chopsaw's Boston Bacon

[thirdeye]

To be more precise... Boston butt bacon. This adventure innocently started in a random thread when I mentioned that competition BBQ cooks coveted a small muscle group in a pork butt, which they call bacon. Below, you can see that small muscle group, located in the fat cap on the outside face of a pork butt.

Then chopsaw replied with something like, "...yeah, I trim that out and cure it", and posted this photo:

So... here is my first try at duplicating his technique. I started with two pork butts, and trimmed out the Coppa roasts from the top of the pork butts. Then I carefully filleted the "bacon" area and harvested those muscles.

Next, was a dry equilibrium cure for about 15 days (1.5% canning salt, 1% white sugar, and 0.25% Cure #1), followed by a rinse and soak-out, then drying for 30 hours in my beer fridge before cold smoking. I did add some cracked black pepper prior to curing, and a little more before smoking.

For cold smoking, I used my mini-WSM and a pellet tube with my stash of A-Maze-N Pitmaster Blend. Smoke time was 5 hours on 2 consecutive days, with vents wide open. Outside temp was 45° both mornings.

I'm extremely pleased with the results. Besides the 2X flavor, this bacon has a slightly softer bite than belly bacon, even though the thickness of my slices was generous.

I was going to slice everything... but I think I'll leave in mini-slabs and slice before using.

 

[chopsaw]

That looks fantastic . Thanks for the mention . That slab screams green beans and new potatoes to me .
I cure all mine with Tender quick . Keeps it simple for me .
Here's your " next mission if you decide to accept it "
Did this on the last one I did .
Strip of the " bacon muscle " and a hunk of the butt .
Cured with TQ .

Rolled the bacon around the hunk and tied it off .

Smoked with Beech pellets ( looks like Squidward ) .

Sliced ,

Fried up . Fits great on a sandwich .

extremely pleased with the results.

Yup . Me too . It's great bacon . Nice post .

 

[JLinza]

That looks great

 

[Fueling Around]

Where have I been? Missed this topic.
Great job thirdeye and chopsaw

That roll of the strip bacon around the end reminds me of the cottage bacon from a local meat market. They make it with loin attached to a side and part of the belly.
With belly around $5 a pound this is on my winter project with butt still way under $3 to make it is a challenge. Wife wants more breakfast sausage that will take care of the rest of the butt.
No Tender Quick for me. I drop the salt and eliminate the sugars.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

Wow Wayne! Very well done and looks awesome.

 

[texomakid]

That looks smokey good!

 

[smokerjim]

Looks excellant