When I've made Bacon over the years,Ive tried a LOT of recipes.
All were better than store stuff BUT I found different cure times were better than the same recipe using different bellies,curing for different times.
I've found that , As with smoking , ya gotta go by looks of the product/experiance is/can be the key.
I think most cure times are way too long ( net recipes).
Too salty for me,even after a wash/soak prior to smoking.
Salt makes the texture different than I like if cured too long.
SO does some of the Temps. they want you to get the belly up to.
I also think Bacon is best smoked VERY COLD,by some peoples standards.
You are just curing it,not cooking it,just smoking it for flavor.
Just get a nice color,then vac pack it in the fridge a few days.
Better yet Freeze it and thaw it.
I think freezing a lot of smoked stuff,then thawing it does something to spread an even flavor to the product.
I think freezing opens the pours,when it thaws the smoke gets sucked in or whatever.
I find myself using less salt than a lot of recipes use most times,AND shorter cure times.
BUT that might be because I smoke the way I do...
Hams can be REALLY tricky to cure.
Screw up and they taste like SPAM (salty,fatty whatever).
I like hickory and oak for just about most stuff I smoke.
I use stick burners.
Not that they are the best,I just like the taste.
I just am using my last smoked belly tonight.
I use most of my bellies for cooking with beans etc.
I slice it thick cut on my slicer ,then in 1-2in. pieces to cook with.
I also do the fatty end of Brisket like Bacon.
Makes GIANT slices of fatty meat.
I mostly like Pastromi but it makes cool beef bacon too.
I guess my only rule of thumb is to cure whatever and cut off a chunk and cook it.
That way you can taste it and check out the texture.
Go from there.
I made a LOT of salt pork a long time ago,over brining my bellies.
Tasted good in other stuff,but was really salty Bacon.
Just cured to long or the recipe had too much salt in it.
A lot of recipes cure for 3 days +/- on the net.
I'm too used to mixing my own cures and checking the belly out every day.
I don't measure anymore.
I go by the look of the belly.
In general,the fattier it is the more salt you can use and the longer you can cure it.
I'd guess I use about a 50/50 mix of sugar and salt.
IF I had to guess.
I like using the Mexican cones of sugar rather than the regular brown sugar in boxes.
Probably due to the Molasses content.
Cuts the salt,might add to the cure-IF it ferments (as suggested on the net) and alcohol is possibly a by product to let the cure penetrate deeper in a shorter time or whatever.
I just know the cure time for what I make varies a lot.
Pork bellies differ a lot.
But I do several bellies at a time.
I have problems smoking ANYTHING in very small amounts.
I buy stuff on sale to fill my freezer...