Buckboard "butt" Bacon question?

[jt]

My boss said it was too bad I had to pick up my son right after work because I would miss the Vegan/Vegetarian recipe tasting at one of our dining halls. I told her that wasn't my cut of meat...

[parrothead]

Good one

[BigAl]

It's lent?

To who and for how long?

[midnight]

fridge is just starting to smell yummy.
I have to turn the meat over tonight when I get home, so I will try to take a pic with the digital camera and post it.
I will let you know how they turn out. Hope they are good beacuse I have enough cure to do 40lbs more.

[Stucue74]

Originally Posted by DFLittle

Ham is from the pigs butt - i.e. hind leg.

Boston butt/shoulder is just that -- front leg/shoulder. The butt from the Boston butt comes from the cut being at the base (or butt) of the leg - which in this case is the shoulder.

Now, are we completely confused?? :D

Okay, here's a question for someone with a Pork Chart handy. Albertson's is promoting Pork shoulders (boneless, 3.5-6 lbs.)buy one get one free this week. Is this the Pork Butt part of the shoulder or the Picnic roast? How do you tell? I'd like to stock up but don't want the picnic. :?

[Stucue74]

Originally Posted by Stucue74

Okay, here's a question for someone with a Pork Chart handy. Albertson's is promoting Pork shoulders (boneless, 3.5-6 lbs.)buy one get one free this week. Is this the Pork Butt part of the shoulder or the Picnic roast? How do you tell? I'd like to stock up but don't want the picnic. :?

Anyone? Anyone? I need some butt. Need to go to the store. Please help me for the love of butt...

[parrothead]

Don't know man. I would say give it a whirl. Grab a couple, cook em up and if ya like em go back and grab more.

[Saiko]

Originally Posted by Stucue74

Okay, here's a question for someone with a Pork Chart handy. Albertson's is promoting Pork shoulders (boneless, 3.5-6 lbs.)buy one get one free this week. Is this the Pork Butt part of the shoulder or the Picnic roast? How do you tell? I'd like to stock up but don't want the picnic. :?

It's gotta be one or the other, since a whole shoulder would weigh a lot more. Kinda hard to tell just by looking at it in the wrapper. Either one would make good que, but I'd just ask the guy at the store.
Costco has been selling whole boneless shoulders lately, and they have been running about 12 to 15 pounds. I've been cutting them in half and smoking em on two different grates. Damn good que too.

[chad]

Probably the shoulder. Butt is usually marketed as Boston Butt and the shoulder as shoulder or picnic "ham".

[Saiko]

When I think of shoulder, I think of both the Boston Butt and the Picnic combined, which is why a whole shoulder weighs about 12 to 15 pounds. A picnic and a boston butt would weigh a lot less.
This is from a FAQ I just did a google search on:

What's the difference between a pork shoulder and a picnic shoulder?
A pork shoulder is the shoulder and front leg of the pig. The picnic shoulder is a portion of that cut. The picnic shoulder (or picnic shank)and Boston Butt (often called the blade roast or button roast) together make the shoulder (often called a "full" or "barbecue" shoulder). Different areas of the country have different names for these roasts, and there is little standardization in that area. If you are in doubt as to the exact cut of meat you are getting, ask you butcher and tell him/her what exactly you're looking for.

A full shoulder weighs in around 12 - 16 pounds, but can go as high as 25. The picnic portion of the shoulder is the portion starting just above the knuckle joint and extending upwards to where the shank bone joins the body of the pig. The Boston Butt portion is the actual shoulder of the pig, the meat mass surrounding the shoulder joint. A full shoulder will contain the arm bone, shank bone, and a portion of the blade bone. The picnic shoulder will contain the arm and shank bone; the Boston Butt will contain only the blade bone.

[Stucue74]

Thanks for the help. Feel like I've been to butcher school

[Mark]

Right: pig arm = picnic. right below that is the wrist/hock and right below that is the foot/hand

[midnight]

Sorry I didn't post any pics. The meat looks like a pork roast only darker, would not make a very interesting pic as we have all seen pork roast before.

I am on day 6 now and will do pics after I smoke and slice them.
someone told me to only cure for 8 days or they get too salty, so I may try one at 8 days and see how it turns out.

[midnight]

Well here it is! The finished product. I cured for 10 days, on day 9 I put pure maple syrup on half the pork and pure honey on the other half then put them back in the fridge.
Day 10: took meat out and soaked in a bowl of water for 2 hours, changing water once. This is to get rid of any left over cure and cut back on the salty flavor. After soaking I dryed them off and let them air dry for another hour.
Put into a cool smoker, about 100deg., for 45 min. then add wet wood to make more smoke, and crank the heat up to 200-225. Cook until meat reaches 140 and then take out of smoker.
The instructions claim that you can put meat in smoker for about 45 min. to get smoke flavor and then finish cooking in the oven, but why would you want to?

I let the cooked meat sit in the fridg over night before slicing it ond frying up a couple slices. Tasted very good just like bacon, only I couldn't tell the difference between the honey and the maple bacon. Next time I will put the maple and honey on just a few hours before I put in smoker.
Although my wife says she could taste the maple.
here are some pics of the finished product sliced and frying in a pan.

[midnight]

pic2