News Compressor: ON
Our OTH lookahead software points to “clustering” as the major risk for fall and into winter. Usually, you will have a “named risk” (like the Radio Trust blowing up) when there’s a possible Depression brewing up. On closer inspection, though, it’s always a multivariate mess.
You have your runaway consumer spending (“buy before prices go up!”) and AI finance is its own special kind of bubble within a complexity container. Farmers will likely bust now because harvests still need energy and fertilizer. See Ely, et al for how the end of draft animals stopped revenue flows from more than 7 million acres allowing banks to repo farms. But those left banks holding the bag.
Which gets to the tasker summary – which we don’t always post:
Composite Alert: AMBER — HARDENING GEOPOLITICALLY, FINANCIAL TRANSMISSION STILL ACTIVE.
The overnight board is not showing a single new breakaway crisis. What has changed is that several previously separate stress lines are beginning to reinforce one another: the U.S.-Iran diplomatic exit has narrowed, Saudi-Houthi kinetic activity continues, China’s South China Sea pressure resumed immediately after the Trump-Xi summit, and European preparation for Russian hybrid or military action is becoming increasingly physical rather than rhetorical.
The Pattern That Matters
Today’s useful BlinkLab signal isn’t any individual headline. It’s failure of diplomatic improvement to propagate into adjacent domains.
Trump and Xi can stabilize tariffs while Chinese ships pressure the Philippines. Washington and Tehran can keep talking while Houthis fire toward Saudi Arabia. Markets can get a day’s relief from cheaper oil while the Fed remains concerned enough about inflation to contemplate another hike.
That suggests watching three clocks separately:
Political settlement ->physical normalization -> financial normalization.
The first can move without the second, and the second can move without immediately repairing the third.
For our OTH work, that distinction matters because it offers a plausible mechanism for a later consequence ridge: the initiating geopolitical event can appear to improve before its accumulated financial and economic effects arrive.
The Front Page is Repeating – for now
1. IRAN / HORMUZ — Diplomacy remains alive, but the proposed seven-day off-ramp has been rejected publicly. Trump says he rejected Iran’s proposal to halt fighting and reopen Hormuz within seven days, while Tehran says mediators have not formally communicated a final U.S. rejection and insists diplomacy remains the solution.
Lack of progress – unless there is some by tomorrow morning – could be hard on Brent oil which in turn could hammer markets.
Plan Monday/Tuesday as “tip days” as to how the Wed-Fri employment picture will resolve. Applying the Buy the Rumor, Sell the News template as a guide.
2. SAUDI / HOUTHI — This front is refusing to follow the diplomatic script. Saudi-led forces say they intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed toward Khamis Mushait and two drones headed toward Riyadh, while Saudi rhetoric toward the Houthis has hardened markedly. This is now the clearest near-term route by which the wider Gulf conflict could escape whatever U.S.-Iran diplomacy accomplishes. Odds: 65% of another strike or interception in the next 96 hours.
3. CHINA / SOUTH CHINA SEA — Summit calm didn’t reach the water. After the Trump-Xi meeting produced trade concessions but no broad strategic settlement, China’s military conducted joint naval-air exercises around disputed Scarborough Shoal following a Chinese obstruction of a Philippine resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal. The economic relationship has stabilized temporarily while the military-security competition continues. Odds: 70% of further Chinese military/coastguard signaling in the region during the next 96 hours.
4. INDIA / NEPAL FLOODS — The morning’s largest fresh casualty disaster is now South Asia. Heavy rain, flooding and landslides have killed at least 15 people in India and four in Nepal, with rivers rising and additional rain threatening already saturated areas.
Meanwhile? Hurricane Nolo remains a Hawaii hazard rather than yesterday’s feared direct catastrophe. The system’s rainfall and flooding potential remain the principal concern as its track evolves south of the islands. Slowly clarifying. Eye on the Tropics
Step into the Time Machine
IF you believe in the rhymacy of history, try this on for proximity marking:
The standout Depression-era flood in Hawai?i was 18 November 1930 on O?ahu: about 23.5 inches fell over Kalihi Valley, debris briefly dammed the stream above School Street, then the break sent a surge downstream. The USGS gage hit 12,400 cfs—one of the largest recorded peaks on that drainage since 1915—and other O?ahu streams also went out that day.
