Someone mentioned buckboard bacon to me, and I got excited. I'd never tried it before. It's a shame as this turned out to be one of the finest pieces of charcuterie pieces I've ever made or tasted. Not only did it take a lot less time to make than most other charcuterie pieces, but it also tasted really, really good.
I am probably going to get ridiculed, but I think I liked it more than capicola. Both are made from the same cut - pork neck. To be objective, I have to compare them side by side, but as of right now, this fine piece of meat is my favorite.
What is buckboard bacon made of?
You may say that buckboard bacon doesn't have to be made from pork neck, and any part of pork butt/pork shoulder will do. True. But trust me, pork neck, also called coppa, is the top choice for making buckboard bacon as its perfect plump shape, meat-to-fat ratio, and marbling are absolutely perfect. There is a good reason why the Italians make capicola from pork neck and not the rest of the pork shoulder.
How is buckboard bacon made?
Buckboard bacon is made the exact same way as smoked cured bacon. First, you cure the meat with a mix of salt, curing salt (Cure #1) and seasonings, just like you would cure regular bacon. The only difference is that you would start off with a piece of pork butt instead of pork belly.
Next, you would smoke the meat for 3-4 hours. Longer smoking, 6-8 hours, would be even better. It will make it double-smoked buckboard bacon. Commercial producers call double-smoked bacon bacon that is smoked twice as long as regular smoked bacon. I used to think double smoked meant smoking bacon on two separate occasions. But in reality, it just means longer smoking.
Finally, you would raise the internal temperature of the meat to 154F - 158F, as you would smoked kielbasa. This will qualify your buckboard bacon as 'fully-cooked'. This can be done by either gradually raising the temperature inside the smoker until the internal temperature of the meat reaches at least 154F, poaching the meat in hot water, or baking the meat in the oven with steam.
Some notes on seasonings
Everything is relative. Seasonings that taste good may not taste as good when comparing them to other seasonings. At the very least, to get a good taste, you need to season buckboard bacon with black pepper.
Salt and pepper, combined with the aroma of smoke, is all that is needed to make buckboard bacon shine. You can add other flavors and elevate the taste but be careful not to spoil the taste.
I've tried buckboard bacon 3 ways: 1 - with plain salt and pepper; 2 - with a carefully formulated mix of pepper, cayenne, raw sugar, onion and garlic powder, coriander, and marjoram, and 3 - with salt, pepper, and garlic and honey. Each variation tasted fantastic on its own.
Side by side, the garlic and honey version won. I love that subtle sweetness and a gentle hint of garlic in every bite. This is my go-to buckboard bacon recipe, without a doubt. If you'd like to tone that sweetness down, there isn't much of it there, but if you do, just cut the honey in half. You will like it.
Smoking
Try to get that 'thin and blue,' clean smoke going. Dirty, nasty-smelling smoke will kill the flavor and the taste by introducing off-flavors and bitterness. Clean smoke will add enticing smokiness and sweetness, depending on the wood you choose.
My favorite smoking wood here is hickory and pecan. Maybe a couple of chunks of cherry. Oak works well, too, but I like the pronounced savory notes of hickory and pecan and the sweetness of cherrywood smoke.
I smoke at about 130F - 140F. This way, the meat does not dry out, and the fat doesn't melt. Not significantly anyway. This is the same temperature at which I smoke my Ukrainian and Polish meats and kielbasa.
If your smoker can't maintain such a low temperature, you can always smoke at the lowest possible temperature. You may be surprised.
The hot-smoked kielbasa that I smoke at 225F has a very good texture and can easily compete with traditionally smoked kielbasa. You will have to limit smoking time to whenever the meat reaches 158F. Don't smoke past that, or you will dry out the meat.
Finishing
As mentioned above, you can finish the cooking in the smoker, water bath, or oven. All are legitimate methods, although finishing in a home smoker is always a big challenge. Especially for a large piece of meat such as buckboard bacon. If you go this route, once the meat is fully smoked, increase the smoker temperature gradually by about 15 degrees every 20 minutes until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 154F - 158F.
You can also do the same in the oven. Bake the meat in the oven with a pan of hot water underneath at 175F-185F until the internal temperature reaches 154F - 158F. Depending on the size of the meat, it may take an hour to two hours. Using convection will expedite things but will dry out the meat a little.
Poaching is the best way to finish smoked meats and sausage. I use this method most of the time these days. Simply put the meat into a vacuum sealed bag or a Ziploc bag making sure to expel all air.
Place the bag into a large (20 qts+) pot of water heated to 167F and let the meat poach for 30 minutes or until it reaches 154F - 158F. In cold weather, heat the water to 176F and ensure it doesn't get below 158F.
After that, place your bacon into a water bath to chill it quickly. Your buckboard bacon will be ready for consumption at this point. Slice and enjoy or cook as you would raw bacon. Your choice. You can also dry it. It will only get better after a week of drying.
