Southern Indiana Butcher » Meat Curing http://butchersupply.net/blog Meat Cutting, Sausage Making, Meat Curing, And Smokehouse Cooking Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:35:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Butt Bacon http://butchersupply.net/blog/2009/07/21/122/ http://butchersupply.net/blog/2009/07/21/122/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:25:20 +0000 jsummers http://butchersupply.net/blog/?p=122 I bought a case of boston butts for this weekend to make a batch of pulled pork. I got to looking around and noticed we were out of bacon so I decided to make up one of our favorites, Butt Bacon. To make this product I de-bone the butt, take the fat side and cut about a 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick slab. I then square this miniature slab up nice and dry rub it with a pre-mixed cure but it can be soaked in a brine if you prefer. For the dry rub I use 1/2 oz of Golden Brown Sugar Cure per pound of raw meat. It doesn’t look like alot when its on the meat but its enough. Rub and stack the slabs in a non-reactive container, maybe a ziploc bag if you’re just doing one. Cover and put in a 38-40 deg cooler. Overhaul after one day (bottom slab to the top) and again on the second day. After 3 days the slabs will be ready.
 

For a brine cure use the same 1/2 ounce per pound but weigh and count the water.

 

Example:

5 pounds water + 2 pounds meat = 7 pounds.

7 pounds x 1/2 ounce = 3.5 ounces cure.

 

Make sure all the slabs are covered and place in a 38-40 deg cooler. 3 days in the brine will do it.

 

Take the slabs out, rinse them lightly and hang in the cooler to surface dry for a day or more. I’ve had these cured slabs hang for a week in cold weather or in a cooler with no problem.

 

The slabs are now ready for the smokehouse. Process through the smokehouse with your favorite hardwood, smoking for from 2-4 hours or whatever your taste prefers. Keep the house temperature low. I prefer not to exceed 120 deg. when doing bacons of any kind. When finished smoking I like to let the bacon hang in the cooler for another 4-5 days before slicing. This period allows the flavor to develop and lets the slab dry further giving a stiffer, easier to slice slab. Slice and enjoy as you would any bacon!

Cut the slab:

Square it up:

Rub with cure:

 

Allow to cure.
Process through the smokehouse.

The finished product:

The finished product

Sliced:

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