Latest Batch...Canadian Bacon...RESULTS

MallardWacker · November 15, 2006, 09:36:16 AM

Here are some of my comments about the last batch I did...to recap I did two whole loins (cut into three pieces each), one with my typical Maple recipe and the other one was Jalapeno and Honey.

This Maple I did was probably the best I ever have done, cured for about 22 days. Did not really do anything different, just poured Maple syrup in each bag and messaged the bag a few times a week during the process, then did my typical rinse and soak job then dried off then let the meat stand at room temp with a good dose of well messaged Maple Syrup until I put them in the BS.

The Jalapeno and Honey needs ALOT of adjustment, people still liked it but I thought it wasn't very good. I used dehydrated Jalapeno and added Honey to each bag then did the same thing I did with the Maple but with Honey. The bottom line about the pepper flavor, you need to use fresh pulverized peppers (Serrano and Jalapeno) to really have that good pepper flavor come through, also the honey flavor really never came through like I thought it would and all it really did was to make the BACON taste a little sweet. I still think this could work, I think I will use fresh pepper next time along with more flowery Honey. There is something neat about Sweet and Pepper, I want to get that into my Bacon. When I was working at the poles last week a fellow worker brings a Jalapeno and Muscadine jelly that she makes fresh...put a little of that on a Ritz and Cream Cheese and that would get a good Baptist to go into glossolalia...

Open for comments....

Gizmo · November 15, 2006, 10:19:55 PM

Sorry I can't make any comments yet. Just started my first experiment with a pork belly. Tender quick coated for 7 day cure. Washed, and then washed, then washed, scrubbed, soaked, washed and washed, soaked for about 2 hours in ice cooled water (around 50 deg). Did I mentioned I washed. Saw many of the posts that when you think you have it washed good enough, you probably need to do it again.

Took the belly out of the water, final rinse, squeezed out the water, paper towel dried. Had a couple of pieces hanging after the rinse so I thougt I'd give them a test grillin' before smoking the rest just to make sure the meat was not salty. Did taste good even without the smoke. For the rest, high speed fan for 2 hours. Have the BS set up for cold smoke. Just finished 2 hours have 1 more to go. Using apple wood. If this turns out I will try the maple.

I am curious as to what you have experienced with your curing and if you have seen any difference in the product with the longer cure times. Is a 22 day cure yeild a better product? Did you have to recoat the product with cure?

BTW - Welcome back. Thought we'd have to call out the labs and the hounds to flush you out. :D

MallardWacker · November 17, 2006, 08:32:44 AM

Quote from: Gizmo on November 15, 2006, 10:19:55 PM

......I am curious as to what you have experienced with your curing and if you have seen any difference in the product with the longer cure times. Is a 22 day cure yield a better product? Did you have to re coat the product with cure?

BTW - Welcome back. Thought we'd have to call out the labs and the hounds to flush you out. :D

Man of GIZ,

I put all my individual pieces of meat in a heavy duty zip-lok brand freezer bag. I only put my cure on once, you do not want to add more, it's not good for you. I want to caution you, DO NOT USE more cure than the directions call for, I know with some cures it doesn't seem like much...just take my word for it it will be enough.

Now about the 21 day cure time, it has just been a trial and error thing. To me this has been the best when it comes to flavoring the meat...the flavor comes out to my liking and the meat isn't too tender. I have gone to 28 & 30 day but the meat seemed to be cured too much, the meat was basically falling apart...you don't have to throw it away and it does taste OK but to me it's just not needed.

That is a great idea about grilling a piece before to see if it taste too salty.

By the way I started two loins last night...I ran out of Maple cure so I used brown sugar and I will be adding the Maple syrup to each bag and finish the same way I normally do with my Maple recipe. I think I will be giving some of these pieces away, I am thinking of buying some "meat netting" type stuff to put around each piece so when I smoke them they have some sort of cross hatching on there to improve the appearance.

Now about those hounds...that's what my wife says.

Keep me informed....