Drying
Drying is an optional step, but I love what a week of drying does to smoked meats.
Hang your buckboard bacon in a cool room or your curing chamber at around 55-57F and 75% RH for a week. The meat will lose some water and become firmer. The flavor will intensify, and the color will become darker and richer. An absolute delight to eat.
If you don't have a cold room or a curing chamber, don't sweat it. Wrap the meat individually into an unglazed butcher's paper and refrigerate for a week.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1000 g pork butt Pork neck (coppa, money muscle) part recommended
- 22.5 g kosher salt
- 2.5 g Cure #1
- 10 g black pepper coarsely ground
- 50 g honey
- 3 cloves garlic large; pressed
Instructions
- Weigh the meat in grams. Divide by 1000, then multiply each ingredient by that number. For example, if your pork butt weighs 2650 g, you need to multiply the ingredients specified above by 2.65. Use the US Customary measurements if you want but it may be a little more challenging.
- Combine the salt, Cure #1, and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub the dry cure mix evenly on all sides of the pork butt. Evenly apply pressed garlic.
- Place the meat into a Ziploc or vacuum-sealer bag and drizzle honey spreading it evenly over the meat. Seal and efrigerate for 7 days, flipping and massaging occasionally. If using a Ziploc bag, expel as much air as possible before sealing the bag.
- Remove the meat from the bag, scrape off excess seasonings with the back of a knife, and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place the meat on a cooling rack fitted over a baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered overnight.
- Remove the meat from the fridge and let warm up to room temperature over the course of 1-2 hours. Insert meat hooks.
- Meanwhile, preheat your smoker/smokehouse to 135F - 140F. See notes.
- Hang pork bellies in the smoker and let them warm up for about 30 minutes without smoke.
- After 30 minutes and once the meat's surface is dry, apply smoke. Smoke for 3-4 hours, depending on how smoky you want your buckboard bacon and how much color you want on it.
- Place the meat in a Ziploc or a vacuum sealer bag. Poach at 167F (75C) for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 154F (68C). Chill the meat under a cold shower or in an ice bath for a few minutes or in a cool room (50F - 55F / 10C-12C) for 10-12 hours.
- Hang the bacon in a cool room or a curing chamber for 5-7 days to dry at about 55F (12C) and 75% relative humidity. See notes.
- Remove bacon from the curing chamber, wrap it into an unglazed butcher's paper and refrigerate or vacuum seal, and freeze for longer storage.
Pat Keating says
When using a pork butt do you remove the bone before applying the cure rub?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Yes, I remove the bone and trim off any loose piece to come up with a neat, solid piece of meat. Then apply the rub.
Jonathan Burke says
First time around and it came out excellent. It's right up there with any of the high dollar cured meats available at Wegmans. I'm wondering how long it will last in the fridge and how well it freezes. Thanks.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
That's what I like to hear. Well done! Wrapped in butchers paper, it will stay fresh in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. If you let it dry, it will stary fresh longer. I dry my meats and sausages in a curing chamber at 55-57F and about 70% RH, or just hang them in my cold room or unheated garage during colder months of the year. I am targeting similar temps - 55F- 57F but I don't worry about humidity which can be anywhere from 50% to 70%. Dry them for a week or two, and they will last a couple of months in the fridge. Longer if you vacuum seal. You can also vac seal and freeze, and they will stay fresh for up to a year, but be sure to defrost slowly in the fridge. Yes, it freezes well as any other cured meat or sausage, especially if you dry it a little. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Jonathan Burke says
Thanks for the reply. I wrapped the meat in butcher paper and left it in the fridge for a week. I have since found a small fridge made for canned beverages. I hung the meat in this hoping to dry it out some more. The temperature is 45º and the humidity level varies from 75% up to close to 90%. Will this high humidity cause problems?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hm.... let me think... You may get mold. Most molds grow at RH over 70%, especially at over 75%. 80% - 90% that's their heaven. However, the temps need to be warmer than 45F so you may be OK there.
But with RH over 75% you may not get the desired drying. If the RH is high, the water will not evaporate from the surface of the meat, or it will do so at a very slow rate. This may promote mold growth.
I know, it's not what you want to hear, but this doesn't sound like the best place to dry meat. That said, maybe I am missing something. It also depends on how long your fridge stays at 75% vs 90%.
Try it for a few days and monitor. Weight the meat and let it hang there for a 2-3 days and assess the results. If it doesn't work, you can always move it into a regular (I assume frist free) fridge. Good luck!
Roshepro says
My first attempt at making buckboard bacon.....turned out terrific. It looks absolutely delicious; tastes and smells as good as it looks. I followed your recipe exactly except that I had it in the smoker for an hour, then took it out and gave it a maple seasoning rub then back into the smoker until the internal temp reached 155F. The maple adds a nice aroma when frying.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Glad you liked it. Enjoy!
