Add the salt, brown sugar, black pepper, and celery powder in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Place the pork belly in a food lug, roasting pan, or other large container (it gets a little messy, so you want something large enough to catch the seasoning and any drips).

Coat all sides of the pork belly with the cure mixture.

Place in a two-gallon ziplock bag. I like to double-bag it just in case it leaks. Don't forget to label it with the date so you can keep track during the curing process.

Stick the bagged pork belly in the fridge. Flip the bag every 24 hours for 7 days. I like to put it in the refrigerator label-side up so I have a reference for the starting point (Day 1 label up, Day 2 label down, Day 3 label up...). I also like to set a reminder on my phone/calendar to turn the bacon each day. That way, I don't forget.

On Day 7, take the pork belly out of the fridge.

Put the pork belly in a food lug or other large container and rinse off the cure with cold water. I usually rub it off as I run water over it.

Once the cure is mostly off, place the pork belly in the container and fill it with water. Let it soak for 30 minutes.

While the pork belly soaks, prep your smoker. Preheat it to 200°-220°F.Drain the pork belly and blot the surface of the meat dry with paper towels (this will help the smoke flavor adhere). Optional: season the pork belly with black pepper, brown sugar, or other seasonings you prefer.

Place the pork belly in the smoker fat-side up and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 150° F.

Remove the pork belly from the smoker and let it cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Then, wrap it up and put it in the fridge until completely chilled.

Square up the pork belly by cutting off any jagged or angled edges. This will make slicing easier. You can save these trimmings for soups and baked beans.

Slice the bacon against the grain. A meat slicer makes thin, even slices easy, but a sharp knife also works. Cut the bacon as thick or thin as you prefer.