Buckboard Bacon and Pulled Cured Boston Butt Ham

[freakynorm]

 
Bear, I have two butts in the fridge that I was planning on using for the recipe. Can I substitute pink curing salt for TQ? Or should I cure them using pop's brine if I don't have any TQ?

I stole ChefRob's ratio of cure#1/salt/sugar to 1g/7g/5g for every pound of meat and it turned out fantastic.

Here's ChefRob's original post for reference.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/129790/my-version-of-bbb

 

[msuiceman]

I'm on day 8 of my curing.... 2 more to go. 1/2oz of tender quick per lb and 3/4 Tbs of brown sugar per pound. doing this on a small portion of pork butt, only 4lbs as a tester.

Also got a slicer (though I don't have the food pusher for it so I'm going to cobble one up out of acrylic since they want almost 30 bucks for a replacement).

man, this is a gamechanger if I can make good bacon out of shoulders, though with newfound access to a restaurant wholesale grocery store, I may now be able to find pork bellies for a decent price. I had given up because it was cheaper to get some house-smoked bacon at some of the specialty markets here than just buying the bellies.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I'm on day 8 of my curing.... 2 more to go. 1/2oz of tender quick per lb and 3/4 Tbs of brown sugar per pound. doing this on a small portion of pork butt, only 4lbs as a tester.

Also got a slicer (though I don't have the food pusher for it so I'm going to cobble one up out of acrylic since they want almost 30 bucks for a replacement).

man, this is a gamechanger if I can make good bacon out of shoulders, though with newfound access to a restaurant wholesale grocery store, I may now be able to find pork bellies for a decent price. I had given up because it was cheaper to get some house-smoked bacon at some of the specialty markets here than just buying the bellies.

That's Great---You'll like your Home Smoked Bacon so much better than any you can buy. Keep me posted on it.

And just yell if you run into a Question!!

Bear

 

[msuiceman]

after 9 days I have pulled it from the curing bag, rinsed, patted dry, and sat it in the fridge on a grate to dry some. its not quite 3" thick so it should have had plenty enough time. it feels real firm and anything other than exposed surface is a very red color.

tomorrow will be smoking day. its going to be warm, so if its sunny I will put it in the smoker with no additional heat and a amnps and a amntps with pitmaster blend or maybe cookinpellets.com's blend pellets (got 40lbs of those sitting around) going at the same time for an hour, then will kick it up to 140 for several hours with smoke, then 160 for several more hours with smoke. will probably pull about 153-154, then in the fridge to chill overnight... Saturday morning slicing.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
after 9 days I have pulled it from the curing bag, rinsed, patted dry, and sat it in the fridge on a grate to dry some. its not quite 3" thick so it should have had plenty enough time. it feels real firm and anything other than exposed surface is a very red color.

tomorrow will be smoking day. its going to be warm, so if its sunny I will put it in the smoker with no additional heat and a amnps and a amntps with pitmaster blend or maybe cookinpellets.com's blend pellets (got 40lbs of those sitting around) going at the same time for an hour, then will kick it up to 140 for several hours with smoke, then 160 for several more hours with smoke. will probably pull about 153-154, then in the fridge to chill overnight... Saturday morning slicing.

Sounds like you're making the whole thing into Buckboard Bacon.

If so I like your plan. Anything over 145° is good to pull it out. I like to pull between 145° and 150°. 153°-154° is fine, but I wouldn't go much higher.

Also I would give it at least 2 days in the fridge, after smoking, before slicing. Then 5 hours in the freezer before slicing makes slicing work better. You can steal a sample or two, but I'd wait two days before slicing the bulk of it.

Bear

 

[gary s]

My wife said "I sure would like to have some more of that Ham you make out of those Butts"   Ah Ha   I just happened to have a couple of half butts in the freezer, Pulled one ou,t let it thaw and TQ'ed and Brown Sugar'ed it and resting in the fridge

Gary

 

[msuiceman]

yes, making the entire (though its really a half) of a shoulder into buckboard bacon. its about 4lbs total. this is a test to get it "right" before a much bigger run in the future.

I'll heed your advice about 2 days rest in the fridge after smoking... or at least a day and a half.

I'm excited.... bacon opens up an entirely new avenue for my smoking.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
yes, making the entire (though its really a half) of a shoulder into buckboard bacon. its about 4lbs total. this is a test to get it "right" before a much bigger run in the future.

I'll heed your advice about 2 days rest in the fridge after smoking... or at least a day and a half.

I'm excited.... bacon opens up an entirely new avenue for my smoking.

That's Great !!

You're gonna love that BBB !!

Bear

 
My wife said "I sure would like to have some more of that Ham you make out of those Butts"   Ah Ha   I just happened to have a couple of half butts in the freezer, Pulled one ou,t let it thaw and TQ'ed and Brown Sugar'ed it and resting in the fridge

Gary

LOL----It didn't take long for you to get after it, once she lifted that "Smoking Ban".

Bear

 

[gary s]

Hey Bear,  Baby steps, Only lifted the curing ban for this one, may have cook in the oven, we'll see maybe I can slip in a smoke ??

Gary

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Hey Bear,  Baby steps, Only lifted the curing ban for this one, may have cook in the oven, we'll see maybe I can slip in a smoke ??

Gary

You can't do a Butt Ham in the oven!!!

Tell her Bear said, "The consequences could be terrible, and could include 7 days & 7 nights of heavy rain in the area of the oven in question."

Bear

 

[gary s]

 
You can't do a Butt Ham in the oven!!!

Tell her Bear said, "The consequences could be terrible, and could include 7 days & 7 nights of heavy rain in the area of the oven in question."

Bear

LMAO     that's funny   I will relay the message

Gary

 

[msuiceman]

I bet an amnpts would burn just fine in the oven.... Though your wife may not be happy about it, as your entire house will probably smell like a smokehouse for a while.

 

[Bearcarver]

I bet an amnpts would burn just fine in the oven.... Though your wife may not be happy about it, as your entire house will probably smell like a smokehouse for a while.

LOL----I'd have to hide all my weapons before attempting smoking in the house!!!

Bear

 

[gary s]

Told my Wife what Bear said  she just looked at me and said Hmmmm

Better not press my luck

Gary

 

[msuiceman]

well, its on smoke, unfortunately its kinda windy and I have a dinner to attend shortly, so I adjusted my propane and its holding at about 172.... a little warmer than I really wanted, but it is what it is. i'll be home in a few hours, and the meat is at 90 right now, so I should be fine. I may make a pitstop home before drinks afterward just for a sanity check. if I didn't mind smelling like a smokehouse I'd adjust it down to 155 and let 'er go without worry, but my wife gave me the look of death as I was going back/forth out there to get it dialed in. a shower later, I am marginally not smelling like hickory.

 

[msuiceman]

150 and in the fridge

Tomorrow night or Sunday it will be sliced.

 

[Bearcarver]

150 and in the fridge

Tomorrow night or Sunday it will be sliced.

Looks Beautiful !!

Exactly what it should look like---Nice color!

Gonna be Mighty Tasty.

Bear

 

[gary s]

Mighty nice looking bacon   

Gary

 

[msuiceman]

Definitely not my last rodeo..

Awesome.

 

[Bearcarver]

Oh Yeah---That's what it's supposed to look like!!!!

Mighty Tasty!!

Reminds me---I'm out of BBB.

Bear