Buckboard Bacon

[bassman]

---

This is another joint effort to smoke up something edible. While Tracey (Walle) and I were waiting for the pepperoni to get smoked up, we decided to do three buckboard bacons. I wasn't watching real close as he filleted and seasoned these. I did get a picture of a few of the ingredients he used.  For those of you who don't know us, I put the liquid smoke in the picture just for grins.  It's not on the bacon.

We vacuum packed them and put them in the fridge for a two week nap.
Took them out today and got prepped for the cold smoke.

I seasoned one of these with Mad Hunky (see if you can tell which one) and the other two with just restaurant black pepper.

They have been in the smoker now for 6 1/2 hours using my new AMNS (courtesy of BBally). Thanks Bob, it's working like a champ.

I don't know how much longer I'll leave these guys in there since they haven't changed color at all yet. I can easily get another 5 hours of smoke from the AMNS without touching it. The Smoke Vault has been holding steady at about 75° all afternoon. I guess that's cold smoking?

Thanks for checking out our makin' bacon post.

 

[beer-b-q]

Keith, That is going to be some AMAZING BB...

 

[vic81]

Looking good - can't wait to see the final product!!!

 

[bassman]

I'm hoping we get it sliced up tomorrow.  Will post the pics when it's done.

 

[chefrob]

should be good as hell!

 

[DanMcG]

Looking forward to the sliced pic's Keith.

 

[bassman]

Took them out this morning, sectioned and wrapped and did a fry test. This is some good stuff!

 

[walle]

Hot Damn, Keith!  You can smoke my bacon anytime!   Wow, that looks like it turned out really good.

Here I am outta town, and my Pard has my back - I'm tell'en ya, dat Bassman be some good people!

 

[Bearcarver]

That looks totally Awesome already, Keith!!!!

That's why I don't understand why everybody doesn't do "fry-tests" !!!!

Can't wait to see the final color & slices!!!!

Tracey Who?  

Bear

 

[bassman]

That looks totally Awesome already, Keith!!!!

That's why I don't understand why everybody doesn't do "fry-tests" !!!!

Can't wait to see the final color & slices!!!!

Tracey Who?  

Bear

Hey Bear, post # 7 is the final color.  I did the fry test after smoking.

I just knew it was going to be good and it is.  I've got a couple of chunks firming up in the freezer to see how it slices.

 

[Bearcarver]

Hey Bear, post # 7 is the final color.  I did the fry test after smoking.

I just knew it was going to be good and it is.  I've got a couple of chunks firming up in the freezer to see how it slices.

OOOPs, sorry about that. You calling it a fry test & me forgetting it was cold smoked confused me.

LOL----I have never had one of my cured Bacons get too salty either, but I always do a fry test.

Two reasons----Reason One is I can't wait to have a taste----And reason #2 is If I don't do it, I'm sure it will be the first one that comes up too salty!!!!

Yours looks real purdy!!!

Bear
 

 

[DanMcG]

That's some serious cured meat Keith, nice job man!

 

[venture]

Very nice job!  Got a butt screaming at me from the freezer.

Good luck and good smoking!

 

[SmokinAl]

I gotta make some bacon!

 

[porked]

What a great post!

 The Bassman rocks!!

Now, what we need to know, at least me anyway, how do you filet the butt? At least I'm assuming it was a butt that these came from.

Damn good looking meat there. Wow.

 

[dirtworldmike]

That's some mighty fine looking stuff !!!    I gotta give that a try. 

 

[bassman]

That's some mighty fine looking stuff !!!    I gotta give that a try. 

Tracey did the filleting on these so I copied the process from another forum.

"With the butt sitting flat, I removed the bone as close as I could. It works easier if you can situate the butt with the flat side of the shoulder bone down. You end up with a little 45* piece of that corner (the bone) missing from our butt, which is about 1/2 way through the shoulder.

Then, leaving the butt flat, I just took one of Keith's big azz butcher knives and sliced it horizontally until I was about 2" (or the same distance as the thickness of your top and bottom pieces) from the end. Kinda like slicing a bagel in half...

.

Then you flop it open and wa-la - butterflied butt.
Why? we figured there would be better penetration of cure, spices, and smoke Vs. leaving the butt whole, and the end result would be closer to "bacon" thickness for slicing."

 

 

[porked]

Tracey did the filleting on these so I copied the process from another forum.

"With the butt sitting flat, I removed the bone as close as I could. It works easier if you can situate the butt with the flat side of the shoulder bone down. You end up with a little 45* piece of that corner (the bone) missing from our butt, which is about 1/2 way through the shoulder.

Then, leaving the butt flat, I just took one of Keith's big azz butcher knives and sliced it horizontally until I was about 2" (or the same distance as the thickness of your top and bottom pieces) from the end. Kinda like slicing a bagel in half...

.

Then you flop it open and wa-la - butterflied butt.
Why? we figured there would be better penetration of cure, spices, and smoke Vs. leaving the butt whole, and the end result would be closer to "bacon" thickness for slicing."

 

Okay, makes sense. I guess you never know till you try. Thanks for the reply!

 

[dirtworldmike]

He said,, "Butterflied Butt." Ha ha  ha ha

 

[chefrob]

 and the end result would be closer to "bacon" thickness for slicing."

 

that's why i do it and if you get the fat right, some slices you can not tell the difference......