My Second Buckboard Bacon is Done, Packaged and in the Freeezer!

[adiochiro3]

I hear you Todd.   Finally found some Maple Sugar (from Vermont)

until I saw the price...

  11.95 for 6.3 oz.  Well, I bought it anyway.  I want to see if it's as a good as some say. 

Yeah, it's pretty steep.  Same as the high grade syrup.  Some say it doesn't really add much, some swear by the great results.  What can ya do but just see for yourself?  Keeps me hanging around the SMF, thinking and at the smoker!!! 

 

[dtcunni]

Man, that is sounding GOOD!

 

[tjohnson]

I would think that mixing the Maple Sugar with water and injecting into your bacon would give you the biggest bang for your buck.

If you rub it on the outside, you'll just wash most of it off when you rinse the cure off.

Todd

 

[Bearcarver]

I would think that mixing the Maple Sugar with water and injecting into your bacon would give you the biggest bang for your buck.

If you rub it on the outside, you'll just wash most of it off when you rinse the cure off.

Todd

I injected straight Maple Syrup without diluting it, and it didn't do much for me (IMO), and you're right about rinsing it off, if you just put it in the cure package. I save it for my pancakes & French Bread.

Now Maple Sugar powder might be different----

You guys let me know how it does!!!

Bear

 

[venture]

I haven't injected it, but it sure does make a nice glaze.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[alaskanbear]

wow,

Just now bought 2 pork loins, $1.79 a pound from my butcher friend.  Going to do some BBB myself.  I am gonna follow Bear's step by step and hope I get some good results like he does.  Will start tomorrow with the 1st cure process.. And let rip from there!!

Great start and cant wait for the Q-views yet to come..

 

[venture]

AB, with those pork loins, I would think more about Canadian Bacon than BBB.  They can be pretty lean.

That price for a pork loin would be a real score in my neighborhood!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[krivera1]

I have a question...  I live down in El Paso, TX...  We're already in the thick of the summer heat - we're at triple digits every day, and the nights are in the low 70's.  I would love to do some BBB, but I thought it had to be "cold" smoked...  Wouldn't you need to have a certain ambient air temperature outside to allow you to cold smoke?  

Maybe some of you guys live up north and you still get cooler nighttime temperatures.  Even so, I always thought doing bacon and such was a cold weather activity.  Please give me your input!

 

[Bearcarver]

I have a question...  I live down in El Paso, TX...  We're already in the thick of the summer heat - we're at triple digits every day, and the nights are in the low 70's.  I would love to do some BBB, but I thought it had to be "cold" smoked...  Wouldn't you need to have a certain ambient air temperature outside to allow you to cold smoke?  

Maybe some of you guys live up north and you still get cooler nighttime temperatures.  Even so, I always thought doing bacon and such was a cold weather activity.  Please give me your input!

BBB does not have to be cold smoked. Once it is cured properly, you can do anything you want with it (cold smoke, warm smoke, or hot smoke).

Since the USDA has dropped the safe internal temp from 165˚ to 145˚, I will be smoking my next BBB & CB to 150˚ IT. That way I can eat it cold, or just warm it up a bit before devouring !!!

If you really want to cold smoke it, you can use jugs or bottles of ice in your smoker, and smoke it at night.

Bear

 

[tjohnson]

Bear's right, you do not have to "Cold Smoke" BBB.

Cold smoking refers to smoking under 100°, but with BBB you can add heat or smoke without any additional heat.  Some guys bring it up to 165° so they can slice it and eat it, without cooking it first.  I prefer Cold Smoking my BBB and Bacon.

Now, cheese is a different thing.  It will melt at 100° or so, and you'll have a mess.

Try smoking BBB or Bacon both ways and see for yourself which way you like it best.

Todd

 

[africanmeat]

I don't cure bacon but i am interesting to how it came out

 

[nwdave]

Now, cheese is a different thing.  It will melt at 100° or so, and you'll have a mess.

Todd

krivera1:

With cheese, if it's too warm outside, you might try ice in the water tray.  I've seen frozen jugs of ice placed in the tray and they seemed to have some success with that trick.  But you're right, it is nice to live in an area much cooler than yours for cold smoking opportunities during the summer months.

 

[michael ark]

You could smoke with a cardboard box and a amaze-n and a bic ligther in the south now.Summer is officaly here.

 

[adiochiro3]

I pulled the BBB from the cure and soaked for 1 hour before the fry test.  Salt level was fine, so I placed them on racks in the fridge overnight to form the pellicle.  during lunch yesterday, I settled the smoker at 130* and set the BBB in without smoke for 1 hour, and then added hickory chips to the pan.  Smoked for 7.5 hours at 130*, then boosted the cook temp to 180* until the BBB IT was 145*.  Cooled on the counter...

and tested a couple of slices...

The result was very fine indeed!  I rested in the fridge overnight to firm up for slicing.

About 5.8 lbs out of a 6.3 Butt.  The bacon is not as smoky as I thought it should be for a total of about 9 hours of hickory smoke.  Curious if it will intensify with a little aging.

Everything was portioned for serving sized consumption in Foodsaver bags.  Between what's left of my first BBB and this haul, we're set for a spell.  I'll probably smoke another one or two and send them back with the kids when they head back to college.

A great big thanks to all who provided input and encouragement throughout my 2 BBB cures  & smokes!!!!!! 

 

[tjohnson]

Very Nice Indeed!

I rested mine overnight in the fridge, and then into the freezer for about 40 minutes.

Made a real diff during slicing

TJ

 

[davidmc4]

WOW!!!! Does that ever look tasty!!!! Well Done!

 

[beer-b-q]

Great Looking BBB James....

 

[chefrob]

 Curious if it will intensify with a little aging.

i usually seal it whole overnight and put it in the frig.....i then slice it the next day. by doing this i think it gives the smoke a chance to bloom. nice job!

 

[adiochiro3]

i usually seal it whole overnight and put it in the frig.....i then slice it the next day. by doing this i think it gives the smoke a chance to bloom. nice job!

That's exactly what I did.  Thanks for the advice!  At least I know I'm doing it right.

 

[scarbelly]

Dang it - I was just in Danville for a wedding and did not have 5 minutes to get by to see James.  If you ever get down San Diego way let me know and I will do my best to meet you somewhere

Great looking  bacon