Szalonna – Hungarian Smoked Bacon

Name: Szalonna – Ungarischer Geräucherter Speck
Total time: 10 d
Ingredients: 30 g Grobes Meersalz; 15 g Edelsüßer Paprika (Édesnemes); 8 g Knoblauch, gepresst; 4 g Schwarzer Pfeffer, grob gemahlen; 3 g Scharfer Paprika; 2 g Kümmel, gemahlen

CuringPorkCold SmokingMedium10-14 daysNo core temperature (cold smoked)15-20 °C (cold smoking)Beech + Apple

Szalonna is a Hungarian smoked bacon that has been a staple of Hungarian cuisine for centuries. It is made from the back or belly of the pig, cured with paprika, salt, and garlic, and then cold-smoked. Its intense smoky and paprika flavor makes it unmistakable.

Ingredients(for 1 kg)

Coarse sea salt30 g

Sweet noble paprika15 g

Pressed garlic8 g

Coarsely ground black pepper4 g

Hot paprika3 g

Ground caraway2 g

Instructions

Rubbing and Curing

5–7 days

Rub the bacon thoroughly with the salt-paprika-garlic mixture. Store in a container at 4–6 °C and turn daily.

Drying

12–24 hours

Rinse the bacon with cold water, pat dry, and hang in a cool, airy place until the surface is completely dry.

Cold Smoking

3–5 days (6–8 hours per day)

Cold-smoke the bacon at 15–20 °C with beech-apple wood. Allow to rest in the air for 12–16 hours between smoking sessions.

Post-aging

3–7 days

Let the finished smoked bacon mature in a cool, dry place for another 3–7 days so the flavors can settle.

Pro Tip

For authentic Szalonna, always use Hungarian sweet noble paprika (Édesnemes). The meat should be completely dried before smoking so that an even smoke skin can form.

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