Buck Board Bacon Slicing ?

[JckDanls 07]

So I have a whole Bone In Boston Butt that's been hevily injected with and soaking in Pops Cure Brine since the 20th (Aug.)... Gonna cold smoke it a few times... rest for a few.. Then slice...

Been thinking these last few days how I am going to go about slicing it... Cut it close to the bone on the one side that has the money muscle and then slice that so each piece has money muscle on the end... Or fillet that piece in half before slicing so that each piece is more of a strip instead of one big piece..

I know I'm not making any sense as I don't know.. This is my first Buck Board Bacon...

 

[chopsaw]

I like to take the fat cap bone side of the butt off before curing it , if it looks like bacon . You might be able to do the same after the cure . Personally I like it to look like bacon , but that's me .
This was a small hunk I did while making sausage . Did this about a month ago .

Maybe try to trim a section off and see what it looks like for lean to fat ratio .

 

[DougE]

So I have a whole Bone In Boston Butt that's been hevily injected with and soaking in Pops Cure Brine since the 20th (Aug.)... Gonna cold smoke it a few times... rest for a few.. Then slice...

Been thinking these last few days how I am going to go about slicing it... Cut it close to the bone on the one side that has the money muscle and then slice that so each piece has money muscle on the end... Or fillet that piece in half before slicing so that each piece is more of a strip instead of one big piece..

I know I'm not making any sense as I don't know.. This is my first Buck Board Bacon...

Not much help here. I have never cured a whole Boston butt for buckboard bacon. I usually buy boneless roasts that the butchers have sliced off the end opposite as the bone, or slice my own the same way. Sort of like a boneless pork steak. If I do my own, I grind the part with the bone for sausage.

 

[DougE]

 

[SmokinEdge]

Kieth, from the fat cap side down about 2” cut horizontally from the money muscle end to the bone is your best “bacon”. This is because of the fat content. The rest of the meat will eat more like ham. It’s all delicious though.

 

[angryengineer]

I typically separate the pork butt into the “coppa” and then whatever the other big chunk is called. The smaller pieces near the bone turn into sausage. There are many YT videos on how to separate the coppa - basically separate the pork butt at the fat seam just above the blade bone. I then shape it and cure it in a vacuum bag so it firms up into the shape I want.
Also, after smoking for 6-8 hours I vacuum seal again and sous vide at 145deg for 6-8 hours…it’s super tender and can eat cold or pan fried.

 

[mneeley490]

I'm not as fancy as all that. I just debone and cut the remainder in half lengthwise, so I have 2 halves. Then cure and smoke like belly as usual.

 

[SmokinAl]

Kieth, from the fat cap side down about 2” cut horizontally from the money muscle end to the bone is your best “bacon”. This is because of the fat content. The rest of the meat will eat more like ham. It’s all delicious though.

That is the only piece of meat I use for BBB, the rest goes for sausage.
Al

 

[JckDanls 07]

Kieth, from the fat cap side down about 2” cut horizontally from the money muscle end to the bone is your best “bacon”

That is the only piece of meat I use for BBB, the rest goes for sausage.
Al

OK... So the Butt came out of the cure brine today... Looking at it from the side view as ya'll describe, fat cap up,money muscle to the left, bone to the right... Looking down the money muscle side a couple of inches will put the horizontal slice/cut right through the center of the money muscle... Leaving half with the top piece and half on the bottom piece... Is this correct ? Which half is the better piece, top or bottom ?

I've aleady cured the whole butt before sectioning... Looking to get as many bacon style slices as possible... Don't know what I'm gonna do with the meat around the bone... Bacon Pieces I guess....

 

[SmokinEdge]

OK... So the Butt came out of the cure brine today... Looking at it from the side view as ya'll describe, fat cap up,money muscle to the left, bone to the right... Looking down the money muscle side a couple of inches will put the horizontal slice/cut right through the center of the money muscle... Leaving half with the top piece and half on the bottom piece... Is this correct ? Which half is the better piece, top or bottom ?

Correct. You will have to make a judgement call on the thickness of the horizontal cut. If the whole profile is about 4” thick then a 2” horizontal cut will leave you with two pieces 2” thick, but if the profile is 3” then cut in half at 1 1/2”.

The top half (with fat cap) is most always the best and most like belly bacon, the bottom half is generally more lean and will eat more like ham.

 

[rexster314]

I've done several buckboard bacon smokes. I tend to buy boneless butts when they go on sale, then use this stuff (Moo Goo) to seal the meat into one solid piece after curing and before smoking