Any Bacon Makers Here?

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Meat my new friend, Bucky. I was off yesterday, and setup my weber kettle grill to try smoking my buckboard bacon. I used a 50-50 mix of maple and pecan chips to smoke it.

Only took 2.5 hours to hit temp. Can't wait to slice it up and try some today. It's a weird thing since I'm so used to pork belly bacon that is more square, then this slab of pork loin, or shoulder (I forgot which.) I'm going to cut it in the middle and then slice it, I should be able to get some uniform slices that way I hope.

A5FF584F-DD41-4D66-BF65-67EE474CBA7A_zpswfglhhkm.jpg


I also picked up a half gallon of cheap bourbon, and passed it a couple times through a brita with Jack Daniel's oak chips in the bottom, then transferred it into a big glass jar to infuse overnight. I'll pull a quart probably for bacon bourbon.
 
Homercidal said:
Just about to smoke my bacon (again. If only other sht didn't keep getting in the way!). I turned my bags of bacon yesterday again and I noticed there was NO moisture in the bags now. I thought the cure would draw a little out of the meat, not be completely absorbed by it!
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I've noticed with EQ curing there's not a lot of "juice." That buckboard I just did had little to none, I think what came out pretty much just mingled with the salt, sugar and molasses and just got sucked back in.
 
Revvy said:
Meat my new friend, Bucky. I was off yesterday, and setup my weber kettle grill to try smoking my buckboard bacon. I used a 50-50 mix of maple and pecan chips to smoke it.

Only took 2.5 hours to hit temp. Can't wait to slice it up and try some today. It's a weird thing since I'm so used to pork belly bacon that is more square, then this slab of pork loin, or shoulder (I forgot which.) I'm going to cut it in the middle and then slice it, I should be able to get some uniform slices that way I hope.

A5FF584F-DD41-4D66-BF65-67EE474CBA7A_zpswfglhhkm.jpg


I also picked up a half gallon of cheap bourbon, and passed it a couple times through a brita with Jack Daniel's oak chips in the bottom, then transferred it into a big glass jar to infuse overnight. I'll pull a quart probably for bacon bourbon.
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Nice. I got 6 lbs of pork belly cured and smoked. Turned out ok, but not as epic as I hoped for.

I am going to be playing around with buckboard bacon too. I think it will be easier to try different flavor mixes that way. My wife likes Canadian bacon as well, so a pork loin is probably the next item on the list.
 
Revvy said:
Meat my new friend, Bucky. I was off yesterday, and setup my weber kettle grill to try smoking my buckboard bacon. I used a 50-50 mix of maple and pecan chips to smoke it.

Only took 2.5 hours to hit temp. Can't wait to slice it up and try some today. It's a weird thing since I'm so used to pork belly bacon that is more square, then this slab of pork loin, or shoulder (I forgot which.) I'm going to cut it in the middle and then slice it, I should be able to get some uniform slices that way I hope.

A5FF584F-DD41-4D66-BF65-67EE474CBA7A_zpswfglhhkm.jpg


I also picked up a half gallon of cheap bourbon, and passed it a couple times through a brita with Jack Daniel's oak chips in the bottom, then transferred it into a big glass jar to infuse overnight. I'll pull a quart probably for bacon bourbon.
Click to expand...

The shape is the odd thing about shoulder bacon. It's much meatier than belly, though. I think it might make sense to cut it the size/shape you want before the cure.

I did a loin with bourbon and maple syrup, and it turned out really nice, but more like ham than anything. Next time, I think I'll roll and tie a loin before curing it. Or at least after the cure, before the smoke.
 
Yep, with those meaty cuts you do get towards ham and Canadian bacon. Should you locate some hog jowls sometime try those. They work quite well for bacon. They flavor up differently than slabs due to the lean placement yet have enough fat to stay in the bacon realm. I think I'll do that come late fall when hogs go.
 
