# Buckboard Bacon Help



## pne123 (Mar 17, 2008)

I am doing my first buckboard bacon from Hi Mountain. I followed the instructions.  I put the rub on and put it in a pan and covered it w/ saran wrap and put it in the fridge.  I am 3 days into the curing and I have about 3/4" of an inch of water that has been pulled out of the pork butt.  Should i just leave that in the pan or should i dump it out?   I am sure i should not dump cuz the fluid is the brine, right?  i am going to flip it in 2 days.  does this sound right?


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## desertlites (Mar 17, 2008)

keep the Liquid in-I do mine in a zip lock bag-massage it couple times a day-let the juice re-coat the meat-what kind of pan?-maybe think zip-lock-so much more easy.did you use cure?you will love the bacon-it's great.how are u going to finish it off?


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## pne123 (Mar 17, 2008)

that is just weird...

I have it in a large glass pan.  
I was just going to rinse then soak for awhile change the water every couple hours.  put in smoker at 150deg for an hour.  raise temp to 200deg add smoke.  smoke till 160?  remove cool and slice for the frying pan.


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## desertlites (Mar 17, 2008)

ic- hope your process of makin bacon works for you-we all have our own ways.good luck.


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## pne123 (Mar 17, 2008)

I am open to suggestions.   this is obviuosly my first time doing bacon so I was going to do the first one w/o many variables.  if you have any advice i would love to hear it.


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## desertlites (Mar 17, 2008)

I did try to give advice-I pm'd and recieved a lack of information of what I was trying to help with-instead a darogatory remark on help I was offering & now u ask that all I can attributute will be greatfully appreciated-do u want help or no?


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## pne123 (Mar 17, 2008)

Wow. I was just making a joke.  Thought I said that in IM. Did not think a pun reference about messaging your meat a couple times a day in a zip lock baggy would offend. (still makes me laugh) Guess we can not joke about "meat", "smokin" or "butts".  I IM'ed you back that it was a joke.  thought any advice or comments about smoking would be done public so others would be in the conversation.


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## pne123 (Mar 17, 2008)

Let me put the JD down and try again.  Sorry about the sophmoric humor and yes I would like some help.


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## desertlites (Mar 17, 2008)

good luck with your bacon


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## kratzx4 (Mar 17, 2008)

I made my first Buckboard bacon using High Mountain a couple of weeks back. Had it in a plastic container with lid. let it set for 14 days flipping it over at day 7. soaked it for 2 hours changing water at 1 hour. smoked to internal of 140 deg F. it is great seems to be a little salty at first but after frying it seemed to take a little more salt out. I like salt but wifey and daughter don't but they still eat it. next time I am soaking for 3 hours to see how it does. Good luck with your bacon, I think you will like it.


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## peculiarmike (Mar 17, 2008)

Easiest way to do the cure is in a large ziploc bag.
Make sure you wash it well after removing it from the bag, and I mean WELL. It will be excessively salty if you don't.
Other than that, just follow the instructions that came with the cure. 
Slice it how you like it. Thin is closest to bacon, thicker will be like ham. Keep out some to eat, package up the rest in amounts you need for a meal using the Food Saver and freeze it.
I used a package of the scraps I had left after slicing in smoked BBQ beans last week, it added a great flavor to the beans.
Enjoy!


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## dionysus (Mar 17, 2008)

I love the Hi Mountain cure. It's easy and does a great job. But I agree, DON"T SKIMP ON THE RINSE. I would soak the butt for at least 2-3 hours changing the water every 30 minutes or so (the more the better), otherwise the bacon will be salty.  

Also, next time try a pork loin and make Canadian Bacon, that's great as well


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## kratzx4 (Mar 17, 2008)

I agree, I used this cure on 8 lbs of loin on March 1  and it is all gone now. the Mrs and daughter loved it, me too. I like it better than the morton tender quick.


