This product review is for the REC TEC Wood Pellet Grill we purchased in 2016. Even though this post is long overdue, it also means I can give a comprehensive review from two years of personal usage.
The REC TEC Wood Pellet Grill is an electronic grill and smoker which is fueled by small wood pellets fed into the cooking chamber by a motor-driven auger. The onboard controller will automatically adjust the feed rate of the pellets based on your target temperature and current temperature. For me, this was absolutely amazing because it meant that I did not have to constantly monitor, adjust heat, and replenish wood like with my previous smoker. I ccould leave it running and trust the REC TEC computer to manage everything.
Making my own bacon has been one of the top things I wanted to try since getting a smoker. I've always craved the thick-cut, salty, and smoky flavor you'd get from the bacon served at restaurants and specialty meat delis. The regular bacon from the grocery stores cannot even compare to the taste and texture.
The reason why I never made my own bacon is because I was a little nervous of the curing process. I read about the dangers of using curing salts (sodium nitrite and sodium nitrates) and researched alternative methods that did not use them. Some restaurants, such as Burger Lounge, do offer nitrate-free bacon.
After asking around and reading articles, I've decided to just go with the sodium nitrate curing. The first reason is that vegetables actually have higher levels of sodium nitrates than the amount used for bacon. The second is that people reported non-cured bacon did not taste like bacon... and who wants that kind of taste?
