My first ever batch of homemade bacon came out 20 minutes before the end of international bacon day. I am pleased to say that it was...
Good hot, good cold, just plain fucking good. We made BLTs with it - the bacon, when cooked crispy, has a perfect texture, just a little crunchy, just a little crispy, but chewy in the center. The bacon's fatty, but I find that to be a positive - the flavor is incredible, a little on the salty side but the bacon has a rich, nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness which was bestowed on it in part by the applewood smoke and in part by the cinnamon that comprises a fair amount of the spice rub I used on the pork belly before I started the cure.
In terms of actual work, I spent about an hour and a half total making the bacon. and most of that was preparing the smoker, as I'd never used one before. I could probably cut this down to 20 minutes. Considering that the pork belly was a buck fifty a pound, and even cheap bacon is 2+ a pound, there's no reason that I shouldn't just always make my own goddamn bacon.
Seriously, I would recommend this to anyone who owns or is capable of making or buying a smoker.