I picked up some Maple Sugar Cure from Butcher & Packer a while back that I wanted to try it out. So I figured I’d do up a pork shoulder into some buckboard bacon. I trimmed up a 9 lb. shoulder and cut off a 4 lb chunk rubbed it down with the cure, with no added spices. Nothing special just another bacon.
With the remaining meat I wanted to do something that I could cure fast so I could sample the new cure. I almost did what Pops calls bucksaw bacon but ended up cutting the meat into ¾” chunks and rubbing down with the cure and vac sealed for 24 hours. The following day I stuffed the chunks into a large casing. Well I never got the chance to smoke it that day, so last night, a week later they went in the smoker and I got the chance to taste it this morning.
The cure is very good, not real maplely (is that a word) in flavor but still excellent. This is probably the best tasting bacon/ham I have ever done. I would highly recommend it.
My intent was to smoke to 155° and use for lunch meet, ( another reason I stuffed into a casing) but around 148° I feel asleep and woke up at 164°, but it didn’t seem to hurt the finished product at all, except for maybe some weight loss.
ready for the smoker;
all finished after about 5 hours of Maple/hickory smoke;
I'll add some sliced pic's soon.
Thanks for checkin out my bacon, or is it ham?
With the remaining meat I wanted to do something that I could cure fast so I could sample the new cure. I almost did what Pops calls bucksaw bacon but ended up cutting the meat into ¾” chunks and rubbing down with the cure and vac sealed for 24 hours. The following day I stuffed the chunks into a large casing. Well I never got the chance to smoke it that day, so last night, a week later they went in the smoker and I got the chance to taste it this morning.
The cure is very good, not real maplely (is that a word) in flavor but still excellent. This is probably the best tasting bacon/ham I have ever done. I would highly recommend it.
My intent was to smoke to 155° and use for lunch meet, ( another reason I stuffed into a casing) but around 148° I feel asleep and woke up at 164°, but it didn’t seem to hurt the finished product at all, except for maybe some weight loss.
ready for the smoker;
all finished after about 5 hours of Maple/hickory smoke;
I'll add some sliced pic's soon.
Thanks for checkin out my bacon, or is it ham?