Hillbilly Bacon is also referred to as Backboard Bacon, simply it is a pork shoulder or "pork butt" and treated and cured as bacon, need I say any more. What's draws me to this style is that it has a flavor profile right between side bacon and back bacon, or "Smoked Loins". We were able to take the best of our previous bacon projects and infuse our successes. I have to say this is probably my favorite project so far.

Here is Pit Boss and myself removing the skin (for our crackling project) and de-boning the butt, out of the other room my son chants "Dad has a bone in his butt, Dad has a bone in his butt". Yes I told my son my butt has a bone and would he like a few dishes to do? (enough funny cause we go on all day along this line).

     

In to a mix of 1/2 cup Morton Tender Quick® and 1/2 cup of brown sugar and a good long rub on my de-boned butt.... (heh heh)

Into a zip lock and stored for a week, refrigerated and flipped daily. I have to say at this point make sure you do not get any of your rub on the zipper part of the bag, it is a nightmare to close and get a good lock. While we don't show it in this picture, invert the top of the back inside out.


   

A week later and into a good 1/2 hour soak in some fresh water and a drizzle of good maple syrup, not the pancake stuff but good 100% maple syrup. I had to fight my wife for the last can, she drinks this stuff straight. She says it from her francophone heritage of sugar shacks, if you have ever been to a real Quebec sugar shack you will understand.

Well into the Bradley smoker at 220 on a cherry smoke for an internal temp of 140, ours took just a little longer then 3 hours. If yours takes any longer hold back on the smoke and just give'er the heat.  This cooker gives constant and consistant smoke, so open the vents right up. I have to learn to back off the smoke on the Bradley as Mike reminds me constantly that smoke is an ingredient not the main dish, sometimes the smoke can be a little too intense and too much of a good thing is not so yummy.

  

Here is our finished product, it was just incredible, you had to slice it a little thicker then regular bacon. We had ours in a clubhouse and it was one of the quitest meals we had had in a long time. For those of you who don't know what a club hous is, it's three layers of toast, turkey and lettuce on the bottom, bacon and tomato on the top portion, mayo in between. This was truly a little slice of heaven, I received immediate request for a repeater.

I intend to enhance this taste profile just a bit more I am thinking a maple bourbon glaze next time...

  

This project was widely shared so I expect our tasters will leave comments, or else we will have to find new tasters... Any takers???