buckboard bacon kit

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fftwarren

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
I got a kit for christmas that is for 25lbs of meat to make buckboard bacon. It says use boston butts. If I were able to get some belly meat would this kit be good to use on that, or should I just pitch the kit and get a good recipe from one of you guys on here? I am up for whatever. Im sure the kit will work but I do enjoy doing things from scratch but I already have the kit and I don't want to waste meat on trial and error methods. So all in all I guess should I use the kit on belly meat or should I stick to the boston butts and save the belly meat for a recipe from here? 

feel free to post a recipe if you have a good one. 

Thanks, Trey
 
works fine on bellies butts or shoulders just add your own flavor i like cbp (cracked black pepper) my self.
 
ok thanks. I can't wait to try this out. What temps do you smoke it at?
Some cold smoke it for many hours to get a nice smoke flavor but when I did my first batch I smoked them along with a bunch of ribs so I was hot smoking at around 225 or so and they came out great. I think they took around 3-4 hours at 225. I pulled them off once they hit 140 degrees. At that temp you still would need to fry it first before you eat it.
 
yea, Im not one to eat bacon "raw" so regardless of how I smoke it, I'll fry it first. From what Im reading, I need to just rub it down with the cure and let it sit for 10 days or so in the refridgerator in a ziplock, turning daily. then take it out let it dry on the outside and smoke it. Does that pretty much sum it up or did I miss something crucial?
 
yea, Im not one to eat bacon "raw" so regardless of how I smoke it, I'll fry it first. From what Im reading, I need to just rub it down with the cure and let it sit for 10 days or so in the refridgerator in a ziplock, turning daily. then take it out let it dry on the outside and smoke it. Does that pretty much sum it up or did I miss something crucial?
Follow the directions on the box as some kits have different amounts of cure than others so you need more or less per lb of meat and will need to cure for longer or shorter. . Another thing is you usually soak the butts for an hour to remove some of the salt then slice off a piece and fry it to see if it is too salty for your liking. If its too salty soak for longer if not throw it in the smoker. I usually put Cracked Black Pepper on one and honey and maple syrup on the other.
 
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man that sounds good. I can't wait to try this. I hope my local grocery can get me some belly meat. I'd much rather use that than boston butts but who knows.

How does the honey and syrup react with the smoke? wouldn't that cause the carbon in the smoke to attach to the bacon?
 
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i like the butts myself its alot leaner .

after the cure rinse the heck out of it i do mine for 1½ hours and change water at 15 min intervals then i put the cbp back on and smoke heavy at 120° for a couple of hours then bring temp up to 200° till meat temp reachs 140°.

then let cool and into icebox for a day slice and fry or cook with just like store bought
PDT_Armataz_01_12.gif
 
ok so I put like honey, maple, or CBP on after I have cured it and rinsed all the cure off? then just smoke it. 

I'm really wondering about the honey/maple syrup. it seems like that would cause the smoke to stick on the outside leaving a nasty flavor. am I missing something or does it just not do that?
 
Some of these kits I wouldn't follow the directions to a "T" either.

Hi Mountain for instance-----Their instructions tell you to cure at between 40˚ & 45˚, and they tell you to cure for 10 days & flip the curing meat only once, at 5 days. This is the only place I ever heard anyone tell people to cure bacon at between 40˚ to 45˚. Every place I have read states between 36˚ & 40˚----OUT OF THE DANGER ZONE !

Just my two cents,

Bearcarver
 
thanks. I'm still trying to round up some belly meat. If I haven't ran any down from any local groceries, then I may just go buy a whole hog and butcher it myself. I know a guy that sells them for a reasonable price. I may just go that route
 
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I would stick with bearcarver and do like he says. Cause it is the same way that I do mine he just beat me to this thread. I have used and still have some the Hi Mountian cure backboard bacon kits. I do like the package says but I turn my bacon everyday and rub it around and flip it. Then I smoke it over sometimes hickory or apple and what ever I have on hand. I keep many different woods around here now. I cold smoke it for hours and I don't really keep track of what temp I want the flavor and the color is what I look at. I want a deep brown color and then I put it in the refrig till the next day and then I put it into the freezer for a couple of hours and then pull it and slice it. Believe me it' alot easier then just some cool bacon. Then ebjoy it like no other bacon. Believe me you will not buy anymore bacon from the store.
 
Hi Mt kit is fine, but cure it between 36˚ & 40˚, instead of 40˚ to 45˚, and flip the packages & massage them every day (not once in ten days).

Be sure and do the taste test after curing, to make sure it's not to salty. You might have to soak the pieces a few hours, and drain a couple times.

Bearcarver
 
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