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[LowSlowJoe]

Here's why I keep making bacon myself,  ya just don't see any like this in stores.

[Bentley]

I can't find belly's like that!

[Bar-B-Lew]

Here's why I keep making bacon myself,  ya just don't see any like this in stores.

Put that on dry ice and send to me

[jdmessner]

Here's why I keep making bacon myself,  ya just don't see any like this in stores.

I second your thoughts. This thread has been fun to follow. However, there have been times when the math has given me a headache!

That didn't stop me from giving it a go. We had our family Christmas today (We're good at prcrastination). I smoked the bacon last week and used it for a cherry glazed tenderloin.

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[Bentley]

My bellies look much more like that!

[LowSlowJoe]

I think my pig had six pack abs...

I actually like something with a little more fat, but then I'm not really complaining about my extra lean belly.

[Michael_NW]

LSJ, where did you find that belly? Could you tell from looking through the plastic that it was that exceptional? That's outrageous!

[LowSlowJoe]

LSJ, where did you find that belly? Could you tell from looking through the plastic that it was that exceptional? That's outrageous!

 Only place I've ever really been able to find belly... my local Costco.    They sell what I believe are full pork bellies, or at least maybe one side of a belly    they usually are about 9 pounds... roughly 12" wide and maybe 20 to 24" long, and about 1.5 to 2.5" thick, all in a cryovac package.    I usually pick through every one they have in the display case, mostly looking for relatively uniform thickness, and a little about looking at the side for clues on how lean they might be... but really I mostly look for a uniform thickness of at least 2 inches.   I don't like bellies that are not mostly the same thickness because then curing and even cooking times will vary, which just makes it more complicated than I like it to be.

   Anyway, to some degree I guess I'm just lucky... I don't know exactly why, but suspect it has something to do with a fairly large population of Asian people in my area, but my Costco sometimes will have like 30 or more pork bellies in the meat area... with another dozen or so that have already been sliced...    I don't know exactly how much of it they sell, but as far as I know, it's a very popular item at this particular Costco ( Ann Arbor , Michigan )   

[Bentley]

Man I wish Costco was uniform through out the Nation.

[Ssteppe]

All done. Came out too salty (as some of you pointed out), so I'll cut back to 1/4 cup kosher salt next time. Had to soak in cold water for an hour, changing water a couple of times.
1/3 cup dark brown sugar was just right, and 1 teaspoon of pink salt seemed ok. (Plus 2 Tablespoons cracked black pepper.)

Cold smoked for 4 hours with Hickory (ambient outside temp was 20 F). Smoked 3 wheels of Edam cheese at same time (I find I like Edam even better than Gouda for smoking).

Next day I hot smoked with Apple/Oak at 180 F for about 4 hours until IT was between 140-150.

This belly was from Sam's Club - not as lean as the one above. But still tastes good. Thanks for all the advice.

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[Michael_NW]

Man I wish Costco was uniform through out the Nation.

+1

Man, I'm stoked! This thread is so good. Next challenge: making bacon.

[Bentley]

Well, this thread motivated me to get that digital  scale...Will make Breakfast Sausage today!

[GrillinGlen]

Bentley, how did the "buckboard" bacon turn out??

[Bentley]

I found it almost impossible to slice, so from a "traditional" bacon sense a failure.  Taste was pretty close, but when you basically have to cut it into chunk and cook it, not my idea of bacon.  I ground most of it and used it like sausage!

[LowSlowJoe]

Buckboard bacon... now that is something I do want to try...      If I do it, I intend to try and cut the shoulder up into blocks...  ideally about 2" thick, and maybe 4x8" or something like that... but anyway, Since I am about ready to go buy some pork shoulder for pulled pork, I may have to hold some of it in reserve to make some buckboard bacon...