Lay Brown sugar can be substituted for white sugar for coloring and flavor. Arrange Homemade Smoked Maple Cured Bacon Recipe is easy to prepare and you get the reward of enhanced flavor, avoiding chemicals that can be present on commercial bacon. DIRECTIONS. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Position racks in the top and bottom of the oven. Ingredients: 2 oz. Kosher salt (about 1/4 cup) 2 tsp. Line two 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper; place a wire rack on top of each sheet. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil and set cooling racks into the baking sheets. Additions to these ingredients include herbs and spices that give the bacon additional flavor. Cure #1 (aka pink salt, InstaCure #1, Prague Powder #1) 1/4 C. Maple sugar or packed brown sugar; 1/4 C. Maple syrup; 5 lb. The dry sugar cure involves rubbing the pork belly slab with a mixture of salt, sugar, and sodium nitrite. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 425. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.