Local Costco finally got pork bellies in stock. Grabbed a 9# one going to break it down and start curing it tomorrow.
 
My Costco has full bellies and ones already sliced into strips for "thick" cut bacon
 
UCChemE05 said:
My Costco has full bellies and ones already sliced into strips for "thick" cut bacon
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I don't know about curing it already sliced. It would only take a day at most, but smoking would be hard.
 
Huh. Whooda thunk it would have taken a few gigs for a simple process. I use the hide on curing smoking process. Yours look half smoked which is fine. The moisture content is a bit high.
 
Borrowed my sister's slicer and sliced a 2 lb bacon slab. It went well, but her slicer seems to run pretty slow. Still it was easier and more consistent than doing it by hand.

Bacon turned out great after being in the freezer for a while. It's still a lot of bacon to have on hand in our house this time of year. I might have to find creative ways to use it up. I have pizza planned for some night this week, so some of it can go there. Just need to think of some creative toppings to go with it.

BLTs are also pretty good.
 
Homercidal said:
Borrowed my sister's slicer and sliced a 2 lb bacon slab. It went well, but her slicer seems to run pretty slow. Still it was easier and more consistent than doing it by hand.

Bacon turned out great after being in the freezer for a while. It's still a lot of bacon to have on hand in our house this time of year. I might have to find creative ways to use it up. I have pizza planned for some night this week, so some of it can go there. Just need to think of some creative toppings to go with it.

BLTs are also pretty good.
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Do you have a vacuum sealer? Vac them in 6 or 12 slice rashers and freeze them. If you stagger the slices you can stack them flat in the freezer.

12074821_10153180569399067_70614844199059133_n.jpg
 
Revvy said:
Do you have a vacuum sealer? Vac them in 6 or 12 slice rashers and freeze them. If you stagger the slices you can stack them flat in the freezer.

12074821_10153180569399067_70614844199059133_n.jpg
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I do have one, but I haven't gotten it out for this. Probably not a bad idea. I just don't see us eating this much bacon very soon. I might cook up a few slices on the weekend, but when everyone else gets up they are too lazy to cook it. If I cook enough for everyone, they still ignore it.

I don't' know what's wrong with people today. It's BACON!

Well, when the kids get up, it's lunch time...
 
Homercidal said:
I do have one, but I haven't gotten it out for this. Probably not a bad idea. I just don't see us eating this much bacon very soon. I might cook up a few slices on the weekend, but when everyone else gets up they are too lazy to cook it. If I cook enough for everyone, they still ignore it.

I don't' know what's wrong with people today. It's BACON!

Well, when the kids get up, it's lunch time...
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I live alone...and I like to make bacon. And despite my obsession with all thingg bacon I actually don't eat a lot if it. It can be weeks before I want some, so this is the best method for me. If you know how much bacon you eat per session you can always just vac it in that portion, let's say if I eat 6 pieces at a time but like the symmetry of a dozen slices or a pound or whatever, you can do like they do in delis and add a sheet of wax paper at whatever point. Then take out what you want and cut some of the vac bag away, and vac seal the rest.
 
Why not cook with it other then a breakfast side. I love wrapping a boneless chicken breast with bacon. season the breast with a little salt, pepper, chillie powder, and oregano. Wrap it with enough strips to completely cover it. Then bake it in a 375 oven uncovered until the chicken is done and the bacon is crispy. I also like to saute vegetables like green beans and asparagus in bacon fat from a couple pieces cut into small pieces. Then add the crispy bacon bits back in at the end of the saute.
 
