Ingredients

2kg piece of Middle White pork belly (skin on)

600g salt

400g soft brown sugar

30g ground peppercorns

4 bay leaves (shredded)

Method

1. Mix the salt, sugar, pepper and bay leaves together in a clean bowl and make sure you store in an air tight tub.

2. In a suitably-sized plastic tub or glass/ceramic casserole dish, you have two spread 50g of the cure mix in the bottom of the dish and lay the pork belly skin side down.

3. Rub another 50g of cure mix over the meat, massage in the cure well, making sure the whole belly is covered including the sides.

4. Cover the tray with cling film and take it to the fridge to store for 24 hours.

5. After 24 hours remove from the fridge the liquid that the cure has drawn from the meat. This will have accumulated in the bottom.

6. Drain the liquid out and massage 100g of the cure mix all over the meat.

7. Repeat this process for another four days.

8. After day four, rinse the pork belly thoroughly, dry then wipe it with a clean cloth soaked in malt vinegar.

9. Leave uncovered in a tray sat on a wire cake rack in the fridge for five days, turning daily. This will dry it the bacon out further, meaning it is ready for consumption. Once you are ready to eat it.

10. Slice, cook and enjoy!

11. Your bacon will keep in the fridge (covered) for up to three months.