Pasture-Raised, Thick Cut, Slow Smoked Bacon in Ecuador

Discover how L&S Artisan Meats makes thick cut, pasture-raised bacon in Ecuador using an 8-day process. Smoked Slow. No shortcuts.

Why Our Pasture-Raised Bacon Tastes Different

Bacon.

Ancient. Incredibly popular. Slightly obsessive.

Entire Facebook groups exist for it. People debate cooking methods like politics. And here at L&S Artisan Meats, it is by far our most popular product.

Humans have been curing pork belly for thousands of years. The Chinese were preserving pork as far back as 1500 BC, and Europeans later refined their own traditions, especially in places like England, where back bacon became a staple.

But if you’ve ever wondered why our pasture-raised bacon in Ecuador tastes different, the answer is simple:

Time and intention.

We produce nearly 7,000 pounds of bacon each year. But volume has never changed our process.

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It Starts with Pasture-Raised Pork Belly

Everything begins with high-quality, pasture-raised pork belly. When hogs are raised well, the belly develops superior fat marbling — the foundation of truly exceptional bacon.

That fat isn’t just there for richness. It carries flavor, creates tenderness, and crisps beautifully when cooked. Good fat renders slowly and evenly. It doesn’t disappear. It transforms.

Outdoor-raised pigs also benefit from natural sunlight and movement, which contribute to overall animal health, and better flavor in the final product.

Quality in equals quality out.

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Our 8-Day Bacon Process

Unlike industrial bacon that relies on injection curing and liquid smoke, our bacon follows a traditional, small-batch method.

Here’s how we make our slow smoked bacon in Ecuador:

Day 1–6: Wet Brine Cure
Every slab is hand-trimmed and placed in a wet brine for six full days. This allows seasoning to penetrate naturally and evenly.

Day 7: Resting & Slow Smoking
After resting for a few, the pork belly enters the smoker for a minimum of six hours. We use real smoke — not liquid smoke — to build deep, balanced flavor.

Day 8: Chilling & Thick Slicing
The bacon is chilled, briefly firmed for precision slicing, cut thick, packed immediately, and refrigerated.

There’s no factory line.
No pressed or reformed meat.
No artificial smoke flavoring.

Just pork, salt, smoke, and patience.

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Why We Slice Our Bacon Thick

We are known for thick cut bacon, and that’s intentional.

Thicker slices render more slowly, giving you:

• More control while cooking

• Better texture

• A satisfying chew

• Less risk of burning before the fat melts

It’s bacon that behaves differently in the pan, or in the oven.

(Yes, Shawn firmly believes the oven is superior. Cold oven, parchment paper, about 17 minutes.)

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Bacon Experiments & Family Favorites

Over the years, Shawn has experimented with:

• Buckboard bacon (made from the same cut as our coppa salami, from the top of the Boston butt)

• Candied bacon – shelf stable

• Peppered bacon – only sold to a handful of folks at our Cotacachi Farmers Market, but still requested at least weekly

• Thin-sliced bacon (a house favorite)

For a while, our kids had what they called “Beany Bacon” extra fatty trimmed bits baked into crispy flavor bombs.

We may produce 7,000 pounds a year… but we still get excited about a fresh tray out of the oven.

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Artisan Bacon in Ecuador

We don’t just make bacon.

We think about bacon.
We test bacon.
We refine bacon.

That’s why so many customers who move back to the U.S. tell us the same thing:

“We miss your bacon.”

And after thousands of pounds each year, we’re still excited about the next batch.

That’s probably the real secret.