The Cheap Pork Cut Used To Make Buckboard Bacon

When you think of bacon, there's probably a very specific image that comes to mind — and it's very likely that you're thinking of streaky bacon. Streaky bacon, which is also called "American bacon," comes from the pig's belly and is the variety of bacon that is by and far the most common (at least in the U.S.). But streaky bacon is far from the only variety of bacon out there. In fact, we have a whole guide to all the bacon varieties for you to read up on if you're interested.

If you're looking to save money and make homemade bacon, there's one variety you need to know about more than the others: buckboard bacon. Buckboard bacon, which is also known as "cottage bacon," is made from the pork butt (which is another term for shoulder). Cottage bacon is a bit leaner than streaky bacon and has a rich, porky flavor that some people prefer.

In addition to its flavor, pork butt is also much cheaper than the belly. For example, if you buy pork from Wild Fork, an online meat retailer, pork belly is priced at $7.98 per pound, while pork shoulder is priced at $4.48 per pound. In other words, pork shoulder is nearly half the price of pork belly — that's a lot of money saved over time.  But this doesn't mean that buckboard bacon can't be just as delicious as streaky bacon. 

Just as you can make streaky bacon at home, you can also make buckboard bacon — the process is somewhat similar, and you'll save money by using the cheaper cut of pork. The general process consists of rubbing the curing mix (which may consist of black pepper, salt, garlic, and either sugar or honey) over the cut of pork, then storing it in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge for somewhere between a week and 14 days for it to cure. For anyone unfamiliar, "cured" bacon simply means that it has been preserved (although the ingredients used to preserve it also give the bacon its flavor). For bacon sold in stores, "cured" means preserved with sodium nitrites, while "uncured" means it has been preserved with something else — so, in other words, "uncured" bacon is actually pretty cured.

After the week or so is up, the buckboard bacon will need to be smoked — and if you don't have a smoker, you'll be happy to know that it's easier to smoke meat in your oven than you'd think (all you need is wood chips, aluminum foil, and, of course, your oven). If you do use a smoker, be sure to look out for the common mistakes that everyone makes when smoking meat, such as using too much smoke or checking the meat too often. Then cut the bacon to your desired thickness when you need it, and you might find you prefer buckboard bacon to streaky bacon — which will be great for your wallet in the long run.