Applewood Smoked Buckboard Bacon

• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup lager beer (I used Abita Oktoberfest Marzen-Style lager)
• 2 tsp ground black pepper (I like using coarse ground Malabar)
• 1/4 cup sea salt
• 2 tsp prague powder aka pink curing salt (6.25% sodium nitrite)
• 3 tbsp onion powder
• 5 lb pork butt

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl except apple juice, pork, and applewood.
2. Set aside.
3. Place the Boston butt in a storage container or Ziploc bag.
4. Pour the wet cure over the pork.
5. Using your hands, make sure the pork is completely coated.
6. Place a lid on the container and store in the refrigerator for one week, turning the pork once a day.
7. Smoke the pork at 200F to an internal temperature of 152F.
8. Spray the pork with the apple juice once an hour.
9. Wrap in aluminum foil and let rest in the refrigerator over night.
10. You can eat the bacon as is or fry it up.
11. * Curing salts are used in food preservation to prevent or slow spoilage by bacteria or fungus.
12. They usually contain sodium nitrite which serves to inhibit the growth of bacteria, specifically Clostridium botulinum in an effort to prevent botulism, and helps preserve the color of cured meat.
13. Many also contain red dye that makes them pink to prevent them from being confused with common table salt.
14. Curing salts are not to be confused with Himalayan pink salt, which is pure salt with trace elements that give it a pink color.
15. The human digestive system manufactures nitrites naturally, which is thought to help prevent botulism, which would thrive in the anaerobic conditions and temperature range of the digestive system.
16. However, it is important to note that large amounts of sodium nitrite can be hazardous to your health or even be lethal.
17. The FDA deems sodium nitrite as safe used in the proper proportion.

maple syrup, lager beer, ground black pepper, salt, prague powder aka pink curing salt, onion, pork butt

Taken from cookpad.com/us/recipes/367786-applewood-smoked-buckboard-bacon (may not work)