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## pne123 (Mar 17, 2008)

thank you.  I can not wait for it to be done.  I may have to cut my curing time down some.  I started it last friday.  do not think i will be able to smoke on easter so i have to do it sat.  that will only be 8 days for 5lbs.  I just realized it was easter...

Thinking i should cut it in half and vacuum seal it....would that do it?  maybe i will burn a vacation day and take monday off..


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## kratzx4 (Mar 17, 2008)

I think Monday is a national Holiday. I believe it is Buckboard Bacon Smoking day


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## pne123 (Mar 24, 2008)

Okay.  Tomorrow is BBB day.  THe instructions say to put in the smoker w/o smoke at 145 for 45minutes then add smoke and go up to 200.  Is this critical?  I am also planning on doing PP, pastrami, blue cheese burgers and spam (for the people I have hooked at work)  DOing as instructed after letting it sit at room temp for an hour will put everything else 2hrs behind.  I could get up earlier but do not want to if I do not need to.  Thanks


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## desertlites (Mar 24, 2008)

no pne-I smoked mine at 140 for most of the smoke-6 hrs. than raised to 180 for the last couple hrs. I fry mine to finish off before eating.


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## desertlites (Mar 24, 2008)

*We start by hanging the bellies in the smokehouse with the air temperature set at 125 degrees, damper completely open for maximum airflow for drying and no smoke yet.  (The meat will not take smoke until the surface is dry. If the meat is smoked when still damp, the smoke will be smudgy and the meat will not taste as good.)*
*We keep this routine for the first 2 hours.*
*After this, we raise the air temperature to 140 degrees, close the damper on the smokehouse to Â½ closed, and add Hickory Sawdust to begin the smoking. (The bacons should be dry enough now to start the smoking.)*
*We keep this routine for the next 2 hours.*
*Next, we raise the air temperature to 150 degrees, keep the damper at
Â½ closed, and continue smoking.*
*We keep this routine for the next 2 hours.*
*The bacons have been in the smokehouse for 6 hours now.  Our next step is to raise the smokehouse air temperature to 160 to 165 degrees, close the damper to Â¾ close and keep applying the Hickory Smoke until the internal temperature of the bacons reach 138 degrees*


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## pne123 (Mar 24, 2008)

ok good.  My PP usually does not pulled until way after dinner is done. after i put it in cooler for two hours it is about 10pm by the time it is done.  I am going to try to bet that time tomorrow 

thanks


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## desertlites (Mar 24, 2008)

there talking bellies there but the increse in temps work for buckboard i sure too


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## pne123 (Mar 25, 2008)

well it worked ok. might be to salty for us. we have a daughter w/ some medical issues and salt is very regulated so anything w/ more than our normal tastes REALLY salty to us. i have not sliced it all up yet so i was only getting the skinny end but it did have really good flavor. I think i should have soaked it all night.


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## desertlites (Mar 25, 2008)

sorry to hear it was 2 salty-seems to be happening around here-how long did u soak it and did u change water often-I have yet to have a 2 salty of a prob-guess lucky.


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## kratzx4 (Mar 25, 2008)

PNE. Something that I do to check for salt before smoking it is to slice off a piece and fry it and do the ole taste test. If too salty you can still soak it some more.


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## tamatik (Mar 25, 2008)

Boy I gotta come here BEFORE I start my stuff..I ALWAYS end up with too salty.. and then i come here and read and I obviouysly am not soaking long enuf..(maybe 10 min). If nothing else this stuff is great in my bean soup..and i make bean soup every week.. I have jars of it.. and cases of jars. lol.
Thanx for all the info folks.. Now I just gotta convince myself to come here first..
Gord in BC


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## pne123 (Mar 25, 2008)

I rinsed it VERY well.  soaked it about 3 hrs changing the water every 30-40 minutes.  It could be just me.  We usually eat very low sodium everything so it could just be our palettes.  It will be great in baked beans


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