A second notable event was 28 February 1932, again on O?ahu (often listed with the 1930 storm among the decade’s biggest rain floods). Smaller but still damaging high-water events followed in February 1935 and March/October 1939. None of these matched the later 1950 Hurricane Hiki deluge on Kaua?i; they were local flash-flood disasters, not an islands-wide catastrophe.
The Weather Overlap Slap
If – like us – you read present day news more to match-up pieces of history than to make a killing in markets? You wouldn’t be wrong in seeing a “Huge Rhyme in Weather”.
The standout Asian event overlapping the U.S. Dust Bowl (roughly 1930–36) was the 1931 Yangtze–Huai floods in China, not a single India-wide deluge. Months of rain plus snowmelt inundated on the order of 170,000–180,000 km², affected tens of millions, and killed well over 100,000 by drowning plus far more later from famine and disease—among the deadliest floods on record.
India had damaging regional monsoon floods in some of those years and drought in others (notably 1937), so it was not a simple wet counterpart.
Climate-wise the two disasters sat in related but not opposite ocean patterns: Dust Bowl drought with cool-Pacific / warm-Atlantic forcing and land feedbacks; 1931 China with persistent rains tied to El Niño–related Indian Ocean warmth and a shifted subtropical high. The Plains story got far more Western attention because it was domestic and photogenic; the China flood was larger in human cost and less covered.
Weather Modification Involved?
While it’s purely speculative looking at today’s India/Nepal flooding, it helps to pull items like this out of your semi-eidetic:
China runs the world’s largest weather-modification program and has expanded it onto the Tibetan Plateau—the Himalayan “water tower” that feeds the Brahmaputra, Indus, Sutlej and other rivers. Official work includes thousands of ground silver-iodide generators, rockets, and, since 2023, large drones flying rain/snow-enhancement sorties over Tibet and Qinghai (dozens of flights logged by 2025–26), plus the older Tianhe/“Sky River” concept of seeding plateau moisture toward China’s dry north.
War and Money Dept.
Treasury yields eased Friday when oil retreated, but the week ahead is difficult to call.
The Fed’s next decision has become confused because stronger economic activity and inflation have pushed policymakers toward considering another rate increase. A strong – really strong – employment picture might put 2 hikes on the table. And that could lead to a “how good news becomes bad” at the policy level example.
Pieces of a coming EU-Russia war are still building: Lithuania is literally putting concrete around a critical power substation near Kaliningrad. Along with duplicated systems, tunnel detection and reinforced protection against explosive drones.
European concern about Russia has moved beyond Ukraine itself. Danish intelligence has warned that Russia could pose a direct NATO military threat on a much shorter timetable than previously assumed, while Russia denies planning attacks or sabotage against NATO countries. Escalating preparedness.
Sweden and Finland’s joint interception of Russian aircraft adds another operational data point in the Baltic. It was their first joint fighter interception under new NATO arrangements.
Whatever happened to the old Safeway positioning statement from the sixties? “Let’s be neighbors, let’s be friends”?
Other
Life marches on. Downhill.
A 6.6 magnitude quake in New Caledonia may explain why several readers and us were feeling the “earthquake tireds” a few days ago. We could look at the geophysics/history boards, here, too:
By magnitude, the largest quake of the Depression years (roughly 1929–39) was the 1 February 1938 Banda Sea earthquake in what is now Indonesia: about M 8.5–8.6. It sits on the USGS “largest since 1900” list; it was remote and killed few people.
Close behind:
- 2 March 1933 Sanriku, Japan — M 8.4, plus a large tsunami (~3,000 dead)
- 24–25 January 1939 Chillán, Chile — about M 8.3 (~28,000–30,000 dead)
- 15 January 1934 Nepal–Bihar — about M 8.0–8.1 (~10,000–12,000 dead)
- 10 August 1931 Fuyun, Xinjiang — about M 8.0 (~10,000 dead)
We believe in stirred but not shaken.
Shop Talk: Barrels of Fun
Peace and Rain are the immediate outlooks here in East Texas. Although rain is due to arrive – normally a blessing – that means a lot of low-level prep work has rolled in for fall.
