Buckboard Bacon

[Echomules]

After seeing threads and pictures about Buckboard Bacon, I decided to try and make up a batch of if myself.
Started off with a large pork shoulder, split it, covered it with a chosen cure mix, and into the fridge for two weeks. Turning over the bag of meat occasionally to keep the cure on all the meat.
This is what it looked like after two weeks in the cure.


Pulled it out and sliced off a few pieces to check the saltyness.


A bit too salty, so into water to soak for an hour.


Dried off and into the smoker.


The timing of this project did not plan for no power for six days. So here’s my heat source, Lump charcoal.
 

I also had my homemade a-maze smoker going with maple pellets, got good a good thick smoke going.


Pulled it out after seven hours.


After cooling overnight in the fridge, sliced it up and in the frypan for breakfast. Good stuff, tasted someplace between bacon and ham. The flavor was a little strong on the sugar, but just right on the smoke and the soak did mellow the salt. I’ll try a variable of the recipe on the next round with less sugar. But that is the critical eval, the bacon will get eaten quickly, good stuff. 


Here’s a view as its getting sliced


A little over eight pounds of BBBacon

[quadrafire]

 

Good stuff right there!!

When I have the shoulder that thin I only do a 7-8 day cure. Rinse several times during that 1-2 hr soak before going in to smoke helps as well to get rid of the saltiness.

[NRA4LIFE]

Awesome.  i see you chunked some up.  I did the same with the last one I did.  Makes killer split pea and bean soups. 

[quadrafire]

Try it with tenderloin as well. Best "canadian bacon" you'll ever eat.

[whitey]

Hell Ya. That will work and I really dig the smoke house.
Nice Job Brother. That looked great.

[Jason]

Looks great!

[danderson]

Thats some good looking eats there, thanks for the insparation.

[KFhunter]

did you do a write up on the making of that smoker?

looks good, now I gotta do some bacon on the treager but I think that smoker would do a much better job!

[Whitpirate]

I'd love your cure recipe and a build post on your smoker.  I'm looking to make two new ones this spring.  I need a project.

[Echomules]

This is as close as you'll get from me on the build. Sorry, but I didn't document it as I went.

The smoker's design orginated from this website, which has details (very detailed) on the build. I made a few personal modifications to the finished product based on a lot of image searchs for "Plywood smokers" and my own hairbrained (or lack thereof-haired) ideas. The second site below was another one about the same style. Found oven racks at the local appliance recycler and cut them to fit. 10/$25 many of the racks were brand new. Suggest plenty of hinges and latches for the door, IT WILL WARP.
I have it set up so I can run a hot plate, propane burner, Charcoal, or just a smoke maze, or some combination.

http://forums.mathewsinc.com/viewtopic.php?t=41686&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?p=73682


This it what it looked like before it got used a few times. Have Fun! Let's see em when there smokin!

http://www.gamefishin.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=31001

[KFhunter]

I got a couple spare sheets of 1/2 inch backer board - concrete board
 
Thinking I'll make a smoker outta that

[fillthefreezer]

once cured how long will this keep and how should you store it?

[Echomules]

once cured how long will this keep and how should you store it?

Don't know the answer to that.
I freeze it and as I use one, I'll throw another in the fridge to thaw for the next use. Got one thawed and ready all the time, seems to be working fine.