Buckboard Bacon

From Boston Butts

Buckboard bacon is one of those things you hear about on all of the forums and websites but for some reason seems difficult to new smokers. Its Not!

I’m going to take you through the process step by step with photos so you’ll have no doubt what you need to do and how simple it really is to make Buckboard Bacon …

Description: 2 Butts

Step one: go to the store and get yourself a big ole Boston Butt! They look like this:

A big ole hunk of pork with a “T” shaped bone in one end.

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Step Two: Open the package and cut out the “T” shaped bone by inserting a long narrow bladed knife along the bone and cutting it away. This can be tricky because not only is it "T" shaped but is curved. Here are two I just removed this morning.

Description: CutingBone

To remove the bone look at the meat and you’ll notice you can slip a small filet knife or a long bladed paring knife right up along side the bone and cut it away. If you start at the long end it’ll give you more room to work. Then just follow the bone around cutting away the meat until it hangs free.

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I hate fat so I go back and trim away most of the fat cap before brining, it’s up to you if you like the taste of fat leave it on.

Here is the trimmed Butt:

Step Three: Mix up you brine water in a large bowl, throw the meat in the brine water and inject the meat with the brine water every few inches all the way around the meat. Today I got lazy and made a simple brine of:

1 gallon ice cold water
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup molasses
1 teaspoon Cajun spice
*Prague powder #1(by meat weight * NOTE: this is what gives meat that pinkish color and prevents bacterial build up while smoking for long periods at low temperatures. If you plan to smoke you should use it!)

** If you don’t have or don’t wish to use nitrates you can use ½ ounce of cream of tartar per ½ gallon of brine to help maintain that pinkish color in brined meats.

Description: BrineBag Place the meat in a large Zip-Lock bag and pout the brine water in on top of the meat. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag.

I’ll let this soak for about a week in the fridge or in a cooler with ice. This time I used a Zip-Lock bag to hold the meat and brine and just set it in a Sterile-lite shoe box I bought at Wal-Mart incase some of the brine water leaks out.

Plastic shoe boxes are a perfect size for holding Boston Butts!

Every few days turn the bag over in case you have an air bubble in the bag to make sure the whole thing is submerged. Wait a week to 10 days before smoking – timing is not that critical.

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Step Four: Remove the meat from the brine water. Dry it off with paper towels and tie it up like a roast.

You don’t have to tie it but with that bone removed it gets kind of floppy so I tie it up and it cooks together making slicing easier and nicer looking slices.

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Here’s the butt all rubbed up and sprinkled with course ground pepper ready for the smoker!

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Step Five: Smoke the butt at 200°F to 225°F until a internal temperature of 140°F is reached. I spray my meats with apple juice every hour or so throughout the smoke. I like the flavor. Some use Captain Morgan’s Spiced rum in their apple juice spray. Again – it’s up to you!

I smoke pork with at least hickory and apple every time. I will also add other woods such as pecan, cherry, and for this smoke I tried peach for the first time.

The woods you use will sometimes be determined by the area you live in. Up here in Connecticut I can get Hickory and apple pretty easily and I like it so I use a lot of it. I also love pecan and cherry but that’s got to be purchased online so I use it sparingly.

Once you’ve reached the desired temperature, let the meat cool some wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it over night before slicing to let the flavors meld and the meat to firm up. It will be a lot easier to slice cold.

Step Six: Slicing! Okay you’ve made your Buckboard bacon, and it chilled, firm and ready to slice. Here’s a few things to consider before you start slicing:

If you want the meat to taste like Bacon slice it thin.

If you want the meat to taste like ham slice it thick.

This meat will give you two totally different types of meat to eat it’s all a mater of thickness. I like to slice it both ways – half for bacon and half for hams steaks.

Either way its great fried with eggs and home fries!

Description: Thick