Gutters need to be cleaned, one low spot needs attention, and the ground contours need attention, too.
The good news is that with 2+ inches of rain starting Wednesday, next week the local burn-ban is likely to come off. And that brings more chores with it. Besides the pre-emptive lawnmowing?
Our old burn barrel has finally rusted through, so it needs a trip to burn barrel heaven and a new one prepared. This is one of those “no one talks much about it” farm tasks. If you haven’t set up a burn barrel before, the first task is taking off one end of it. The end with the two bungs (one large for the liquids, the opposite small one is a vent) can be cut out as the top or can be left in to act as a drain.
Take the caps off and let the new top slide down into the bottom of the barrel. It will stop light ash from leaking out the bottom, but may provide enough “flow” that when you forget to put the barrel cover on…
Write when you get rich,
George@Ure.net
A thank you to JC for “The International Silver String Submarine Band”. Didn’t know that we had one but sort of fits in with the crew we had.
For a look at our crew you might want to visit the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTyxmVou27w trailer. I can name these guys and yes we did go under a carrier. Really pissed off the Admiral of the carrier task force as we had a “sink, sank, sunk” against them.
One of the boats I know tried to duplicate our under the carrier trick but misjudged the depth of the carrier screws, which then chewed up the sail of the submarine. What a mess!
Our crew was just not ‘military’ material but we got the job done, patrol after patrol.
Cheers
Trapeze (1956) Trailer with Gina Lollobrigida!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=03v7dPOfslQ&pp=ygUbVHJhcGV6ZSB0cmFpbGVyIDE5NSB5b3V0dWJl
re: “Odd Man Out”, Frasier, S4E24, 20/5/97
or: “Hollywood on the Tide Flats”, 1935
Today’s answer is fishy synonyms. The following are entirely coincidental. USS Pampanito provided the exterior shots for the fictional submarine USS Stingray in the “Down Periscope” movie starring Kelsey Grammer. It is a museum ship docked at Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, and is one of the Balao (sp: half beak fish) class of U.S. Navy submarines launched in 1943. The USS Pampanito (sp: Little Pompano) takes its name from a “Pacific warm water” pompano type of the fish family Carangidae (gr/fr: ~head of the family).
Pompano Beach, Fl. is named after the Florida pompano fish Trachinotus Carolinas (gr/lat: rough back of Carolina) native to the U.S. east coast. As chance would have it, the Florida city is birthplace of Kelsey Grammer.
Season four of tv’s “Frasier” starring Grammer closed out with the “Odd Man Out” episode. Dr. Crane receives a wrong number telephone message from “Laura” leaving a reminder that she requires picking up at the airport off American flight 11. Laura is played by Linda Hamilton who is perhaps more commonly remembered as Sarah Connor in the Terminator movies.
Thirteen active telephone exchanges which include those for RAF Fairford and the village of Whelford are grouped under the nearby city of Cirencester (celt/lat/oldeng: “Roman Fort on the River Churn”). The Romans called it Corinium. Msm reports concerning an alleged Sunday incident in Whelford against RAF Fairford mentions perp-driven vans bearing undisclosed telephone numbers short by one digit. A usurped company name used by the perps coincidentally has an unrelated heterograph company based in Tacoma, Wa. The latter’s phone number is one digit shorter than its not-a-twin UK company.
Let’s check the phone lines with DJ George at the following Youtube link:
https://youtu.be/o2JRwz9mNwI
Regarding the “Trapeze” movie, Gina Lollobrigida from Rome has a surname said to be associated with Lazio. Lazio derives from Latium (~I lie hidden?), the lands of the Latini (Latins) tribe. Rome was founded on their tribal land.
That whole UK terrorist foiled plot reeks of inside job!!! Meaning they were going to LET IT HAPPEN to further their AGENDA!!!
But some wizened female farmer noticed, “what’s UP?”
Talking about sitting ducks at that base!!!!
Haven’t they Lea”R”ned anything about these 3rd world spellers yet?
My other comment of note the old Federal Reserve Banking Act passed in December of 2013, by as few people as needed, was supposed to save the country FROM BOOM AND BUST CYCLES.