Gizmo · November 17, 2006, 06:31:36 PM

Pork Belly came out great. It wasn't more salty than some of the store bought I have had but it wasn't as low as I would like and not as low as the low sodium brands. The surface pieces were not as salty as the inner part. The pool guy was over today and I served him up a plate. He was impressed. (I like to keep him primed as I can get some great whole packer certified angus briskets from his dad)

The directions for the tender quick suggested 1/2 to 1 tbl to 1 pound of meat. I measured out 1 tbl but did not use it all so probably ended up with 3/4 tbl er pound.

I was not able to get the sugar cure locally which is why I went with the tender quick. Would like to do a maple cure next and wonder if I can use brown surgar or turbinado with the tender quick and then add maple syrup after a day or two into the cure.

Any thoughts? I could order some sugar cure but have enough of the tender quick to finish off the 12 lbs of belly in the freezer.

Habanero Smoker · November 18, 2006, 03:48:04 AM

I've had great success adding flavorings to TQ. I have made cures with TQ by adding dark brown sugar or maple granules with the addition of various spices and herbs. I've even turned one of my cures into a paste by adding maple syrup and Habanero jelly, which also worked fine.

Gizmo · November 18, 2006, 08:10:13 PM

Super,
I wasn't sure if the addition of brown sugar or maple syrup with the cure would affect the cure's ability to do its job.
Thanks for the advice. Looks like nothin but fun foods ahead. Looking forward to getting some over to the West Coast Kansan for a second opinion. Most of the taste testers (otherwise known as guinea pigs) I use seem to have a high tolerance of potential bad taste that they never complain. Hard to tell if you need an adjustment on the creation. I think they don't want to risk upsetting the chow cart for fear it would stop comming around. Would never be the case but it is understandable.

Habanero Smoker · November 19, 2006, 04:02:50 AM

I meant to add a link to my last post, but I was in a hurry. Here is a link to the recipe site to give you an idea of the method I use.

http://susan.rminor.com/forums/showthread.php?s=bcdd43ace5c8e602d7d2de1e3c3f8265&t=311

Gizmo · November 19, 2006, 09:33:42 AM

Thanks Hab. I thought I had read every post on pork cure but I think I missed the ingrediants at the top of this one as it was titled canadian bacon and I was too focused on pork belly and regular bacon.

West Coast Kansan · November 19, 2006, 08:57:24 PM

gizmo, always glad to critique someone elses work... Let me know when the next batch is happening.

West Coast Kansan · November 19, 2006, 09:41:28 PM

see pm box gizmo

Gizmo · November 19, 2006, 09:42:13 PM

Will do. My brother-in-law was over this morning and brought along some comercial tuna fish jerky from his trip. Tasty but real dry. Had a nice glaze over the top that had at least a little terriaki in it. I had fried up some bacon before he got here and he thought it was fantastic. He didn't think it was too salty. I mentioned I would like a little less salt and he made the same comment I had, that it wasn't saltier than most brands out there. BTW, he is a major breakfast eater.
I'll give you a shout on the next batch. Breakfast on me.

MallardWacker · November 20, 2006, 04:23:31 AM

Gizzy,

You can take what ever Hab says to the bank...I consider him one of the best around here on the BACON subject. When this guy drives by a Hog farm, stampedes of fear occur.

Anyway, here is the cure I use, I can say I have never had a salty batch.

Butcher-Packer>>>>http://www.butcher-packer.com/pages-main/category-12/curing-salt.html?zenid=a455fdbd4383e812f76544427633e21b

I mainly use the Maple and Brown Sugar...and gosh it's cheap.

Habanero Smoker · November 20, 2006, 09:50:10 AM

Quote from: MallardWacker on November 20, 2006, 04:23:31 AM
Gizzy,

You can take what ever Hab says to the bank...I consider him one of the best around here on the BACON subject. When this guy drives by a Hog farm, stampedes of fear occur.

Anyway, here is the cure I use, I can say I have never had a salty batch.

Butcher-Packer>>>>http://www.butcher-packer.com/pages-main/category-12/curing-salt.html?zenid=a455fdbd4383e812f76544427633e21b

I mainly use the Maple and Brown Sugar...and gosh it's cheap.

The pigs may be holding on to their loins when I drive by, but you still remain the king of curing bacon on this forum. :)

Gizmo · November 20, 2006, 07:46:20 PM

Will give that a try, thanks.