BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

i have 3 -----2.5lb  loin roast thawing now i have been to recipe site this is gonna be my base

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?311-Canadian-Bacon

i would like to spice one up i would like to sweeten one and black pepper one can i just add the extra ingredients to the dry cure i was thinking

1TBS cayenne for the spicy

1TBS maple for the sweet

1TBS black pepper for the black pepper
any help will be appreciated thanks

I have tried the spicy - adding cayenne to the cure mix really didn't work the way I wanted.

It doesn't penetrate the meat, since capsaicin is not water soluble.

By the time you are done with the soak, most of the heat is gone.

Thanks i just wanted the little kick would you still do it or would it be a waste of time

I would probably dust it on right before the smoke.

Or make a paste and inject it.

For the black pepper take a medium grind and roll and rub it in right before it goes in the smoker it works good for me.

so what your saying is do the basic cure the add your flavors right before you smoke/cook

For flavors that are not water soluble, yes.

Other flavors, like the maple syrup, can go in with the cure and will penetrate the meat during the curing process.

Curing (brining) is all about osmosis. Having a higher concentration of salt outside the meat will draw salt and water and anything dissolved in it, into the meat.

I do also add maple surup in the start and in the midle of the smoke and it is a noticeable taste.

I have experimented with kicking up the heat, and have had some success but nothing out standing. What I occasionally will do, is mix the cayenne pepper with a small amount of vodka to make a paste and spread that on the loin prior to applying the dry cure. You will get some heat penetration. Then add more on the surface, prior to air drying.

To get the flavors you are looking for, the best way is to wet cure, and inject some of it before placing the meat into the cure. I just don't like the texture of CB when it is wet cured, so another suggestion would be to make a marinade and inject the meat just before you air dry it.