Pork Butt

• Pork shoulder is also referred to by butchers as "pork butt" and is the cut of meat used for buckboard bacon. Either purchase a boneless pork butt, or remove the bone before curing. Trim off any excess fat. The weight of the meat can vary widely, but the thickness should not exceed roughly 3 inches to allow for thorough curing. Typically, the larger the piece of meat, the longer it will take to cure.

Dry Cure

• The main ingredient in a bacon cure is salt. In the case of a dry cure, seasoning and other flavors can be added to the salt. For a simple cure, combine 1 cup of kosher salt, 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1 tbsp. cracked black pepper. Apply the cure liberally to the meat, covering every surface, including any crevasses or folds. Any area of the meat not coated with the salt mixture will spoil, rather than cure. Place the meat in a sealed plastic bag in the coldest part of the refrigerator for ten days, turning the bag over once each day. While the meat cures, liquid will be extracted and collect in the bag. This is not cause for concern. After the ten days, remove the meat and rinse thoroughly. The bacon is now ready to be smoked.

Wet Cure

• A wet cure, or brine, is a salt solution used instead of a dry cure. To wet cure buckboard bacon, combine enough kosher salt and honey, in equal parts, to coat the entire piece of meat and apply. Place the meat in a sealed plastic bag and remove as much air as possible. Put the meat in the coldest part of the refrigerator for one week, turning once every day. At the end of the week, remove the meat and rinse the cure off thoroughly. The bacon is now ready to be smoked.

Commercial Cures

• Commercial curing ingredients are available such as Morton's Tender Quick and Hi Mountain Seasonings Buckboard Bacon Cure, but these products contain nitrites, which some home cooks may wish to avoid for health reasons. To keep nitrites and nitrates out of home cured bacon, do not use cures that contain them. However, bacon cured with these products will last longer than bacon cured using only a salt-based cure. To use these ingredients, simply follow the directions on the package.