Ole BB, Bill Bernake(sp), the old Fed Pres, apt scholar of the Great Depression, admitting live and in person that THE FED CAUSED THE GREAT DEPRESSION!!!
So, knowing how history repeats and rhymes, I expect credit tightening going on behind the scenes!!!
Excuse me passed December of 1913!!!!
Ah, yes, the movie, Down Periscope. What a funny movie that is!
I have many submarine movies in my CD collection, as many as I could find. I cannot explain why I like them so much.
Watching from the corner, ure offers “Considered past life regression? We you born in the normal reincarnation window after a major war where…ahem…submarines played a key role?”
I thought about that, George, but remember that I was an Army grunt during World War 2, having lived my teen years in the Great Depression. I died in Germany during the war, my previous life. So, my preoccupation with submarines remains a mystery. Perhaps, I served on a submarine in a life lived in a parallel universe.
Interesting as heck, Nancy – take your birth year (classified, of course!) and back out two and go out seven – then look for sub sinkings in the window – and notice any language tells – that may be a sign, too.
Got an 1.5″ of rain last week when a cloud sat on me for 45 minutes. Most ran down the cracks in the ground, with zero run-off. Still, it wetted everything down enough to get the hay cut, so now my wildfire profile is more favorable. Looks like I got it done in time for the monsoon to set in. One extreme to another is the norm here.
Tell “norm” to come by here once in a while, if you would, please?
Once upon a time, money was metal, not paper, plastic, or electronic digits.
“A metal detectorist in the west of Germany has discovered one of the largest hoards of Roman silver coins ever found in that country from the reign of the Emperor Hadrian.
The pile includes more than 900 silver denarii — the denarius was the standard coin of the early Roman Empire — and weighs almost 7 pounds (3.1 kilograms).”
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/there-was-something-bigger-in-the-ground-here-metal-detectorist-in-germany-discovers-giant-roman-era-hoard-from-time-of-emperor-hadrian
You gave them our ship-to info?+
Lol lol so true…Once upon a time, money was metal — something real, scarce, and useful. Grain, livestock, and skilled labor came first. Then durable metals took over because they were lighter to carry, easier to divide, and still convertible into actual goods and services.
The big shift happened when those with power decided to catfish the general population convincing them that currency didn’t need to represent durable goods and became pure paper, plastic, and digital claims backed mainly by trust in institutions….. What used to say “this is as good as gold” quietly became “this is valuable because we say it is.”
Some Have called that progress. Others call it the ultimate catfish of the public … a system that kept the appearance of the old promise while removing the hard limit that once restrained it….. When money is no longer anchored to something tangible, its value rests entirely on collective belief. That works… until the belief starts to crack…..
And this is why wars never really end…….
Once durable goods — land, energy, metals, food, productive capacity — became the true foundation of power, controlling them became the surest way to control populations….. Secure the resources and you can shape what people can demand, what they can afford, and how dependent they remain…. Deny or ration them and you limit both their numbers and their ability to push back.
Currency that no longer represents those goods only deepens the problem. When money itself is elastic and trust-based, the competition shifts even more fiercely onto the real things that still matter. Endless conflict is the predictable result: not always for ideology or glory, but for the durable assets that let the few maintain leverage over the many
Wait, you end on a Toolshop Sunday bit? Can’t stand it hey? It’s OK George, one can’t cease being and talking about being a tool slut then just go cold turkey.
I too am prepping a burn vs shred barrel. Will drill 3-4 sets of triangle corners 6-10″ above bottom, sabre saw and bend in top point and insert chicken wire grate. Shazam
We now return you to your regular programming.
Taking down the stick (mast) today.
Then? Boat ride.
~E~
If you make them a ] shape – witeh the vertical 3-4 inches and the horiz 2″ and point same direction you can gete a bit of cyclonic (smoke reducing effewct) ands a second level higher up – right near the top makes an even cleaner burn…ask me how I know> Losts easier with the plasma cutter than the jig saw, cold chisels, or hole hawg approach…
ooh, bring her plasma rig and stop by Tex ~ E
full moon around here somewhere . J.C. Fogarty and Creedence clearwater. i feel a bad moon rising !!! ride em AI cowboys , reds under the bed . is that a commie red or a republican ? which one you in G and the gang ?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the paranoia of suburbia/communism/ McCarthyism or all of the above.
