Smoked some Canadian Bacon last weekend...

[Stickbowcrafter]

Had a few small loins left from some feral pigs that I wanted to make into Canadian Bacon.



The recipe and smoking times seemed simple enough so I got started a few days ahead of time to allow for the brine to do it's job. This recipe is for a 4 pound loin, adjust accordingly.

1 gallon/4 liters water
1-1/2 cups/350 grams kosher salt
1 cup/225 grams sugar
1-1/2 ounces/42 grams pink salt (8 teaspoons)
1 large bunch fresh sage (dried, ground will work too)
1 bunch fresh thyme (again, dried will work too)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed (yep, garlic powder will work)

I only had dried sage, thyme and garlic on hand and did not get to the market to buy fresh. I kind of "winged it" with measurements and it turned out just fine.

Put all the ingredients in a pot large enough to hold the loin(s). Bring to a simmer while stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove from heat, let cool to room temp, then refrigerate until chilled.



-Brian

[Stickbowcrafter]

Put the loin(s) in the chilled brine and weigh down with a plate to keep it submerged. Refrigerate for 48 hours.



Remove the loin(s) from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse the loin(s) under cold water and pat dry. Place loin(s) on some sort of rack over a plate or tray (to catch any drippings) and place in fridge, uncovered for 12-24 hours.



-Brian

[Stickbowcrafter]

Hot-smoke the pork (I did this one at 200 degrees F/93 C) to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F/65 C. Should take anywhere from 2-3 hours. This one took 2 hours. Allow to cool, cover and refrigerate, or start eating  ;D



Good stuff, very tasty!



-Brian

[Stickbowcrafter]

Above recipe from Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn

[Mr Walleye]

That's a fine lookin' bagel there Brian!  :P

Mike

[Wildcat]

 :o I gotta get around to doing one of those one day!  Nice job!

[begolf25]

Looks great Brian. What exactly is pink salt? What is the difference between that and kosher salt?

Thanks,
Bryan

[HCT]

That's a great recipe. I made it a couple of months ago and it freezes great. I didn't tie mine so it didn't keep that circular shape to it, next time.
Bryan
Pink salt is a curing salt, aka Insta cure #1, DQ Curing salt. It contains nitrites, 6.25%, the rest is salt.

[iceman]

Dang good looking bacon. That's a must do. :P :)

[Stickbowcrafter]

From Charcuterie: "Curing salt with nitrite is called by different names and sold under various brand names: tinted cure mix or T.C.M, DQ Curing Salt, Prague Powder #1 or Instacure #1. Most refer to it as pink salt because that is what it looks like. Regardless of the name, it's all the same, 93.75 percent salt and 6.25 percent nitrite. Nitrite does a few special things to meat: it changes the flavor, preserves the meat's red color, prevents fats from developing rancid flavors and prevents many bacteria from growing, most notably those responsible for botulism poisoning. Nitrites, which are found naturally in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and root vegetables, are not harmful or dangerous in small quantities, but in large quantities they can be. The curing salt is dyed pink to prevent its accidental use or consumption, please treat it appropriately. It's most important function is to prevent botulism poisoning from sausages and other foods that are smoked."

The use of nitrites and their amounts seem to always be a hot topic in the charcuterie field. I've used and eaten enough stuff with the recommended amounts of nitrites and never had any problems or adverse effects. I would not advise using the above recipe without including pink salt, or any other recipe that calls for it. There's just no safe substitute in my opinion.

-Brian

[Stickbowcrafter]

And thanks for the compliments everyone!

-Brian

[begolf25]

Thanks for the explanation. I have never tried curing anything before and would like to try this recipe. I also want to make sure I don't kill everyone that eats it..LOL