Frank Wisniski says
Hello Vic,
This is a great recipe and, it's a relatively easy project to prepare.
You knocked it out of the park with this one, my friend.
I'll send you some photos via email since I can't figure out how to do it here. I openly admit that I'm technologically challenged and it's purely by choice.
Well done, my friend.
Frank
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/buckboard-bacon.jpg
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/buckboard-bacon-1.jpg
https://tasteofartisan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/buckboard-bacon-2.jpg
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hi Frank,
I am happy that you liked my recipe. I love buckboard bacon. Do not worry about not being able to upload pictures, no one can except me LOL. WordPress doesn't have a way for users to do that, at least I don't know of a way. But no worries, I will attach them to you post. Your bacon looks 'bussin'' as my kids would say. I love it. I need to make some myself as your pictures are making me hungry. You should also make some of my smoked kielbasa recipes. I am sure you will love them. I will be posting a few new recipes soon too.
Frank W. says
A question for you. I just prepared 4 sizable pieces of pork for this recipe (pseudo coppa / aka buckboard). They were cut from some of the biggest pork butts I've seen in quite a while. One piece weighed 5.5lbs (2490 grams).
I calculated salt, cure and spice but I'm wondering if they should sit in the fridge to cure an extra day or 2? They are rather thick.
What say you?
Thanks,
Frank W.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
7 days should be enough but an extra day or two (even an extra week) won't hurt. If they are much thicker, you can do 10 days.
Jim D says
Wow, your site, recipes, photos, descriptions are so over the top. I just wish I lived in your
neighborhood in Ontario. I live in N. FL. Great stuff.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Jim, a lot of what I make is not that hard to make for an average person and I am more than willing to help those who want to learn. That's why I have this blog.
Elba says
Mine turned out excellent. Thanks for the detailed instructions.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are welcome. Happy smoking!
Frank wisniski says
Reply to previous message:
You just reminded me of something about Rytek's recipes.
With all due respect to him (my grandaddy knew him reasonably well) His recipes are a might salty.
Every recipe of his I've used, there's notes I made about backing off on salt.
I also have Marianski's book. Guess it's time to study it a bit more...
Ok, your explanation is acceptable and if this project comes out a excellent as all your other recipes I just might hang a picture of you in my smokehouse....
Thank you.
Frank
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
LOL, please, no pictures of me on wall, LOL. I'd love to see a picture of your smokehouse though. I'll email you. By the way, my older daughter and my wife went a got a whole pork loin, seasoned and cured it similar to buckboard bacon and asked me to smoke it. Yes, they can cure meats already since they've me halping me a lot and know the process and salt/curing salt ratios;) Anyway, I smoked it and it turned out so good that they bought another loin for me to smoke. You should try it.
Frank Wisniski says
Hello again My Friend,
So far I've used about a dozen of your recipes. Each one better than the next, especially the summer sausage recipe. I've made over 10 batches of 12 lbs each. The family loves it and suddenly I have new "friends" whenever I make a batch.
Regarding this buckboard bacon recipe.
The amounts of salt and no. 1 cure look a little light. The last batch of regular bacon - from belly meat - I made was according to Rytek's book (honey cured bacon).
I just put together 6 lbs of pork butt buckboard bacon according to your recipes and had to be very conservative with the salt / cure so I'd have enough.
Please advise.
PS - what piece of deer meat would you use for this recipe?
Thanks much for this very interesting site.
Frank in Florida
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hello Frank, happy to hear that you've been using my recipes and like them. I'll do my best to bring many new ones.
To answer your questions, the amount of Cure #1 or #2 used when dry curing is always 1g per lb of meat or 2.5g per kilo of meat. This is in line with Marianski, Kent and other respected authors. I just checked the Rytek Kutas's recipe that you mentioned, he is using a salt box method, which is a little different method. I prefer to measure out salt and spices so I don't the meat oversalted. I can cure the meat for 7-14 days, he recommends 6 days. The shorter duration is necessary so as to no oversalt the meat. It may still get pretty salty even after 6 days. My method requires that you vacuum seal the meat or use a Ziploc bag with as much air expelled as possible. This way you get proper curing.
As far as the amount of salt that I use - let me explain. Yes, it's on the low end as I don't like salty meat and always use the lowest amount of salt I can without interfering with the safety of the product or taste. This is exactly the same amount/proportion of salt that Hector Kent recommends for his cured bacon in the Dry Curing Pork book - 2.25% or 22.5g per kg of meat / 10.2 g per lb of meat. I figure that buckboard bacon in its preparation and use is no different than regular bacon. Both are cured the same way, then smoked and cooked before eating, or smoked and cooked to where the internal temperature gets high enough to make it ready to eat - 154F - 158F. I feel comfortable with this.
As far as venison goes, I am not very experience with it so I can't give you an informed advice, but here is a discussion from one of my favorite forums, I think it will be helpful - https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/venison-buckbaord-bacon.106269/.
Happy curing and smoking!