The Cheap Pork Cut That Makes Rich, Flavorful Buckboard Bacon

There are many types of bacon, like the Canadian bacon that makes its way to eggs Benedict and the sliced uncured bacon you can add to a breakfast spread. Then there's buckboard bacon, sometimes also called cottage bacon. No matter what name you call the pork byproduct, a perk to this bacon is how it can be cheaper to make in bulk at home. What makes that true is the cut of pork often used for buckboard bacon is relatively affordable to relieve your grocery costs without sacrificing too much meat.

Pork butt is the most common cut to turn into homemade buckboard bacon, because it provides more meat to make this bacon that's typically cut thicker than the packaged bacon at the store. Another option that can be used is pork shoulder. Both pork butt and shoulder are cut from a pig's shoulder, and offer plenty of marbling for fatty delicious flavor in the bacon. Both of these cuts are still a little tough despite that fat, which is another reason why they work well with the slow cooking method it takes to turn out flavorful, juicy buckboard bacon.

You might want to know a little bit more about buckboard bacon before you take the time to make it with pork shoulder or butt. Expect meatier pieces with a stronger pork flavor compared to regular bacon thanks to the use of pork shoulder. Its origins are thought to trace back all the way back to early settlers in the United States, perhaps because the curing process would help preserve the large cut of meat when refrigerators weren't around. Either way, it's easy to make like other bacon (if you have some time on your hands) and can be seasoned in a variety of ways.

When you secure your pork butt or shoulder, there's a little prep work for the cheap cut of meat. Cure the meat with the likes of plenty of salt according to your chosen recipe, which might require it to sit in the fridge for as long as 10 days so be patient. Afterwards, the pork will need to be rinsed before you smoke it to be eaten. When the process is finally done, slice it according to your desired thickness then cook and eat it like any other type of bacon. To prevent all of that work from going to waste, consider these tips you need to cook the best bacon then serve it with breakfast or make a classic BLT sandwich.