Who does it? What do you use for rub/cure/brine?

watching

I do.

I use Mortens Sugar cure.

Not to be confused qith Mortens Tenderquick

When I can find bellies they are usually more expensive than the pork shoulders or whole loins. So, I make Buckboard and Canadian bacon instead. Works out better, as we prefer leaner bacon.

Here's a batch I just finished.

pintail take us thru step by step please it looks great

Here is the one that I use. https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/how-to-cure-bacon

I have done 100's of pounds out of pork butts with cure and smoked. I was told it wasn't bacon. Do a search.

Check out pink curing salt for a brine

MJM, pintail_drake04 , do you cure and smoke the shoulders and loins the same as bellys?
What temp do you smoke them to?
Thanks, BT

I use Hi Mountain Seasoning, Black Pepper Brown Sugar Blend and Buckboard Bacon Cure. I tried coming up with my own when I first started making it but came across this and won't use anything else now. The directions are on the box it comes in and I've gotten the same results every time. I use pork butts and cure them 2 at a time usually 4 times a year on my electric smoker set at 200 degrees for 6-7 hours. I've used pecan, hickory and apple wood for smoke with apple is my favorite. I hope this helps some of you!

Yep thanks Big Cat, Been using Hi Mountain for jerky so that is a good direction to head.

Yes, I use the same cure and smoke the same way. I also bring them up to the same temp. This is the way I was shown how to make bacon, and how I've always done it. The cut of meat changes, but the process is the same.

https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthr.../Search/true/buckboard-bacon#Post7648102

I run my cured, smoked meat up to 145 to 150. The book says 140. I like to make sure I have that plus. I have copied the recipe and posted it on here with the directions. It was from the book "Great sausage recipes and meat curing" It is a very good book. 100's of sausage and curing recipes.

Cathryn, were do you get Mortans sugar cure? I haven't been able to get any for a few years now. Could not find a substitute that we liked , so quite doing bacon and hams.

.

We've done the sugar cures, dry rubs but I like doing them in a brine of tenderquick the hest. It tastes more like the bacon ya buy in a store.

We use a tote with about 5" of water, put enough tenderquick in to float an egg and add some brown sugar to your taste. Keep in the 38-40 degree range for 4-6 days, maybe 7 if its a thick bacon and your like for how salty you like it. Then cold smoke to taste.


(you'd need more water to do roasts, enough to cover them.)

What is the point of the cure? Why not just season the meat and smoke it slice it and eat it what does the curing do for it?

The cure is what turns it from pork into bacon. If you just seasoned it and smoked it you would have smoked pork. The cure is what makes it take on the form of bacon/ham.

Cured smoked meat will last way longer than uncured refrigerated. I kept bacon in a creek in a zip lock for three months when camped out. The water temperature was in the mid 30's

Yup, I remember an old timer telling me the cure does the preserving, the smoke just keeps the flies off while the meat finishes drying LOL. He looked at the smoke flavor as a biproduct of the process.