How do yo make it taste like bacon?

shtrdave · Oct 30, 2011

I picked up some butts last week and they had boneless CS ribs, so I got some of those also, figured they would cure for a week and the butts would get 2 weeks till I could smoke them.

I mixed up the TQ and brown sugar as per directions 1T/# meat rubbed and ziploced into fridge for a week turning every 2 days.

Before they went into the smoker I rinsed and tried a piece uncooked, not much salt taste, no need to soak so I laid them on a sheet pan and into the fridge overnight.

Smoked them today with some apple chips in the Cookshack at 150 for about 3 hours then bumped temp to about 170 for about an hour until they were low 140's pieces were odd shapes.

The cut up piece on the plate was after smoking.

So why do they taste like ham instead of bacon, is there something I am missing to get that Bacon taste, or do they maybe need to be brined, is it the cut of meat, I know it is a dumb question but I am confused, I can see that what I am making for next weekend is going to be ham not bacon. Oh well I guess ham is good to, but not as good as bacon.

DanMcG · Oct 30, 2011

It's all cured pork , but I find the thicker the slice the more hammy it tastes. More thinner, more bacony

Ya can't really crisp up a thick piece of bacon, and that's thin crispiness is what makes bacon, bacon...

My 2 cents

SmokinAl · Oct 30, 2011

I try to use the fattiest part of the butt for BBB. It seems like the more fat there is the more it tastes like belly bacon.

teeznuts · Oct 30, 2011

What SmokinAl said

raymo76 · Oct 30, 2011

I just put some of pulled pork into a few taquitos and my wife and I both thought it tasted like bacon

slownlow · Nov 2, 2011

Next time you make it follow how chefrob trimmed his up here:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/101024/butterflied-bucky

notice he leaves the fat cap on.

chef jimmyj · Nov 2, 2011

Shtrdave, Even though the cure may be similar, BBB and Belly Bacon taste different because the bulk of the flavor in Belly Bacon comes from the Fat. And to a lesser extent the extremely active lean muscle it contains as well. Take this into consideration, if you were to roast an uncured, unseasoned Butt, Ham, Loin, Jowl, Picnic Shoulder and Belly from the same Pig...Each would taste different. Each Muscle group has a different Fat to lean Ratio, Activity Level, Fiber Concentration, Hemoglobin Concentration and Level of Connective Tissue. Hope this helps, this question has come up before...JJ

bluebombersfan · Nov 2, 2011

Chef JimmyJ said:
Shtrdave, Even though the cure may be similar, BBB and Belly Bacon taste different because the bulk of the flavor in Belly Bacon comes from the Fat. And to a lesser extent the extremely active lean muscle it contains as well. Take this into consideration, if you were to roast an uncured, unseasoned Butt, Ham, Loin, Jowl, Picnic Shoulder and Belly from the same Pig...Each would taste different. Each Muscle group has a different Fat to lean Ratio, Activity Level, Fiber Concentration, Hemoglobin Concentration and Level of Connective Tissue. Hope this helps, this question has come up before...JJ

Learn something everyday! Awesome post Chef JimmyJ

slownlow · Nov 2, 2011

Chef JimmyJ said:
Shtrdave, Even though the cure may be similar, BBB and Belly Bacon taste different because the bulk of the flavor in Belly Bacon comes from the Fat. And to a lesser extent the extremely active lean muscle it contains as well. Take this into consideration, if you were to roast an uncured, unseasoned Butt, Ham, Loin, Jowl, Picnic Shoulder and Belly from the same Pig...Each would taste different. Each Muscle group has a different Fat to lean Ratio, Activity Level, Fiber Concentration, Hemoglobin Concentration and Level of Connective Tissue. Hope this helps, this question has come up before...JJ

You sure need to be a OTBS member

chef jimmyj · Nov 3, 2011

WOW...Thank you for your vote of confidence!...JJ

bigfish98 · Nov 3, 2011

Chef JimmyJ said:
Shtrdave, Even though the cure may be similar, BBB and Belly Bacon taste different because the bulk of the flavor in Belly Bacon comes from the Fat. And to a lesser extent the extremely active lean muscle it contains as well. Take this into consideration, if you were to roast an uncured, unseasoned Butt, Ham, Loin, Jowl, Picnic Shoulder and Belly from the same Pig...Each would taste different. Each Muscle group has a different Fat to lean Ratio, Activity Level, Fiber Concentration, Hemoglobin Concentration and Level of Connective Tissue. Hope this helps, this question has come up before...JJ

Fery good explanation JJ!

Bigfish

chefrob · Nov 3, 2011

good input here......also, you in fact are treating your BBB a little like ham. you are not cold smoking and taking it above 140. if you did this with belly you would have rendered some of the fat. one other thing, 4 hrs of smoke is not even 1/2 the time i give my BBB....i usually run about 9+ hrs. extra smoke, more fat, and cold smoking should get you closer to that bacon flavor.

sound1 · Nov 3, 2011

chefrob said:
good input here......also, you in fact are treating your BBB a little like ham. you are not cold smoking and taking it above 140. if you did this with belly you would have rendered some of the fat. one other thing, 4 hrs of smoke is not even 1/2 the time i give my BBB....i usually run about 9+ hrs. extra smoke, more fat, and cold smoking should get you closer to that bacon flavor.

X2 I think the fat content is a major player, and like JimmyJ stated, different cuts do have flavors and textures unique unto themselves, that being said, how you treat that fat during the smoke/cooking process will effect the outcome,

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How do yo make it taste like bacon?

shtrdave

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DanMcG

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SmokinAl

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teeznuts

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raymo76

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slownlow

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chef jimmyj

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bluebombersfan

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slownlow

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chef jimmyj

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bigfish98

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chefrob

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sound1

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