The pod people were regimented society and lacked any signs of individuality. The vegetable metaphor had connotations with the growth of communism in fertile American soil, similar to the alien in The Thing. The pod people were cold and emotionless with few personal feelings about life. They do not even wince when a dog was run over in front of them. Their way of life was extremely organised and authoritarian.
Interpretations differ wildly about the film, from the anti-McCarthyism to anti-communism to anti-conformism.
https://cinemahistoryonline.com/2020/02/26/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers/
yeah mate a classic
only about 7 hours and da boyz at riggin central , wall and broad fire up the AI and big fan spraying it all out there the brown stuff!!!
any new super voodoo , magic , can kicking stuff G ? ask AI !!!
I am wrapping up my Linux upgrade week. I have security software running under all the installs, with more aggressive filtering on a couple of the boxes. The non-appliance installs are now Ubuntu 26. All have security running under them.
New Ubuntu installs are an order of magnitude more stable than the Linux of old. My grab and go laptop in now an Ubuntu box. I still like Windows 11, but Ubuntu, and for that matter, Amazon Fire (with Duckduckgo side loaded) make for decent personal computers. For work, it is largely MS or the highway. I do have 365 apps on the Fire tablet. I can access on the web in Linux. The Linux web interface is not as good as the Fire App. The Windows 11 365
interface is a bit quirky, but I have used it when the work box is down. Authoring PDF documents with anything but full Word or Excel on a Windows box can be challenging.
I have seen Teams for Linux on the Ubuntu App Center from individuals; I’m going to pass on that. Libreoffice is sufficient for personal use, and I have it on everything. There are a wide variety of browsers on Linux, but no Duckduckgo browser I have found. the Duck extension is available for many browsers,
though. I use the same commercial VPN on all comms.
I’m going to trying out new Linux apps. My goal is get more time on apps available on the most platforms. This allows for work around due to external circumstance and economics. Just when you think you have everything figured out is when everything goes to sh!t. I prove that to myself pretty much weekly.
Sitting here getting ready to have some great chili..a problem I keep seeing that bugs the hell out of me..soda crackers evaporate rather than absorb..leaving you with mush…
the reason..they’re using less flour to increase profits..
there are basically two ways that crackers are made..there are great egg crackers then regular saltines..
Crisp Egg Crackers
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 Tbsp melted butter or olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1–2 Tbsp water, only if needed
Optional: 1/2 tsp garlic powder, herbs, sesame seeds, or cracked pepper..cheese powder your the boss a tbsp of ranch dressing flavoring..
Method
Heat oven to 350°F.
Mix flour and salt. Add the egg and melted butter.
Knead until you have a smooth, fairly stiff dough. Add water 1/2 teaspoon at a time if it’s too dry.
Let rest 15–20 minutes….( this helps form the glutin)
Roll very thin—about 1/16 inch. The thinner you get it, the crisper the cracker.
Cut into squares and prick each cracker several times with a fork.(or use a docker..)
https://www.amazon.com/EVEDMOT-Docker-Stainless-Puncher-Docking/dp/B08BZV6M63/ref=sr_1_1?
Place on parchment and bake 10–15 minutes, until lightly golden and crisp.
Cool completely; they’ll crisp further as they cool.
For a really good savory cracker… sprinkle the tops with coarse salt and sesame seeds before baking…. lightly roll a rolling pin over slightly pressing
the salt into the cracker..
And here’s a little trick I think everyone will enjoy…. replace 1 tablespoon of the flour with grated Parmesan….( smoked ) It gives the cracker a wonderful toasted smokey cheese flavor ….chicken bullion in the water..
Now regular saltine crackers
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp shortening or lard
1/2 cup cold water, approximately
Extra salt for the tops
Method to mixing the dough..
Heat oven to 350°F.
Mix flour and salt. Add the egg and melted butter.
Knead until you have a smooth, fairly stiff dough. Add water ½ teaspoon at a time if it’s too dry.
