Maple Back Bacon Curing Problem

canadiansmoker · May 14, 2009, 01:29:14 PM

I tried doing of Mallard Whackers Maple Canadian bacon a while back and I ran into an issue during the curing. One of the pieces didn't seem to take the cure all that well. The other 2 pieces turned out just fine. On the photo below you can see the piece on the left that was cured quite nicely, but the piece on the right seemed to have a section that didn't cure at all. Needless to say I didn't smoke that piece. I'm thinking that perhaps after adding the maple syrup to the bag that the syrup washed away some of the cure from that one spot. The bags were flipped over once a day and the liquid in each bag was gently massaged back into the meat, but for some reason this one piece didn't make it.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I plan on doing about 20 pounds of this within the next few weeks.

The other 2 pieces turned out just fine:

Just before hitting the smoke:

After coming out of the smoker:

The flavour on the finished ones was fantastic, good maple flavour, and fairly good moisture. I cooked them to 140. Since we always fry the back bacon before eating I may take it to only 135 next time to try and retain a little more of the moisture.

Stephen

Habanero Smoker · May 14, 2009, 01:48:20 PM

I haven't seen anything like this that has been cured using maple syrup or brown sugar as one of the ingredients. Maple syrup and/or brown sugar tend to tint the outer surface of the meat. If you followed Mallard Wacker's instruction, then you don't add the maple syrup until the third day, so the cure would have already worked it's way done a bit from the surface. If it was not fully cured then the center of the meat would be discolored. Have you slice it open yet. If it is uniformly red through out, except from a hairline from the outer edge, then it is fully cured.

I the deep reddish color of the pork looks cured to me, pork loins are generally not that red. It seems the color of the maple syrup it not present.

canadiansmoker · May 14, 2009, 01:56:23 PM

Habs, I didn't bother to slice it open. It was not firm at all to the touch in that red area, really mushy, way more than a fresh piece of loin, so I didn't take it any further and just tossed it. I did follow Mallard's instructions and only added the maple syrup after the 3rd day. When I added the maple syrup I didn't notice the red area, but I have to admit I didn't take the loin out of the bag, I just poured it in and resealed the bag and went on my merry way. Perhaps the cure didn't take at all during the first 3 days and I didn't notice it

Habanero Smoker · May 14, 2009, 02:09:07 PM

I forgot to ask about firmness. The only other thing I can think of is that it may have been in a cold area of your refrigerator. My refrigerator is only 2 years old, but when I have a lot of food in it, it develops a lot of cold spots, and if the food is touching the back wall part of it will partially freeze.

Was the that loin always located toward the back of the refrigerator more then the others?

canadiansmoker · May 14, 2009, 02:13:54 PM

Habs, all 3 of pieces were rotated around in the fridge. I had them all stacked resting on a plate (due to space constraints) on the bottom of the fridge, and I did rotate the pieces around each day so that no one piece stayed on the bottom of the plate for more than a day at a time. None of them were touching the back of the fridge, but that is something I'll keep in mind for the next batch.

Maybe I didn't rub the cure in well enough when I first applied it, but I thought I did.

FLBentRider · May 14, 2009, 03:15:28 PM

I had one of mine turn out that way, and I admit that it was my fault for not distributing the cure properly.

I left those pieces cure a few days longer.

I smoked it anyway.

It was fine. just a litte less cured that the others.

Habanero Smoker · May 15, 2009, 02:10:13 AM

Quote from: canadiansmoker on May 14, 2009, 02:13:54 PM
Habs, all 3 of pieces were rotated around in the fridge. I had them all stacked resting on a plate (due to space constraints) on the bottom of the fridge, and I did rotate the pieces around each day so that no one piece stayed on the bottom of the plate for more than a day at a time. None of them were touching the back of the fridge, but that is something I'll keep in mind for the next batch.

Maybe I didn't rub the cure in well enough when I first applied it, but I thought I did.

I have to remind myself to make sure the temperature in the area is not too cold. The temperature is important, you should try to cure as close to 40°F without going over that temperature. The colder it is the longer it will take for curing.

Stacking them is not a problem, as long as you rotated, and redistributed the cure pieces daily like you did (this is one of the methods referred to as "overhauling"). If the area was covered with the cure and it adhered, it should have at least started to cure. Do you think it is likely that you could have forgot to turn that piece over and not applied any cure at all to that large area? Even if you didn't apply the cure there, overhauling it every day would redistributed the cure or at least some cure to that area. Now I am going to have to experiment with that, but using my recipe.

If you were only curing for 6 days or so, I would have suggested smoking it anyway, because I smoke my Canadian bacon as the same temperature I smoke uncured loin. But using Mallard's recipe of 21 days, I'm not sure if I would have smoked that piece either. If that happens again you should slice into it. If it is consistantly red throughout, then it was fully cured.

FLBentRider · May 15, 2009, 02:42:51 AM

I forgot that MW's method was 21 days. I probably would have thrown it out too.

canadiansmoker · May 15, 2009, 06:24:21 AM

Thanks for all the help. When I do the next batch I'm going to make sure I rub the cure quite well into the meat and check each piece thoroughly before applying the maple syrup. It is a great recipe and the flavour of the good pieces was fantastic.

MallardWacker · May 27, 2009, 11:17:14 AM

Just remember guys...the reason for up to 21 days is for flavoring. It's not for making sure it is cured or not. In Habs or mine....gosh I would think that 14 is well plenty for the "cure".

canadiansmoker · May 27, 2009, 11:28:46 AM

Well, I'm going to give it another try. I've got 16 pounds of pork loin in the cure and in the fridge now. I'm going to check each one before I add the maple syrup just to make sure. I'm thinking of maybe letting a few packages cure an extra day before adding the syrup.

MallardWacker · May 27, 2009, 11:41:04 AM

First thing...remember ONLY USE THE PROPER AMOUNT OF CURE...Mo is not betta.

Second...just let the meat cure for 2-3 days first with out the flavor. Then do what you want to it.

canadiansmoker · May 29, 2009, 09:45:36 AM

Well, I checked my newest batch that was sitting in the fridge for a couple of days and there is one piece where a section of it was starting to look like the bad piece I had in my first attempt (the colour was different and the texture was not as firm as the other pieces). I moved that piece from the bottom of the fridge to a rack higher up and checked it after day 3 and it seems to be taking the cure now. I'm starting to wonder if Habs is right and there is a slightly colder section of the bottom of the fridge where it is impacting the curing of the meat. All the pieces seem to look fine now and I'll be applying the maple syrup tonight. I have a fridge thermometer in there as well and I'm going to check the temperatures at the bottom of the fridge and slightly higher up to see if there is a large temperature swing.

At least all the pieces are looking as they should now. I'd hate to waste almost 16 pounds of back bacon!!