCheck Out the Source of the Meat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n When picking out your bacon, make sure it’s made from pork belly. I mean, there’s beef, turkey, and even duck bacon out there. There’s nothing wrong with these types of bacon though. But they might need a different cooking method. Plus, duck and turkey are pretty lean, so they may not hold up as well for long cooks like pork or beef. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pork belly is the OG cut for bacon. But if you’re feeling daring, you can try out other parts of the pig like the shoulder or loin. It’s your grill, man, go wild!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Always Go for Thick-cut Bacon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n If you want to smoke bacon on your pellet grill, I recommend going for the thick-cut variety. It holds up better to high temperatures and longer cooking times. Plus it soaks up more smoke flavor, resulting in an even more mouth-watering end product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Choose Bacon With a High Meat-to-fat Ratio<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Bacon with a high meat-to-fat ratio will render more slowly and evenly. This results in a crispy texture and delicious flavor. Look for bacon with a ratio of at least 3:1, which means that there are three times as much meat as fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Level of Seasoning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Now, let’s talk seasoning levels for your bacon! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some bacon already comes with flavors added to it, like black pepper or smoked paprika. That means less work for you! Other bacon is plain and doesn’t have any extra seasoning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’re all about that traditional smoke flavor, then unseasoned bacon is your jam. But, if you’re feeling a little fancy and want to add some extra pizzazz to your homemade smoked bacon, then you might want to give the seasoned kind a try. It’s all about personal preference, my friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Avoid Bacon With Added Sugars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n When you’re picking out the bacon for your pellet grill, you want to make sure you steer clear of brands that dump a bunch of sugar in there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They might be labeled as maple or light brown sugar as in candied bacon. But trust me, it’s not worth it. When you’re smoking that bacon at high heat, the sugar can get all burnt up and gross, and ruin the flavor you’re going for. Plus, it might not be the healthiest choice either. Stick to bacon that’s free of added sugars or just has a small amount. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is Smoked Bacon Fully Cooked?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n It depends. If it’s smoked bacon bought from the store<\/strong>, it’s best to cook before consumption<\/strong>. Some may have been cold-smoked after curing, but still require full cooking until complete doneness before consumption. Others may have been cooked fully requiring no further cooking. <\/p>\n\n\n\nYou should check what the package says. <\/p>\n\n\n
\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nBut you don’t need to worry about eating raw pork when it comes to smoked bacon slices you slow-cooked using the recipes I showed you earlier. It’s all cooked up and ready to eat! The smoking process is like a slow and low cooking method that makes the pork belly safe to eat without having to cook it any further. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, hold on a sec! Even though we know it’s all fully cooked, it’s still a good idea to heat it again before you chow down. Reheating the bacon will help bring out its delicious smoky taste and give it a nice crispy texture. So, go ahead and throw those strips on a cast iron skillet or in the oven for a bit before digging in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion <\/h2>\n\n\n\n If you’re a DIY Masterchef, you can make your homemade smoked bacon from scratch, that is, from a pork belly cut. Homemade bacon takes days but definitely worth the time. And, if you’re feeling lazy and want something quick and easy, just head to the supermarket and grab a pack of pre-cured bacon. Prep it up and get it on your Traeger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thankfully, smoking bacon on a Traeger grill is as easy as setting the temperature and letting it cook. Just flip it over halfway through, move it around if necessary, and take it off when it’s golden and crispy. And don’t forget to let it rest for a bit before slicing it up and enjoying that delicious smoky flavor! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cooking BBQ on a Traeger is easy-peasy, and making smoked bacon is no exception. First, snag some thick-cut bacon, fire up your Traeger pellet grill, and pick your favorite wood pellets. Preheat the grill to around 325\u00b0F and get it smoking. Slap on the bacon on the grill grates, and cook it up to your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14827,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"table_tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14823"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14823"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14823\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18935,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14823\/revisions\/18935"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14823"},{"taxonomy":"table_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/table_tags?post=14823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}