Chrisl77 said:
Why not cook with it other then a breakfast side. I love wrapping a boneless chicken breast with bacon. season the breast with a little salt, pepper, chillie powder, and oregano. Wrap it with enough strips to completely cover it. Then bake it in a 375 oven uncovered until the chicken is done and the bacon is crispy. I also like to saute vegetables like green beans and asparagus in bacon fat from a couple pieces cut into small pieces. Then add the crispy bacon bits back in at the end of the saute.
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Or add it to pasta - cut it into chunks instead of slices. Fry the bacon, add onions and peppers for a couple minutes, then add cherry tomatoes for a couple of minutes, then add some spinach for a couple minutes, then a splash of white wine and put the lid on. Turn off the heat and wait a minute, then toss it with pasta.

It's not just for breakfast!
 
ericbw said:
Or add it to pasta - cut it into chunks instead of slices. Fry the bacon, add onions and peppers for a couple minutes, then add cherry tomatoes for a couple of minutes, then add some spinach for a couple minutes, then a splash of white wine and put the lid on. Turn off the heat and wait a minute, then toss it with pasta.

It's not just for breakfast!
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This is why I usually leave my bacon in slabs (1- to 1.5-pounds each) rather than slicing them for freezer storage. My cold-smoked, dry-aged bacon will last two days longer than forever in the refrigerator, so no worries there.

This way, you can employ much more versatility. If you want to cut up some bits or chunks, or have some medium-length lardons, you can. If you want slices, then slice them - to any thickness desired or needed. You can also cut extra thick lengths and cook them over a fire, Hungarian style.

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sweet jeezlus boys, no smoke just salt sugar nitrated for a week. im never going back ever. ive served this to numerous people and it blows minds. organic local pork vancouver BC.

also i roasted a big piece with a mustard, honey, brown sugar glaze. suggested by an irish person. lost my mind.
 
Did this recipe yesterday and it turned out great. Might soak the bacon a little longer to pull a little more salt out. Last two hour when bring the internal up to 150 I coated the bacon with maple syrup.


adiochiro3 said:
My Dry Cure Bacon Method:

  1. Follow the cure instructions precisely: (1/2 ounce of Tender Quick per pound of meat. ½ ounce = 1 TBSP). I apply the Tender Quick directly to the meat, and I rub it into every nook, cranny and fold of the meat surface.
  2. I rub brown sugar & pepper onto the meat over the Tender Quick. Others apply all manner of spices, sugars and syrups at this point (particularly Grade A Maple). Your imagination is your only limitation. Still others believe that adding syrups or honey at this point is not very effective toward adding flavor.
  3. I seal the bacon in Foodsaver bags, although Ziplocks work fine. Just get as much air out of the bags as possible.
  4. I flip & massage the bacon daily for 8-10 days. A little longer is better than too short a time in the cure. The cure salts will pull moisture out of the meat; do not drain off the moisture during the curing process.
  5. Once the appropriate cure time has passed, perform a fry test for saltiness. If the bacon is too salty for your taste, soak in cold water for an hour or two, and re-test. Some advocate soaking overnight in the fridge. Again, this is a matter of personal taste and preference. DO NOT skip this step or you will have a salt bomb.
  6. Once the salt level is to your liking, pat dry and refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours on cooling racks to form the pellicle ( a dry but tacky feel to the meet surface). Some will leave uncovered in the refrigerator overnight to form the pellicle. I prefer to set the BBB on racks on the counter and blow a fan over them for an hour or so. This step helps the bacon take up the smoke. If the surface is still wet, it will not take up smoke very well.
  7. Some apply spices at this point because they believe that the spices take better than when added in with the cure. Syrups or honey may also be brushed onto the bacon at this point. Others believe that adding syrups (particularly Grade A Maple) or honey at this point is not very effective toward adding flavor. Again, this would be personal preference and taste; experiment and decide for yourself.
  8. Some begin the cold smoking process at this point. I set the bacons on racks in the smoker without smoke at 130˚ for 1 hour to ensure good pellicle formation.
  9. Smoke 6 to 8 hours at 130˚ with smoke. Then raise the smoker temp to 170˚ to 180˚ with smoke, until the internal temp of the bacon reaches between 145˚ and 150˚.
  10. Cool bacon and refrigerate (cold bacon is easier to slice). Some advocate resting the bacon refrigerated overnight before slicing and consuming.
  11. Slice and portion according to preference.
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snoyes said:
I have been making my own bacon for years now. Anyone else into this delicious hobby? I also dive into sausage making and of course lots of homebrew.
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I've been curing and smoking my own bacon for a number of years and have been making sausage even longer.
My dad was from Budapest and making Hungarian kolbasz was something we did as a family a few times each year.
I smoked 5 lbs of my brown sugar bourbon bacon just today so I can have eggs benedict tomorrow.
 