Let rest 15–20 minutes…( forms the glutin)
Roll very thin—about 1/16 inch. The thinner you get it, the crisper the cracker…
now a slick trick..(use your pasta roller) or a dough sheeter…
For the really old-fashioned texture
Try lard instead of butter and roll them extremely thin. You can also put the rolled dough in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes before cutting—it makes handling the thin sheet much easier.
If you’re looking for that very dry, flaky, almost saltine-like cracker, I can also give you the version that uses yeast and a little shortening, which is closer to commercial saltines…
Oh heck…why not..yeast soda crackers gives you those little air pockets that draw you to certain brands…
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lard or shortening
1/2 cup warm water, approximately..give or take..
1 tsp sugar…to activate the yeast..
Extra salt for topping…
the process is similar to egg crackers and saltine crackers or soda crackers..some brands use a tad bit more soda also making them dissolve into mush faster…
First….Activate the yeast…..Mix warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5–10 minutes, until slightly foamy….
Make the dough… Mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the lard until crumbly.
Add the yeast mixture and stir until a stiff dough forms….
Knead for about 3–4 minutes until smooth….
Cover and let rise 45–60 minutes. You don’t want it to become huge—just noticeably relaxed and slightly puffy….( sometimes only thirty minutes)
Divide into workable pieces and roll each very thin, about 1/16 inch….
Cut into squares and dock thoroughly with a fork….or pasta docker..
Bake at 400 F for 8–12 minutes, until dry and lightly browned around the edges.
Cool completely on a rack…..
for extra crispness…After they cool, put them back into a 200 F oven for 10–15 minutes,
My wife an I both love Canadian bacon.. ( not the movie)
here is the wet brine method to make it at home..
Open Grok
Recipe to make Canadian bacon with a porkloin
Worked for 17s
Homemade Canadian bacon (also called back bacon) is made by curing and smoking a boneless pork loin. It is leaner than American-style bacon (from pork belly) and delivers a mild, savory, slightly sweet flavor ideal for breakfast sandwiches, eggs, or slicing and searing.
This is a wet-brine method that takes several days of mostly hands-off time. Pink curing salt (Prague Powder #1 / Insta Cure #1) is essential for food safety (it prevents botulism and develops the characteristic pink color and cured flavor)—do not omit or substitute ordinary salt, and measure it precisely by weight if possible.
Ingredients (for a 4–5 lb / 1.8–2.3 kg boneless center-cut pork loin)
Brine
1 gallon water (divided if desired for faster cooling)
1–1½ cups salt (do not use iodized table salt)
1/2–1 cup packed brown sugar or a mix of brown + white sugar…
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or honey; optional but traditional and recommended)
1 tablespoon1 tsp per pound of meat as a rough guide) Prague Powder (pink curing salt )
4–5 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2–4 bay leaves
Optional aromatics: a few sprigs fresh thyme or sage, 1 teaspoon juniper berries or star anise, zest/juice of 1/2 lemon
1 boneless center-cut pork loin (trim silver skin and excess fat, leaving a thin fat cap if desired)
Mild smoking wood…( use the tote smoker or any other smoker..) apple, maple, cherry, or pecan (avoid strong woods like mesquite or heavy hickory)
(or grill set up for indirect heat), instant-read thermometer, wire rack + sheet pan.
Trim silver skin and excess fat. Weigh the meat if you want to scale the cure more precisely.
Now to Make the brine…….
In a large pot, combine about 1 quart of the water with the salt, sugar(s), maple syrup, garlic, spices, and herbs. Heat gently, stirring until the salts and sugar fully dissolve (do not need a full boil). Remove from heat, stir in the Prague Powder until dissolved, then add the remaining cold water (or ice) to cool the brine completely to refrigerator temperature . Never add meat to warm brine……NEVER…
Submerge the pork loin completely in the cooled brine (use a plate or sealed bag of water as a weight if needed). Cover and refrigerate 4–7 days (typical range for a 4–5 lb loin; a common rule of thumb is roughly 1 day per 1/2 inch of thickness plus 1–2 extra days). Turn the meat daily for even curing. The meat will firm up as it cures….. now you can make regular bacon the same way with a nice trimmed pork belly…the big thing is..pork belly is usually more than processed bacon..more on this later for processing pre processed bacon to give it more flavor..
