Pork shoulder bacon may not get quite as crisp as belly bacon, but it has a great taste and a meaty texture. Even if you have a thermometer for your grill, you'll still need an instant-read — the grill thermometer won't register low enough to monitor the cold-smoking.
·Bacon keeps, chilled, 1 week, or frozen 2 months.
·As long as you monitor the sawdust as directed, you will probably not need to add more briquettes. If your sawdust does stop burning, however, light more briquettes in same manner and reignite sawdust.
·The preparation for traditional belly bacon is the same as for shoulder bacon, but the curing time is longer because belly is fattier. Halve a 6- to 8-lb belly crosswise and cure 72 hours (3 days). Cold-smoke as for shoulder bacon. Skinless boneless pork belly can be mail-ordered from Niman Ranch (510-808-0340; www.nimanranch.com).