I do buckboard AKA shoulder bacon a lot. This was a batch from a few years ago.

RA1byOX.jpg


I debone then butterfly the shoulder if it is really thick otherwise just debone it. Best sandwich bacon out there! I love belly bacon but the price for uncured belly here is insane! 3 times what a shoulder costs!

I also do a lot of uncured sausages, breakfast, Italian etc. So much cheaper than buying them and way better quality because I use less fat.
 
I just discovered buckboard bacon about a week ago. When I say discovered I simply mean I understand the concept. Never had any, yet. I can't get pork belly locally, so this is a perfect recipe for me to try.
Last week, I ordered some cure on Amazon that came in yesterday. So, last night, I ran to Safeway and bought a shoulder. The 10 day cure countdown has begun.
 
@bstacy1974 - have you settled on a plan, yet?

It is your choice, of course - but, I strongly recommend dry cure, cold smoke and dry age. The results will speak for themselves where quality and taste are concerned, and it is no more difficult than any other method.

If interested, send a PM, and I can provide some reading and visual materials.
 
TasunkaWitko said:
@bstacy1974 - have you settled on a plan, yet?

It is your choice, of course - but, I strongly recommend dry cure, cold smoke and dry age. The results will speak for themselves where quality and taste are concerned, and it is no more difficult than any other method.

If interested, send a PM, and I can provide some reading and visual materials.
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I'm using this cure and tips/techniques from this site. I've tried lots of recipes from Amazingribs.com and have not been disappointed. I could probably do a cold smoke with my Little Chief smoker, but I'll probably set up my Akorn for a 225F cook. I am interested in the dry aging process however.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just finished my first batch of buckboard. In the fridge to chill overnight. Fresh bacon in the morning! Test batch was very tasty. The family approves.
20180428_190015.jpeg
 
snoyes said:
I have been making my own bacon for years now. Anyone else into this delicious hobby? I also dive into sausage making and of course lots of homebrew.
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I don't make bacon but I make a lot of Italian salami or pancetta (pancetta is the same part of bacon but we don't smoke it), pork and wild boar ham and sausages.
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Daniele96 said:
I don't make bacon but I make a lot of Italian salami or pancetta (pancetta is the same part of bacon but we don't smoke it), pork and wild boar ham and sausages.
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Nice work! That is really impressive. What do you age it all in?
 
popquizkid said:
Nice work! That is really impressive. What do you age it all in?
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It is a difficult question because the time change for every type of ham: if you use less salt and aromas you make a Parma ham and it is necessary more time to age it correctly (I age it minimum 12 months because it dries slowly but now I have a 60 months aged Parma ham on my cellar) if you use more salt you'll have a Crudo di Cuneo ham (or a San Daniele Ham, or a Jambon Saint-Bernard) and it is necessary less time to dry it and to age it (maximum 1year to dry). Other things like pancetta or guanciale (the one we use for carbonara, amatriciana and gricia pasta) need maximum 3 months.
 
Bacon round 2. The chunk on the lower left of the sheet pan was breakfast this morning. The rest was sliced and sealed into 8 to 9oz servings. I found during the first attempt at buckboard, that I could cook up half as much and still feed the family. More meat, less shrinkage during frying, less fat. This is truly the perfect version of bacon.
20180630_084632-COLLAGE.jpeg
 

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