Dave and I went to school and uni together, but haven’t seen each other for about six years due to him living and working in China!
Dave and his wife Anna run a small clothing company called O2 Wear, specialising in bamboo fibre and organic cotton clothing. Their company is Australian owned and designed, and they sell women’s basics like crew necks and leggings…all really good stuff. Dave got in touch with me and offered to trade two garments of my choice for a kilo of my bacon, which I thought was a very generous offer….trade accepted! Now before you all start thinking I get around in women’s clothing, the two garments were actually for my girlfriend, who for the sake of anonymity we’ll just call ‘The Butcheress’. She chose a crew neck tee and a camisole, both bamboo fibre, and both excellent quality.
Check out more about O2 Wear here – http://www.o2wear.com/
Now, Dave and I made this trade a few weeks back, around the time the ‘Tiser decided to run a story about TIFB. Dave came along to the official photo shoot, as the photographer was keen to get a ‘satisfied customer’ in the pic. In the excitement of the whole thing, we forgot to do the obligatory handshake photo. In any case, here’s the photo that ended up making it into the paper…..that’s Dave there over my right shoulder, looking incredibly satisfied with his newly acquired kilo of bacon. Incidentally, next to Dave is Rose from TIFB Trade #1, looking equally satisfied, but slightly perturbed by Dave’s enthusiasm for meat!
As far as my part of the deal went, Dave and Anna received a kilo of my ethically raised, free to roam middle bacon. I sourced the meat direct from Ben and Bob at Wistow Springs Pork, who raise their pigs in an ethical and sustainable manner at their property near Strathalbyn.
The whole pork middle was cured for six and a half days in a mixture of coarse salt, pink salt, brown sugar, black pepper and ground coriander, and smoked for four hours with peach wood from my own back yard.
I smoked this batch at a slightly lower temperature than usual, which left the meat less firm, and generally more malleable….ideal for wrapping.
The pepper and coriander give a sharp floral taste to the bacon, and the peach smoke adds a soft and sweet aftertaste. On balance, I think I prefer the cherry wood I used last time, but peach is still pretty tasty.
Pork – Ethically raised, free to roam pork middle
Origin – Wistow Springs Pork, Strathalbyn
Cure – Pepper and Coriander
Length of cure – 6.5 days
Smoke – 4 hours with peach wood
Incidentally, if you’re interested in reading the full TIFB article from April 5th, check out the link below. Big thanks to Greg at the Advertiser for tracking me down and sharing my story!
Dan the Butcher
Creator, blogger, butcher, chief bacon curer & smoker.
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