For the best texture and taste, insist on meat that is organic and/or free of artificial hormones. Specify that you want a raw pork belly that hasn't already been cured or sliced. For a fattier bacon, ask for meat that came from the hog's belly and/or chest. For a meatier bacon, ask for meat that covered the hog's spare ribs. Whole pork bellies typically weigh between 10 and 12 pounds, but if you are experimenting with cure recipes, ask for a smaller cut in case you end up not liking your concoction. If you purchased your pork belly from a commercial vendor other than a farm and plan on curing it as soon as you get home, skip this step, since the meat has already been chilled. But if you buy direct from a farm, ask the farmer how long ago the hog was slaughtered, because you need to chill your meat within 24 hours of that time. In either case, bring along a cooler stocked with ice to keep the pork belly relatively cool on the ride home if it takes you more than half an hour.  Once home, place the pork belly in a sealable container to keep your fridge clean and prevent cross-contamination with other items. For a quicker chill, set the container inside the fridge wherever it is coldest. To further reduce the chance of cross-contamination, set it in the meat compartment, away from other products. Keep the refrigerator's temperature at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and let the pork belly sit until its core temperature drops to 42 degrees, which will help kill bacteria. If you are chilling multiple bellies, set each one in its own container rather than stacking the meat directly on top of each other. Either ask your butcher to do it for you when you purchase the meat, or do it at home yourself. In the latter case, use a sharpened knife since the skin is tough. Begin your cut at any corner of the belly. As you slice the skin off, angle the blade toward the skin, rather than away from it, so you don't end up trimming off any more precious meat than necessary. Once your skin is removed, the meat will absorb more of the cure. The discarded skin can be cooked on its own, either by grilling or deep-frying. If you wish to do this, be sure to tell your butcher to save the skin if you have them slice the skin off for you.

Summary: Buy a fresh pork belly. Chill your meat. Cut the skin off.


Transfer plain white frosting to a mixing bowl using a spatula or spoon. You may want to reserve a small amount of white frosting in case you want to lighten the color of the frosting later. Natural food coloring is better for you than artificial food coloring. You can use all one color, or use multiple colors. Mix a few drops of food coloring into the frosting by hand or with an electric mixer. Keep in mind that 100 drops of food coloring equals about 1 teaspoon (5 mL).  Make pink frosting by adding 11 drops of red and 3 drops of yellow. Make lavender frosting by adding 5 drops of blue and 5 drops of red. Make mint green frosting by adding 3 drops of blue and 3 drops of green. If the color is too dark, add more plain white frosting. If the color isn’t dark enough, add another drop or two of food coloring. Then, mix the frosting thoroughly. Continue adjusting the color until you get the desired result.
Summary: Empty white frosting into a mixing bowl. Mix food coloring into the frosting. Adjust the color, if needed.