Say 'I love you, Dad' with bacon

Home-cured bacon? Sounds like one of those things the average person wouldn't in a million years attempt.

But what if we told you it's so easy a child could do it? And what if we also said the results are so good the bacon you make will blow away any you've ever tasted before, perhaps even redefine what you consider greatness (at least as far as pork products are concerned)?

In fact, the hardest part about this recipe may be the shopping. Bacon typically is made from the belly of the pig. It might be a challenge to find uncured pork bellies, but start by asking at your grocer's meat counter. If that fails, a butcher should be able to order one for you.

If the pork belly comes with the skin on, make your life easier and ask the butcher to trim it off.

After that, it's just 30 minutes work spread over seven days, then you're done.

This recipe makes 2 pounds of slab bacon (uncut), which then can be cut as you see fit. But the recipe is easily doubled or tripled and the excess can be sliced, layered between sheets of parchment paper, then frozen.

The basic recipe calls for a mildly sweet-and-spicy blend of brown sugar and black pepper. To that you can add any number of seasoning variations. We've included a few delicious suggestions, but feel free to add whatever seasonings you prefer.