# My first stab at Rolled Shoulder, or Buckboard Bacon



## smokeydokey

Hello All,

Here is my first run at Buckboard Bacon. I also rolled and tied some, so I guess that may be called Rolled Shoulder Bacon?

I have made numerous batches of belly, canadian and Jowl bacon, all with varying levels of success while I learn what flavor profiles suit me.

For bellies and jowls, I have settled on Al Blancher’s 3 step dry cure as the one I like best. I hadn’t seen anyone use this basic recipe on BBB, so I gave it a whirl. Here is the link for his recipe and technique:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/dry-cured-bacon-calculator-and-procedure

Heres What I did, along with the old Q-view.

I started with 13.6#’s of pork shoulder from Costco. I was a little disappointed in the great job they did trimming this, They took a LOT of fat off, so I will end up with some damn lean bacon. I will probably get my next one from the local Mexican or Asian market.

Using Reverend Al’s calculator for 3% salt bacon without rind, for the amount of meat I have, I used: 19.72 g of Cure 1, 184.96 g sea salt, and 92.48 g white sugar. (I make enough bacon that I have mixed a pretty large batch of this, and hold it in an airtight jar, and I measure out the amount needed for the batch I’m making.) In this case, the total amount of mixed cure needed was 297.16 grams. Using Al’s technique, I divided that amount by 3 and had 3 separate batches of 99.05 grams of mixed cure which I used in three different curing sessions.

Day 1

I wanted to try rolling and creating a BBB“log”, so I filleted with that in mind, and wound up with three good rectangular pieces for that, and some very odd end pieces that ended up getting the treatment as well.  I took 99.05 g of mixed cure, weighed the individual pieces to see how much each would receive, and proceeded to rub the appropriate amount of cure into every nook and cranny I could find. Then I placed them in loose, open bread bags (not sealed) and placed them on stacked racks in a plastic tub in my studio fridge. Every day after, I would massage the flat pieces, rubbing the cure into the meat.








_My pre mixed 3% salt cure following Al Blancher's directions, along with my digital scale. (Before somebody busts my chops over the weight shown on the scale, this was done with a random amount just to show the set up)_







_Filleted shoulder portions after receiving "The Cure"_







_Bagged and racked. ready for the fridge._

Day 3

Out of the bags and onto the counter to get another dose of 99.05 g of mixed cure. Just like the procedure outlined above.

Day 5

Removed meat from plastic bags after a massage, and placed on the racks in the tub, uncovered. Back in the fridge. Same daily treatment as above.

Day 7

Applied final coat of cure, racked, tubbed and refrigerated. Same daily treatment as above.

Day 10

Cured!  Test fried a few pieces, and determined it was a tad salty, so into an ice water bath for an hour and that seemed to do the trick. Then I layed down a Shamwow (I know), then a paper towel, the wet meat, then another paper towel and another Shamwow on top of that, then I pressed out most of the water. (Yes, they really, really work!)

At this point, I put some brown sugar on all of them, and course black pepper on some, and rolled the three I set aside for that purpose, tying them with butchers twine as shown.







_After desalination and drying, a coat of brown sugar._







_Racked them uncovered in the tub to form a pellicil, and back in fridge. Left them untouched until…_

Day 14

Smoking Day. First, let me say a few thank you’s. I was getting confused reading ALL the different posts on BBB and there was really nothing definitive about finished Internal Temp. I sent up a flare, and it was graciously answered by Pops, Husker, and Chef Rob. Pops outlined just about every bacon known to man for me, and Husker and Chef Rob weighed in sagely. Thank you all for your invaluable guidance!













_Rolled and flats ready for the smoker_







_Into the smoker they go with a generous drip pan beneath. Since I made this cold smoker box out of cedar plywood, I am very careful about trashing the bottom of it with drippings._







I decided on 70% Apple and 30% Pecan…Pulled everything out of the thin blue envelope after 10 hours. I pulled a piece and did a test fry…plenty smoky!  I had them in my cold smoker box, but the outside temp was 107 (Phoenix in July) The ambient temp in the box is 129, and the IT was 113, and everything has a nice deep mahogany color.  After a couple hours rest on racks to bring to bring to room temp, into loose open bags and into the fridge yet again!













_I love the look of the finished product after slicing. Note the dark flecks on the right hand rolls, I put course pepper after I sugared this one, then rolled. it's a nice subtle touch._













_Pepper._













_My kind of breakfast... my next door neighbor's chickens provided the double yolked eggs, the bacon came off my smoker, and the nectarine jam on the English muffin is from my backyard tree._

Because the IT was so low when I pulled it,  this bacon needs to be finished, which I do in a frying pan. Different flavor from the belly and jowl bacons I have made, but I find it to be quite delicious. 

After slicing and bagging, I think that if I do the rolls again, I will smoke them to a higher IT. I think they will probably hold together better. I was very pleased with the texture of the flat pieces, and they fried up beautifully. All in all, I’m very excited about adding this to my line of bacon. I think the next thing  I’ll try is rolling some cured bellies, a la Panchetta.

Thanks for looking!

SmokeyDokey


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## smokinhusker

Now that's some fine looking BBB, as is the breakfast! Wow, those rolls are fantastic looking 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  I'm copying this cause I like the pepper and brown sugar idea! Thanks.

I have to make more cause I gave all mine to the family that let me borrow their freezer space during our evacuation, but well worth it.


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## pops6927

SmokinHusker said:


> Now that's some fine looking BBB, as is the breakfast! Wow, those rolls are fantastic looking
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> I have to make more cause I gave all mine to the family that let me borrow their freezer space during our evacuation, but well worth it.


A very kind and selfless act, to think of others while racing to escape severe danger!


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## tjohnson

I like the rolled look 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Todd


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## smokeydokey

Husker,

So sorry to hear of your travails. I have family near you and it has been very distressing to watch you all go through the mill. best of luck to you all. The brown sugar and pepper worked  out very well. I like it on bellies and jowls too.

Thanks,

Smokey


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## smokeydokey

TJohnson said:


> I like the rolled look
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Thanks Todd,

As it turns out, I'm finding that this makes frying a lot easier as far as pan space goes, it also makes a neat and tidy sandwich as well. I think that I'll try my bellies the same way and see how that works out.

-Smokey


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## bookem

Can't wait to see the rolled belly bacon.  I did BBB once, but not rolled, definitely have to try that.


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## smokeydokey

Bookem said:


> Can't wait to see the rolled belly bacon.  I did BBB once, but not rolled, definitely have to try that.


Go to any good Italian deli, and look at the Panchetta... I always thought it's shape was one of the great mysteries of life, until I read about it here. Viva SMF!


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## daveomak

Smokey, morning.... Mighty fine lookin' bacon...  Looks like your smoker works as good if not better than you planned....  Nice on all counts...   Dave


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## chefrob

great lookin' stuff! like the cold smoker box.....more pics!


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## smokeydokey

chefrob said:


> great lookin' stuff! like the cold smoker box.....more pics!


Thanks Chef Rob... I assume you want more pics of the smoker?

Here is a link to the build. Hope you like it.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/123149/annexed-cold-smoke-box-for-my-master-forge#post_821780

The only change I've made to it is to lengthen the output stack by 3 feet. it draws much more efficiently.


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## navigator

Looks great, I have to roll my next ones :)


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## gersus

Looks like a success! The logs are pretty cool and on my list of many things to smoke lol! Way to go and keep up the good work!


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## shoneyboy

Bump...these look great and I just could let the post set idle.....ShoneyBoy


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## thoseguys26

I gotta try that. Killer job!!


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