Question about making buckboard bacon on WSM


 
M

Mark C

TVWBB Member
I have made bacon 3 times now using both butt and then loin for Canadian style bacon and every time I have done this, a green stain (mold?) gets on the meat surface right where it touches the grill grates. Not the whole length of the grate; only small patches.

I just cut it off the surface and have never had a problem with it but can't figure out why it happens. I have tried Pam spray on the grates and nothing on the grates; doesn't seem to matter. Start the cook at 150 - 160 for 45 minutes then go to 200 with smoke till they are done.

Anyone experience this?
 
I have never experienced that. It sounds kind of like nitrite burn. Do you notice the color only after smoking, not before?
 
Hi Kevin, it happens early on even before I start adding smoke wood.

Also, I rinse very well and soak them in a food lug with fresh water in the fridge for 2 hours before getting them out and later placing in the WSM.
 
Hmmm. What are you using for cure and how much of it on what size (weight) piece of meat?
 
Using High Mountain Buckboard bacon cure using the ratio on the box: 16 ounces cure per 25 pounds of meat. For less than that, I calculate the correct amount and weigh the cure to the tenth of an ounce on my scale for whatever the individual piece of pork weighs. They have always come out tasting great and not too salty.

Perhaps some kind of reaction is taking place between the metal on the grill and the cure? There are some places where the Nickel plating has worn away. It only discolors the meat in small patches; not the whole length of the grill indention on the pork. Maybe I should get some new grills and try that. Other than that I just can't come up with anything else.
 
You could try that. I'm a bit stumped. I know that heat can exacerbate nitrite burning but since you're not overdoing the cure (and are soaking) I'm not sure if that's what's going on. The other thing: my grates are in the same condition as yours. Unless mine have somehow developed some sort of protection in one way or another why is not happening with my bacon?

I'll keep thinking about it. Perhaps Joe Ames would have some insight here. He is on this board periodically or you could try contacting him through his site http://www.theingredientstore.com/contact_us.htm
 
Thanks Kevin, I'll ask him and hopefully get an answer. From what you said about your grates, it doesn't sound like that is the problem.
It only happens with bacon cure. I make my own sausages and no problem smoking them up.

It's more annoying than anything else having to cut those small pieces off the outside of the pork!
 
Hi Mark,

Whenever I have encountered a problem or have questions about any Hi Mountain product I have called them and they have always been accommodating.
 
I got 2 cryo packs of boneless butt from Costco the other day and the total weight between the two was just over 24lbs (labeled weight from CostCo). I used half a cup of Buckboard cure on each of the 4 butts (since it is 2 cups total for 25lbs) and then put each one in a gallon sized ziploc bag. Once I put them in the ziplocs I noticed one is a fair amount smaller than the rest and one a fair amount bigger. My my only fear is not having enough cure on them since I split it evenly to butts that were not all even. How exact is this process? Would a few tablespoons short make much a difference of that is the case?
Jamie
 
Thickness is more important overall. Is the larger thicker as well? The smaller thinner? You can compensate by lengthening cure time for the thicker one.
 
I just ordered me a box of the Hi mountain Buckboard cure yesterday so I am watchiing the chats close on this issue and plan on doing mine in a week or so. Let me know how yours turn out.

Thanks
Randy
 
Well I basically have them almost butterflied to make sure they were not too thick so I think I am under 3" on all sections. Just plan to tie them up into a neat package before I smoke them.
Jamie
 
I do the high mountain cure and have let mine go as much as 20 days. I have done pork butts and now only do loins. Nobody has died yet and is an awesome finish product. The reason I do it for so long is that the whole pork loins are thick. If the seasoning you are doing has Morton Cure stuff in it versus the High Mountain and it is enough, no worry. Cure it long enough, time is no problem.
 
Anyone have anything to say against soaking my 4 butts in a small cooler? I don't have any vessel large enough to hold the butts and an adequate amount of water, but do have a small cooler that I use to hold hot foiled meats. If I ran the cooler through the dishwasher would I be safe (since it has been sitting out on the deck all winter)?
Thanks-
Jamie
 
I've gotten the same greenish lines on the back bacon you are describing. The finish is gone or nearly so on my grates from all the scrubbing they get. I attribute the staining to a reaction between the residual curing salts (Tender Quick) and the metal. It's not mold.

Next time just put a piece of parchment paper under the loin, trimmed to fit the shape of the loin. That will prevent direct contact with the grate and the stains.
 
Clean the cooler, use cold water, cold meat and you're good. Throw some loose ice in to keep it cold. Change the water and ice periodically till whatever soak time you've decided to go with is done.

Yes, Shawn. that sounds probable to me. Though my grates are like Mark's I do not scrub them. The interaction doesn't occur with my grates but my guess is Mark scrubs his as well.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Shawn W:
I've gotten the same greenish lines on the back bacon you are describing. The finish is gone or nearly so on my grates from all the scrubbing they get. I attribute the staining to a reaction between the residual curing salts (Tender Quick) and the metal. It's not mold.

Next time just put a piece of parchment paper under the loin, trimmed to fit the shape of the loin. That will prevent direct contact with the grate and the stains. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Shawn, at least I am not the only one! Do you remove it or just leave it there? I was going to do what V. Roberts suggested; to call High Mountain and talk to Joe Ames as Kevin posted but have been super busy lately!

Still enjoying that Canadian bacon!
 
I um ... well ..... I just ate it
icon_eek.gif
lol ... can't waste perfectly good back bacon

no more problems with that using the parchment paper though
 
So just finished sealing up my 4 butts worth of buckboard bacon that I smoked yesterday. Everything went well but it did take 5.5 hours on the smoker to hit 140 (compared to 3 for Chris on his walkthrough on the site).
Was surprised that the mangled boneless butts from Costco, which I reassembled with some string like Dr. Frankenstein, actually stayed together as if whole when sliced. I figured it would break apart into pieces when sliced, but I should not have under-estimated the miracle of pork.
Tasted a little this morning and it was quite good, though a bit salty even after a 2 hour soak. Next time I will try to change the water during soaking, though it may just be the nature of the beast.
Jamie

Buckboard Bacon V-Sealed
 
Hi Jamieson, Nice crop of bacon! I usually change the soaking water 2 - 3 times. It makes the salt content just right for my family.

LOL Shawn! I will try parchment paper next time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top