Makin' Bacon

This past weekend was our annual Luau & Pig Fest. And as often is the case when I'm cooking for this meat extravaganza I squeeze in some extra cooking for personal use. Hell, if the smokers are up and running you may as well put them to good use.

I was presented with these four beauties by fellow smoker and meat guru Neil. He and Dave (friend and co-worker) have been experimenting with various forms of charcuterie. Dave's venison sausage is legendary, as is his chorizo. What I was presented with were four coppas (essentially, the nape of a pig's neck) that had been curing for just shy of 2 weeks. These were bacons in the making.

After some nifty trussing by yours truly, they were put in the smoker over some maple and apple wood. 2 hours at 140F, and then another 2 hours at 220F.

The finished product smelled even better than it looks.

Taste test: a lot like ham, but very very smokey.