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1
Stir together water, salt, brown sugar, Instacure, and vanilla in storage tub until solids are dissolved, about 3 minutes, then add maple syrup and stir until dissolved.
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2
Add ice and stir until cure is cold (ice may not be completely melted; keeping liquid cold slows salt absorption).
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3
Add pork to cure, then weight with a large plate to keep submerged.
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4
Chill, tub covered with a lid or plastic wrap, 36 hours.
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5
Rinse pork and pat dry, then discard brine.
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6
Open vents on bottom of grill and on lid.
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7
Remove lid and top rack from grill, then center disposable roasting pan on lower rack.
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8
Add 6 cups hardwood sawdust to pan.
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9
Light 5 briquettes in chimney starter.
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10
When briquettes are fully lit (covered completely with gray ash and glowing), transfer with tongs to sawdust, spacing evenly.
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11
When sawdust begins to smolder, replace top rack and arrange pork pieces on rack about 1 inch apart.
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12
Cover grill with lid, then insert thermometer into a vent hole in lid to monitor air temperature, which should be 80 to 120F.
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13
(If temperature rises above 120F, remove 1 or more briquettes or uncover grill slightly until temperature falls.
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14
If temperature falls below 80F, light 1briquette and add to sawdust.)
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15
Smoke pork, adding 1 cup sawdust to roasting pan and stirring with tongs every 11/2 hours to ignite unburned sawdust, 8 hours.
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16
Cool completely, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until ready to use.
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17
Cut finished bacon crosswise into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices (or roast whole; see cooks' note, below) and fry in a nonstick skillet over moderate heat, turning, until browned.
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18
Transfer to paper towels to drain.
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19
Available at The Sausage Maker (888-490-8525).