Remove the loin, discard the brine, and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Optionally soak in fresh cold water 30 minutes to mellow surface saltiness, then rinse again. Pat completely dry with paper towels. Place on a wire rack set over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered 8–24 hours. A sticky pellicle will form—this helps smoke adhere……
Preheat smoker (or grill for indirect heat) to 200–250 F some recipes go as high as 325 F for a shorter cook…. Add mild wood. Smoke the loin until the internal temperature reaches 145 F in the thickest part (typically 1 1/2–4 hours depending on size, smoker, and temperature). Some recipes target 150°F. very important Do not overcook it will dry out…theres nothing worse than a dried out bacon..
Remove from the smoker, let cool to room temperature, then wrap tightly and refrigerate at least overnight (flavor improves). Slice thin (about 1/8 inch) as needed. It keeps 1–2 weeks in the refrigerator or several months frozen (vacuum-seal for best results). Pan-sear slices briefly before serving for best texture and flavor…..
For commercially processed bacon…
rep the smoker
Preheat to 200–300 F
Lower end (200 F) gives more smoke time and gentler cooking.
Higher end (300 F) is faster and helps crisp the bacon.
Use mild woods such as apple, cherry, maple, or a light hickory. Avoid strong woods like mesquite that can overpower….we like cherry or applewood..
Lay the strips in a single layer directly on the grates (or on a wire rack) so smoke can circulate.
Smoke 20–40 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the bacon reaches your preferred crispness and an internal temperature of about 145 F . Thick-cut bacon takes a bit longer….
Now… Optional flavor boosts (apply before or during smoking)
Light sprinkle of brown sugar or a maple-syrup brush for sweetness before… you can lay a whole two pound pork belly bacon slab and smoke that as well.
Black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, or a little cayenne.
These caramelize nicely in the smoke….
Ok..flavor soak pre made bacon marinate…
This is a wet-style cure/marinade that infuses strong maple and brown-sugar sweetness while properly curing the meat. Pink curing salt (Prague Powder) is included for food safety and classic bacon color/flavor—do not omit or substitute regular salt…..
2 lb skinless pork belly pre processed bacon..
3 tablespoons salt (Diamond Crystal preferred; reduce slightly if using Morton)
3–4 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar… ( hell put a half cup )
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (Grade A Dark or Amber for best flavor)( more if you like)
1/2 teaspoon Prague Powder (pink curing salt #1)
1/2–3/4 cup cold water (or enough to make a pourable slurry)
Optional extras for more depth:
1–2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or a smashed garlic clove
Pinch ( 1/8 tsp) of smoked paprika or cayenne
In a bowl, stir together the kosher salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, Prague Powder, and optional spices ( I like the maple brown sugar spice for sausage).
https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Brown-Flavored-Sausage-Seasoning/dp/B00S4FQBQA/ref=sr_1_1?
Add the cold water and mix until the salts and sugar are mostly dissolved (it will be a thick, syrupy liquid).
Place the pork belly in a gallon-size zip-top bag or vacuum-seal bag. Pour the cure mixture over it. Squeeze out as much air as possible, seal, and massage the bag thoroughly so the liquid coats every surface…..
Refrigerate at 34–38 F for 5–7 days.
Flip and massage the bag once a day so the cure stays evenly distributed. The meat will firm up and release some liquid—this is normal….
Rinse the bacon off..now smoke it…
A co-worker makes all their bacon..I sometimes will do a soak and smoke..of pre processed bacon to enhance the flavor..since my wife’s father made sausage and bologna for an income..ham and processed meat is rarely made around here..my mother-in-law her rule was she didn’t want to see any pork at all.. after 60 years of ham bologna and hot dogs the sight makes her sick…I get that..my father worked at the biscuit company..I see the label and I get sick to my stomach.. to much of A good thing…so anything I make has to be extremely small batches….I tried to get the kids interested..except for jerky..
My grand daughter asked a couple weeks ago about the home made potatoes chips we made when they were little..hers was to thick..the trick is peel or no peel..your choice I like the skins ..so scrub them good..
a potato peeler.. not the food processer..food processor potato slices are perfect for casseroles but to thick for chips..crispy potato chips come from paper thin slices..a big bag of potato chips is..1 potato…
take the potato slicer and from the end..peel off the slices..about 1/32 ” yiu can use a mandolin to.. ezpecially one thats adjustible to get the paper thin slices…thick..soak in cold water to remove the starch..Pat dry…then lightly coat with oil…then deep fat fry..or lay them out on parchment in the oven or microwave air fryer..375 F – 400 F..
