Basic cure is out of Ruhlman's book Charcuterie. It's a little salty for a cure, I back off of it just a bit. Gotta play with it to see what's best for you. From there, added garlic, pepper, and thyme for the savory slab; brown sugar, a little honey, and cayenne for the sweet-hot slab. It's easier to put a specific amount of cure and seasonings into a large ziploc bag then to dredge ( and a lot less wasteful), and then put in the meat and shake/rub all over (6 year old kids are really good for that part). Let it cure in the fridge for a week, depends - flip it every day, and feel the texture - if it's firm, it's cured, whether it's a week or not. Cure time will depend on the thickness, really.
NOTE: Bacon requires a cure, so there will be some sodium nitrite in there (pink salt). Don't fear it - just use the proper amounts. It has two purposes: Prevents botulism in cold-smoked foods, and helps keep the color. I'm not so much worried about the color as not making everyone I know sick - so use it correctly. You don't need that much. Don't eat it by itself, btw.
smoked indirectly over pecan. I like pecan because it's a mellow smoke that doesn't overpower the seasoning or the meat, like apple and cherry can. 2 hours smoking, then in the house on a rack in the oven until it get's to 150 IT. At that point, it's done; I cut a couple little chunks off to test, and put the rest in the freezer for 30 minutes to cool off and firm up. Then wrap in saran wrap and foil, back in the fridge, and slice the next day. Wrap up again for short/long term storage as required.
