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Homemade buckboard bacon

Homemade Buckboard Bacon Recipe

Course: Appetizer, dinner, lunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buckboard bacon, buckboard bacon recipe
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Curing time: 7 days
Total Time: 7 days 4 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 30
Calories:
Author: Victor
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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 belly 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.
    Removing excess seasonings from cured meat.
  • 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.
    Bringing meat to room temperature before smoking.
  • 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.

Notes

If your smoker cannot maintain 130F-140F, smoke at whatever lowest temperature you can get. Even if smoked at 225F, you should get decent results.
If you don't have a cold room or a curing chamber, simply wrap the meat individually in unglazed butcher's paper and refrigerate for a week.