Tropical breadfruit tree… Hawaiian “Ulu” is a staple crop here. Tastes like potato. Skin is edible, but I peel them for chips. Slice into chunks and mandolin ’em into thin slices & deep fry ’em. Ulu Chips…local specialty stores get $10-15 for a small bag. I get mine from the backyard tree.
Hank shared this from all recipes… I am going to try this one..Nancy brought up once upon a time Costco has crab..
Ingredient
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 green onion, chopped
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon Italian bread crumbs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (6 ounce) can snow crab, drained
1 (4 ounce) can small shrimp, drained
12 large white mushrooms, stems removed
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place cream cheese, green onion, egg yolk, 1 tablespoon bread crumbs, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until smooth and evenly blended. Fold in crab and shrimp….( this process is similar to the stuffed bad boys where chicken is used)
Stuff mushroom caps with cream cheese mixture; divide and press 1 cup bread crumbs on top to coat. Place mushrooms on baking sheet stuffed-sides up.
There’s a recipe the wife of A fancy restaurant.. ( they had to close.. unfortunately they were targeting the wrong crowd of patrons..I took my wife there for our anniversary.. saved for months to take her to an upper scale place..they made us sit..for four hour till we left..we didn’t suit the customer profile they sought..unfortunately for them there’s more in my social class than the other..and wait staff depend on tips..at the country club they got around that by putting a 20% tip on every order.. otherwise they couldn’t keep staff..the same with pizza delivery drivers)
I have to find that recipe..way back..I worked produce and I would special order the grape leaves for her…a co-worker now managed one of the restaurants and is friends with her..they got a divorce a long time ago..guess he was a lady beater..anyway she recognized me when the two were going out for their monthly dinner out..and she stopped in at work..recognized my ugly mug from fifty years ago..dam..
Thanks to Stiks and others here who recommended the Old Amish Muscle Tonic for leg cramps. My first impression was that it would be a muscle rub-on. When the two bottles arrived I found it to be a vinegar-based drinking supplement and it rang a bell. I have also used yellow mustard packets, which are also high in vinegar content, to squeeze and consume for bad cramps and they also work rather quickly. Now I have another remedy at bedside. The cramps usually strike predawn and wake me so I pop out of bed and stand up and stretch my leg which usually relieves the cramp almost immediately, before I would even have a chance to take any tonic. But it is nice to know the tonic is there for a badly locked cramp that refuses to relax. Thanks again. Sour stuff!!
Buy some Mt. Olive pickle juice at safeway, works good if you like the taste of pickles at 2 in the morning.
My older mini me grandson and the whole football team would stop after a game grab jerky or waffle sticks and a jar of pickles.. never had leg cramps…he is in a long distance race next week in colorado…I believe his fiancee is to..they are both real athletically inclined…I have to work otherwise I’d be there with the rest of the family….
which surprises me..he got heat stroke last summer..tgat usually slows you down..it sure slowed me down..had that tossing a bunk of ply on the roof to lay out my roof when I built the house….
I always told him and all my kids gotta keep moving forward never stop adapt improvise and overcome all obstacles… so I’m pretty proud of them .they settled there after she got her PHd and started teaching….I believe the daughter is going to live stream the race so I can watch which will be nice..them do their Athalon or whatever they call the race..
Oh oh… The supplement works too good. Quick! Make it a drug! Don’t let them have it!!
The Strange Case Of NAC: The Supplement The FDA Says Isn’t One
https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/strange-case-nac-supplement-fda-says-isnt-one
Time to stock up before they take it off the market. NAC is used as a powder inhalant for lung disease.
I take NAC 1st in the morning on empty stomach with 1st glass water and evening at least 2 hours after eating, 600ml tabs. Seems to work best on empty stomach.
600 mg capsules. Twice daily on empty stomach.
I wondered what happened to Red Yeast Rice…the drug they made from it for cholesterol is the one I take..dam them