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shoulder bacon - inspired by @cookinbob and @shtgunal3

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Canugghead
Canugghead Posts: 11,515
edited September 2014 in Pork
Experimented with two thin bone-in butts, cured for nine days flipping twice a day, rinsed and soaked for an hour with couple of water changes (don't like too much salt), air dried in fridge couple of days, smoked with pecan and hickory chunks at 195F for about seven hours till IT 140, wrapped and rested in fridge two days.  Thick-sliced and fried up a batch tonight, wow! can't stop eating it.  When cold it tastes more like ham but it's way better after frying. Definitely doing this again, but with bigger butts!  It's easier to find, cheaper and less fat than belly, what's not to like!

edit: the hardest part was calculating the Ready Cure amount based on manufacturer's dosage guide to match Ruhlman's basic cure recipe and each butt's weight  :D

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canuckland
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  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,670
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    I will have to do that soon!

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,515
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    You'll love it!
    canuckland
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  • shtgunal3
    shtgunal3 Posts: 5,647
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    Holy Moly!!! That looks great my northern friend. Note for future reference.... If you use the "salt box method" you don't have to calculate anything. You just dredge the meat in the dry cure until evenly coated on all sides and then shake off the excess. Looks like you nailed it though! Bravo!

    ___________________________________

     

     LBGE,SBGE, and a Mini makes three......Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .

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  • minniemoh
    minniemoh Posts: 2,145
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    I thought Canadians could only make Canadian bacon?!?! WTH? Looks fantastic! It's on my shot list but I would like to use the A-Maz-N smoker and try to cold smoke. My wife got one for my birthday in May I have yet to use it. I guess I should try some cheese or something just to start - that way I can save the pig.
    L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....
    eggAddict from MN!
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  • Egghead_Daron
    Egghead_Daron Posts: 862
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    @minniemoh, this is off-topic but dude smoke some cheese. Try Gouda. Wow is all I can say and a great way to break in the AmazNSmoker. Swiss is really good too.

    That shoulder bacon looks great. I have a butt in the fridge that has been cured and now drying for 3 days in the fridge that I plan to smoke tomorrow if I get a chance between soccer tournaments and wifey participating in a mini marathon and leaving me with kids.
    LBGE 2013, SBGE 2014, Mini 2015
    Columbus IN
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,515
    edited September 2014
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    @shtgunal3 - Thanks. I didn't want to mess with the 'salt box' approximation, fearing that any margin of error may be amplified.

    @minniemoh - Thanks. Haha, I make Southern pulled pork and French fries too!  I should have cold smoked one of them and compared.

    Egghead_Daron - Thanks. My favourite cheese for smoking is mozzarella. Hope you get to smoke yours this weekend, share some pics please!
    canuckland
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  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
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    Looks like you nailed it. FWIW, mine is sliced thin and tastes like regular bacon, cooks up really nice!
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
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  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
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    Also I have cold smoked and hot smoked bacon. I prefer the hot smoked. YMMV
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,515
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    Thanks Bob, next time I'll try some thin-sliced as well. Guess I probably won't bother cold smoking, feel a little uneasy handling uncooked pork repeatedly and storing/freezing.
    canuckland
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  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
    edited September 2014
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    Canugghead said:
     Guess I probably won't bother cold smoking, feel a little uneasy handling uncooked pork repeatedly and storing/freezing.
    I don't think there is a food safety issue with cold smoking - a proper cure should take care of everything.  If you read up on Pancetta, once cured, there is no cook, no smoke, not even refrigeration, just roll it and hang it for a few days in a cool place.  

    With that said, I will keep on hot smoking (very low around 190 to an IT of 140), and I do vacuum seal and freeze the finished bacon.  It is great to have a freezer full of bacon ;)

    Also, I notice yours is really lean, not nearly as fatty as mine.  Maybe that's why mine tastes more like bacon
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
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  • shtgunal3
    shtgunal3 Posts: 5,647
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    I had a shoulder bacon and tomato sandwich today. It was soooo good.

    ___________________________________

     

     LBGE,SBGE, and a Mini makes three......Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .

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