Canadian Bacon?

[Oyènkwara]

Canadian Bacon

I have been wanting to try some Bacon after reading about some of your experiments on the board here. I ordered up some Buck Board seasoning from High Mountain and am going to try a Canadian style bacon for my first try.

I purchased a 5 pound pork loin that I'll be seasoning up tonight for the 10 day cure. The loin is about 13" long. My question is: should I smoke it as is or would it be better to cut it in half (two 6-1/2" long pieces)?

I can't wait to try a breakfast sandwich made with home smoked bacon. [:p]

Thanks in advance

Tom

[BigSmoker]

I use the maple sugar cure from Butcher & Packer thanks to MallardWacker.  If you cut it in half you could season the 2 pieces differently.  Since I never used the Buck Board stuff I don't know so this is a question.  Is 10 days long enough?  Seems like I read somewhere 1 week curing per 1" thick of the meat.

Jeff



Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.

[whitetailfan]

I use the B&P Maple for my regular side bacon, buckboard twice now on butts.  Different flavours.  You ought to be happy with the BBB, but to be honest, I've never gone to the store and purchased Canadian bacon, (some patriot I am eh?) so I cannot tell you how close or far off the flavour is going to be from what you are used to.  No matter what you will be happy and proud of your own project, even if it is not the "normal taste" you are used to.

Bigsmoker, the 10 days on a 3-4 inch butt works fine, so the loin ought to be OK as well.  I believe the rule of thumb you are thinking of that has been tossed around here is about 3 days per inch, with makes 10 days pretty much spot on.  I would not cure something super thick that way, it should be pumped, but for bacon it should work (again, only as a "rule of thumb", not gospel).

MW generally goes 3 weeks / 21 days on his curing projects, so a little more time is not gonna hurt, and guarantees penetration to centre.

Almost forgot the question at hand.  I would cut in half but not more than that.  Reason - each time you cut it, you double the number of end pieces that are not as pretty as the inside stuff when you slice it.  However, at 13inches, I would rather have a couple 7's to work with so you do not get too close to the sides and can manouver the pieces in the smoker easier.


<font color="green">whitetailfan</font id="green">
"Nice Rack"
Lethbridge, AB

[BigSmoker]

Thanks WTF.  I guess thats why we went 3 weeks.  I don't have a pump so I guess I should get one to speed things up[:D].  My last batch was very good.  I made enough for a whole year[:D][:D][:D].  Foodsavered them individual and out of the freezer when I wanted 1.  I am out now though so time to do some more soon.  I will take pictures of the whole procedure when I do it[;)].

Jeff



Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.

[Oyènkwara]

Thanks for the input Guys...

I went back and re-read the instructions that came with the BBB and their recommendation for a 3-1/2" thick piece of meat was a minimum of 10 days. That said, I may just keep it in for a few days longer to make sure it's well cured.

Whitetailfan, I'm very interested in the B&P Maple. I'll order some of that cure for the next batch I make!

I ended up cutting the loin into two pieces for easier handling and to help the curing process. I'll let the group know how it turns out.

Thanks again!

Tom

[Oyènkwara]

Weather permitting, Im going to throw the Buck Board cured Canadian bacon in the smoker tomorrow. I would also like to throw in a couple of brined chickens for the ride.

I would like to start the load early in the morning to have them done (hopefully) by evening.

That said, I was thinking that I might rinse and soak the bacon for a couple of hours tonight, then re-bag it so it will be ready for the smoker in the morning. (To save time) I will still let the bacon and chickens sit while the smoker does it's 1 hour pre-heat.

Just double checking with the folks on the board to see if there would be any issues with this logic.

Thanks

Tom

[jaeger]

Oyènkwara,
Sounds like you are ready to go. I would bet that you will be done by noon if you start early. Whenever I have smoked porkloin, they were always cooked/smoked at just under 200F,(damper opened 1/4) and were always done within 4 hours. Let us know how everything turns out![;)]






<font size="2"><b>Doug</b></font id="size2">

[vonndogleg]

Can you guys tell me, with that hi mtn buckboard bacon, and doing it with a loin, did you remove the liquid during curing or did you leave it in there???

[Oldman]

I went back and re-read the instructions that came with the BBB and their recommendation for a 3-1/2" thick piece of meat was a minimum of 10 days.

Take this to the bank... soak and rinse that item several times.  I like BBB, but if you don't do the soak rinse cycles you may not like the end results.  :o

[MallardWacker]

Can you guys tell me, with that hi mtn buckboard bacon, and doing it with a loin, did you remove the liquid during curing or did you leave it in there???

Some will and some won't.  Depending on the piece of meat AND if it had been adulterated by some injected process the amount of fluid will very a lot.  I just about exclusively do loin in all my curing.  I don't drain the fluid.  Especially in all my flavored curing.  I usually get a whole loin, cut it up in four equal pieces and place each piece in a heavy duty zipper bag after I rub in the cure and add flavoring, this allows me message the product ever so often and shape it.(man I had to be careful there).  In normally cure for at least 21-24 days do to the fact I like a bit more flavor.  All of this will be for not if YOU DO NOT WASH AND RINSE.  I concur with the rest...After the curing is over scrub those suckers well, soak for at least an hour than rinse again and soak for another hour in fresh water...then rinse AGAIN.  Don't worry the flavoring is well infused.  There is nothing worse than salt bacon.  HTH's