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Main Boards => Recipes/Grilling/ Barbecuing/Smokers => Topic started by: koger on December 22, 2013, 01:07:00 PM
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Along with the post on curing deer loin, I had mentioned that I was curing buckboard bacon, bacon made from any other part of the hog than belly, and it was done Saturday. I had 2-#8 shoulders, deboned them, and cut the thick fat cap of the top. These were on sale locally for $1 a pound. I then cut each shoulder into 4 sections, 1 1/2inches thick, 4-5 inches wide and about 10 inches long, the length of the shoulder or thereabouts. I then added 1 heaping tablespoon per pound of Morton's Tender Quick curing salt and teaspoon of brown sugar per pound, and sprinkled with a little black pepper. I put each slab into a gallon freezer bag, and sealed tight w/little to no air inside. I then placed them on a pan, in the bottom of a fridge. I flip each package every day, for 14 days. I then took each section out and rinsed well, and sliced across the grain, and put into quart freezer bags, 6-8 pieces each, I cut the longest pieces in half. Each shoulder made 12 packs, and I froze them. I left about 6 pieces out, and fried 3 pieces in veg oil, 3 in water just to the top of the bacon pieces. It turns reddish pink when cooking either way. Both were great, if you like salty country ham, cook in oil, cooked in water, tastes more like Canadian Bacon. Wife, daughter, son in law and I had this for breakfast with whole grain home made bread, more farm fresh scrambled eggs, an some raspberry jelly. As we were eating breakfast my daughter made a joke, and said "I wonder how the poor folks is living". I can send pics if I can get someone to post them. I will be giving some of this away to friends with deer summer sausage and various jams for Christmas presents.
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I need to try this, thank you.
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Will this method work with the belly portion of the hog as well?
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Yep, about any cut. Belly/bacon will taste better with a slow cure, it does not take nearly as long as ham, about 3 weeks for slow cure bacon, then smoke, slice and freeze in serving size packages.