Homemade Sausage Making

just thought I'd post some pic's of my version of dlfl's honey butt bacon. 1 hr@120°,then 6hrs @150° smoked with hickory and cherry then 30 minutes in my oven @225°.Enjoy! orf...
warmig up after 6 day cure

ready for the smoker

into the smoker

all done

cut up

nuff said

It came out very nice. I like your smoke house too.

Looks great! Tell us, what is the difference in the end between belly and butt bacon? Does it taste the same?

I like the picture with the microwave and wood burner in the same room.

From my experience with butt bacon the major difference is in the fat/lean ratio. The skin side slab comes pretty close to belly bacon.

I'm getting frustrated with the belly slabs I'm getting, as there's no meat, with a lot of fat. Haven't tried butt bacon. Any opinions which you prefer when prepared the same. Thanks in advance. Reason I'd like to know as I've got a lot of young bucks who are getting interested and want to teach them right.

When I purchase butts I select the largest, heaviest ones I can find and carefully remove an inch to an inch and a half thick slab from the skin side. The scalpula gets in the way a little and I have to cut around that just gently. This picture shows poorly the four quarters cut from one such slab.
They are on a luncheon plate.

the first sample was from the smallest piece it didn't have much fat in it and I baked it @ 375° for 10 minutes or so and it came out a little dry. the other sample had more fat and I fried it in the black iron skillet. much better. the taste was close to belly bacon but the texture wasn't as crisp.It was delicious though.we will have it again.

the microwave is nice but it won't keep ya warm. orf...

ssorllih wrote:When I purchase butts I select the largest, heaviest ones I can find and carefully remove an inch to an inch and a half thick slab from the skin side.

I'm going to try this when I get butts with a nice fat cap on them. Currently I'm getting them at Costco, and they have neither skin nor much of the fat cap left.

I have made a point of refusing to buy pork belly anymore, 3 times the price of whole forequarter, I might look stupid but I certainly can do my sums.
I have decided to go the Ssorllih way, makes sense to me!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Ross.

Cabonaia wrote:

ssorllih wrote:When I purchase butts I select the largest, heaviest ones I can find and carefully remove an inch to an inch and a half thick slab from the skin side.

I'm going to try this when I get butts with a nice fat cap on them. Currently I'm getting them at Costco, and they have neither skin nor much of the fat cap left.

I made some speck from that part of the butt. WUNDERBAR! Pictures soon.