First time pulled ham with some Buckboard Bacon, Cheese and Butter w/Qview

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freakynorm

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Aug 4, 2012
181
35
Mount Vernon, Washington
A few weeks ago I did my first batch of buckboard bacon and it was amazing. I loved the slightly hammy taste and texture to it. I decided I liked the fat cap halves the best since it was more like bacon than the lean half.

So I went to Cash N Carry and picked up 4 Boston Butts. I deboned and butterflied them. I took the fat cap sides and reserved those for more BBB and took the lean halves for pulled ham. I used Cure#1, salt and brown sugar for a dry cure. I picked up some 2lb freezer bags from Cash N Carry which are so dang handy. You can easily fit the meat in them and you have room to sprinkle the cure on whilst it's in the bag, so no cure mix overboard, it all stays in the bag. You get a 50 pack for $3 too which is a great deal.

I let them cure for 9 days. Flipping and massaging daily of course. So this morning I got the MES30, did another modification to it, I added another shelf for a total of 7 shelves. I tossed in a few pans of ice and 3lbs of butter and 5lbs of various cheeses and cold-smoked for 2 hours with apple pellets. 

While that was going on, I pulled the bacon pieces out, rinsed them, did a fry test, then seasoned with garlic and onion powder and CBP. I let them dry in front of a fan for an hour to get a nice pellicle and got them in the smoker once the butter and cheese were done.

I kept the temp low, about 120°F for the first 4 or 5 hours, once the internal hit 100°F, I bumped the heat to 135°F, once it hit 110°F I bumped it to 150°F. One piece got done first, the rest are slowly inching towards 120°F.

While those were smoking I did the same thing with the lean pieces except I added a coating of brown sugar. I got them on the UDS at 225°F for 5 hours til they hit 160°F. Then I pulled them off, put em in a foil pan with pineapple slices and pineapple juice, wrapped it all up and back in the heat.They're still in the stall stage at the moment so at about 162°F. I bumped the heat to 250°F and they should be done in another 5 hours or so I expect/hope.

I picked up some Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet Golden Mustard BBQ sauce and some Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy sauce as well. I was thinking of adding a bit of pineapple juice to the Sweet and spicy one to dilute it down a bit and add some crushed pineapple to it to use for a sauce. 

Once the ham is done I will pull it at 200°F and let it rest for a while then pull it and seal up a bunch of it. I will let the bacon rest in the fridge a few days until my new meat slicer arrives. I had a Chef's Choice 615 model but it was just not enough. I was like Andre The Giant trying to drive a SMART car. I didn't like having to finagle everything. So I returned it and ordered a 12" Avantco meat slicer for $700. I should get it Tuesday so the bacon will just have to wait until then. 

Cheese and butter doing their thing. Got some 1 year old Dutch Gouda, Swiss, Mozzarella, White Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, regular Cheddar and some Steakhouse Onion Cheddar cheese today.


Bacon air drying in front of the fan to get a pellicle going.


Got the ham pieces on the UDS.


After 5 hours on the UDS.


Off the smoker and ready for some pineapple action.


Pineapple applied, wrapped in foil and back in the smoker.


First slab hit 120°F. Looks like it will be so tasty!


Saw this new sauce and thought it might go good with the pulled ham.

 
The pulled ham was taking forever so I put it in the oven since it was getting late. One piece hit temp and it was amazing. So dang good! 

Last of the bacon out and wrapped to rest a few days.


Can't wait to slice this stuff up!


Checking temps. One piece hit temp!


I already ate dinner but I still had to break some off to munch on.


Man, this stuff is crazy good!

 
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