The Affordable Cut Of Meat Used To Make Buckboard Bacon

Traditional bacon is such a delicious and in-demand cut of meat, that it often comes at a hefty price tag. Sometimes, you just can't justify doling out the cash required to bring it home. Buckboard bacon, however, is an affordable alternative from a different cut of pork that mimics many of bacon's great qualities without breaking the bank.

It's not quite true to say bacon is the same as pork belly, but the belly area of a pig is typically used to make bacon. Buckboard, also known as cottage bacon, is a thinly sliced piece of cured pork that is carved from the Boston butt rather than the midsection. While pork belly is decadently rich in fat, the rump area has a deep, rich, meaty flavor, making it one of the best cuts of pork to smoke. Upon frying, buckboard bacon has a flavor somewhere between regular bacon and a pork chop, thanks to a greater ratio of meat to intramuscular fat. Butt is also vastly less expensive than a comparable weight of belly, so making buckboard bacon at home not only gives you an entirely different flavor, but also saves you quite a bit of cash.

Boston butt is full of connective tissue that typically requires low and slow cooking methods to break down. However, curing and thinly slicing the meat mimics much of this effect. Your buckboard bacon may be a little tough, more similar to Canadian bacon than American varieties, but its flavor and affordability are undeniable.

Buckboard bacon has a ton of uses, but it may not crumble up into bits the way varieties made from pork belly would. Still, like regular bacon, it's best to eat it whole with your breakfast or as a protein for sandwiches. You can also enjoy buckboard bacon chopped as a topping for soups and salads, or even layered over a dish of canned baked beans.

This bacon style is ideal for pork-forward meals like BLTs which allow for a high level of customization. Much like how Giada De Laurentiis swaps bacon for pancetta, you can opt for this Boston butt product to enjoy a heartier, more satisfying meat on your sandwich. This is particularly great if you like soft bread, as buckboard bacon doesn't produce enough grease to make it soggy when mixed with mayonnaise or tomato juices. On the whole, it's a great substitute for any dish that uses bacon, while benefitting from a far meatier flavor.

As a cooking ingredient, buckboard bacon has a bit more chew, so you'll need to prepare it accordingly. As a topping for soups and salads, you can chop it roughly if you want more texture, or more finely if you just want it to impart some of its taste. Since the bacon style has so much meaty flavor, you can even use it as a substitute for ham hocks in collard greens or black-eyed peas. Just keep in mind that you won't need to add it quite so early, since you won't be drawing flavor from any bones.