Buckboard Bacon (Step by Step)

[David Leopold]

I never do the the “pre smoke fry test”. But I’m not bragging about it. I don’t do it because I feel like the first slice off the slab, being an edge piece, will always have more salt flavour anyway. But I could be wrong.

I usually soak my slab for an hour, changing the water at 30 min mark.

What you can try for your bacon is something I did when I had to salvage a mostly ruined slab that I WAY oversmoked with my first try using an AMAZN tube. It was awful but I didn’t want to toss it.

When I was cooking it what I did was fry it with some water in the pan for a bit and then drain the water off and finish cooking it. Kind of like cooking brats in a pan. The water worked to draw out some of the horrible smoke that I had and made it edible. It’s not perfect but it should save your bacon!

 

[Bearcarver]

I never do the the “pre smoke fry test”. But I’m not bragging about it. I don’t do it because I feel like the first slice off the slab, being an edge piece, will always have more salt flavour anyway. But I could be wrong.

I usually soak my slab for an hour, changing the water at 30 min mark.

What you can try for your bacon is something I did when I had to salvage a mostly ruined slab that I WAY oversmoked with my first try using an AMAZN tube. It was awful but I didn’t want to toss it.

When I was cooking it what I did was fry it with some water in the pan for a bit and then drain the water off and finish cooking it. Kind of like cooking brats in a pan. The water worked to draw out some of the horrible smoke that I had and made it edible. It’s not perfect but it should save your bacon!

I usually recommend that the cut be made in the thickest spot, in the thickest piece.
That way You can check to make sure the Cure has gotten to the center, and you can do the Salt-Fry-Test with a slice or 2 from the center, where it will be more like the majority of the Meat.

And You aren't one of those who brag about never checking "cure to center" or "Salt Flavor" before Smoking.

Bear

 

[David Leopold]

I’ve thought about that, cutting out of the middle. But then I have my slab cut in half before I smoke it. Which worries me that it will come up to temp much quicker. I only got smoke as I have ya mastered my pellet tube yet well enough.

I cure for 14 days on a belly slab so no worries about it hitting the Center!!

 

[Bearcarver]

I’ve thought about that, cutting out of the middle. But then I have my slab cut in half before I smoke it. Which worries me that it will come up to temp much quicker. I only got smoke as I have ya mastered my pellet tube yet well enough.

I cure for 14 days on a belly slab so no worries about it hitting the Center!!

Right---At 14 days, you shouldn't have to worry about curing to center.
You can cut a Pork Loin or Buckboard Bacon in half and it won't cook any faster, unless you slice it in half the Thin way. Slicing one in half the right way keeps the pieces all the same Thickness.

Bear

 

[jeromeking]

Thank you all, will try a few ways to get rid of salt flavor. I will eat it all myself before i throw it away regardless!!!!

 

[Bearcarver]

Thank you all, will try a few ways to get rid of salt flavor. I will eat it all myself before i throw it away regardless!!!!

I'll give you one more:
I never tried it, but they tell me if you cut up a potato & put it in the water, it will help to draw the Salt Out of the Meat.

Bear

 

[David Leopold]

Worst case scenario: don’t cook and eat it on its own, like as a side for bacon and eggs. Instead only use it for within other recipes. BLT sandwiches. Bacon and egg breakfast sandwich. On a burger. Wrapping up a fatty. Etc etc. Recipes where the extra salt flavour will be masked a little bit.

Absolute worst case: dice it up for adding into smoked beans, or use it for making spaghetti carbonara. I freeze all the off cuts from slicing my bacon and use them for these two purposes.

 

[albin]

Old thread, please don't banana-ham me!

I've got two large pork butts thawing out as we speak. This afternoon, my wife are going to take our first steps in making Buckboard Bacon.

I'll be using this No.1 Premium Curing Salt from The Spice Lab:



Recipe calls for 1 TSP per 5 lbs. I *may* add some brown sugar to that as well.

Question: I know that the curing salt has to be very controlled amounts per the weight of the meat. What about about other spices, salts and sugar. Do we need a micrometer for all four - or just the curing salt?

Thanks for posting this thread, it's been very informative.

 

[BigW.]

Question: I know that the curing salt has to be very controlled amounts per the weight of the meat. What about about other spices, salts and sugar. Do we need a micrometer for all four - or just the curing salt?

Thanks for posting this thread, it's been very informative.

A digital scale is helpful for all ingredients, but not as crucial as cure #1. A little extra sugar is not a big deal but, too much cure can be bad. Here is a handy calculator.

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diggingdogfarm.com

 

[Bearcarver]

Old thread, please don't banana-ham me!

I've got two large pork butts thawing out as we speak. This afternoon, my wife are going to take our first steps in making Buckboard Bacon.

I'll be using this No.1 Premium Curing Salt from The Spice Lab:

View attachment 626994

Recipe calls for 1 TSP per 5 lbs. I *may* add some brown sugar to that as well.

Question: I know that the curing salt has to be very controlled amounts per the weight of the meat. What about about other spices, salts and sugar. Do we need a micrometer for all four - or just the curing salt?

Thanks for posting this thread, it's been very informative.

B BigW. (above) has you covered on the need of accuracy with Cure, versus other ingredients.

Everything else in my Step by Step on Post #1 would be the same for either cure used.
I'm glad you like it.

Bear

 

[albin]

A digital scale is helpful for all ingredients, but not as crucial as cure #1. A little extra sugar is not a big deal but, too much cure can be bad. Here is a handy calculator.

Netfirms | This site is temporarily unavailable

Small business web hosting offering additional business services such as: domain name registrations, email accounts, web services, FrontPage help, online community resources and various small business solutions.

diggingdogfarm.com

Unfortunately, we used teaspoons, since that was the measurement on the bag of curing salt. I can find no way to convert grams to tsp.

It was two boneless Pork Butts, both of them together weighed 14.81 lbs. So what we did was cut them up as shown in the OP, getting them as close to 5 lbs each.

One Teaspoon of curing salt is not very much for five lbs of meat! I hope it was enough! Fortunately, I have time, so it's going to get the full 10 days of curing.

 

[DougE]

Unfortunately, we used teaspoons, since that was the measurement on the bag of curing salt.

Weigh your meat in grams, multiply the meat weight by 0.0025 (0.25%) and that's how many grams of cure#1 you need for a dry brine. Salt, go 1.5% of meat weight, and 0.75% of the weight for sugar. If doing a wet brine, also include the weight of the water.

 

[Bearcarver]

Unfortunately, we used teaspoons, since that was the measurement on the bag of curing salt. I can find no way to convert grams to tsp.

It was two boneless Pork Butts, both of them together weighed 14.81 lbs. So what we did was cut them up as shown in the OP, getting them as close to 5 lbs each.

One Teaspoon of curing salt is not very much for five lbs of meat! I hope it was enough! Fortunately, I have time, so it's going to get the full 10 days of curing.

This is why I Dry Cure with Tender Quick:
One TBS (1/2 ounce) of TQ per pound of meat----Done!

Bear

 

[albin]

Weigh your meat in grams, multiply the meat weight by 0.0025 (0.25%) and that's how many grams of cure#1 you need for a dry brine. Salt, go 1.5% of meat weight, and 0.75% of the weight for sugar. If doing a wet brine, also include the weight of the water.

" Oh... Well, now I know that. "

 

[DougE]

" Oh... Well, now I know that. "

I didn't know it until I knew it either lol

 

[Bearcarver]

jaxgatorz ---Thank You for the Like.

Bear