There is something magic about pork belly. Those who imbibe in it are prone to eye-glazed moments of reverence when discussing it. Chefs swear by the texture and flavor even a small amount adds to a dish.

I find this impressive, so I drove up to Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket this weekend to lay in a small supply of pork belly ($3.19 a pound, if you're wondering) to see what all the hype was about.

When I arrived home I realized I had no idea what to do with what I'd bought, but bacon is always a good idea. So I slapped down six slabs on a cutting board and fought off the dog while rubbing each chunk vigorously with salt and sugar, just like the internet told me to. Then I added crushed Pakistani peppers to one and garlic to another, leaving the third plain.

The word is that this should be left to cure for one week, so this will be hitting the frying pan next Sunday. Can making one's own bacon really be this easy? I'll be back in a week with a full report.

• Rubbed-down and ready to go.