Two types of bacon

[Waltz]

I was getting low on Maple Cured bacon so needed to make some more and while I had the smoker on figured I might as well do some Canadian as well.
No pictures of the curing or smoking but here are the finished articles:

This is my first attempt at Canadian Bacon and it was surprisingly easy and turned out really good.
I used to think Canadian and Maple Cured were the same thing (Canada - Maple Leaf; it made sense to me) until I read differently on this forum. One of the many wonderful things I have learned here. ;D

[rcger]

That's good looking bacon!  Did you use rubberbands to tie up the Canadian bacon?

[ghost9mm]

Sure is some good lookin bacon...nice job...

[Waltz]

Thanks.
Rcger, the bands are food grade silicon rubber. I read somewhere on here that if you don't tie up the pork loin it flattens a bit during smoking. The bands are easier and quicker to use than string and are re-usable and just the right size for pork loin.

[Smoker John]

Nice job on the bacon, I'm going to attempt this myself in the near future

[mikecorn.1]

Something I haven't tried yet. :(  looks great!


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[hybridcx]

good looking bacon!

[slowpoke]

Your bacon couldn't look anymore perfict.great pic's too.I gotta ask,do the bands give off any after taste?My wife boiled lobster with bands on the claws once.Groose taste through the meat.Did the lobster without the bands great taste.Just wondering.

[rajzer]

What was the brine and length on the back bacon?

[Waltz]

Slowpoke,
I was a bit wary that the bands may flavour the food but have used them for various things, even in the oven and BBQ, and do not detect any contamination from them. I even roasted one to destruction on the BBQ one time and the food was ok even though the band was ruined.

Rajzer,
I made up a cure of 1 tsp of cure 1, 1/4 cup of sea salt, 1/4 cup of maple sugar, 2 tsps garlic powder and 4 bay leaves, rubbed it on the loin and vac packed for a week. So not strictly a brine but after about two days the cure had drawn so much liquid from the loin that it was sitting in brine. When I cut into the loin some parts were more pink coloured than others and it seems they had taken the cure better. I believe that may be due to different muscle bundles in the loin but will try leaving it in the cure for ten days next time to try to get an even colour throughout. It all tastes good though.

[slowpoke]

Thanks,Waltz