Did I wreck my bacon?

[vicat]

Hi all, I'm a newbie here.
I just put my second batch of Canadian bacon in the smoker ( the first batch was fantastic). I am using Habs recipe using the Prague powder cure. Problem is I may have screwed up. I put the meat in a 3 gallon bucket of cold water (lid on outside). Thing is I left the meat in the water for three hours instead of the thirty minutes as specified in Hab's recipe.
Have I washed the cure or favor out?

[Mr Walleye]

To my understanding it will be fine. I assume you have cured it for 6 or 7 days. The extra soak time will reduce the salt taste and flavour though but I don't think it will effect the cure becasue it has already taken place. Hopefully others will chime in as well on this.

Mike

[vicat]

Thanks Mike,

after the long soak the meat it was just as firm as when I took it out of the fridge with six days curing. The flavor is probably washed out...I just hope they will taste ok.

Frank 

[pensrock]

I agree with Mike, The bacon should be fine but not as much salt taste as the other one. You may want to coat with maple syrup or cracked pepper to pump up the flavor a little. I always rub the loin with maple before putting into the smoker, everyone loves it. I also use the cracked pepper on mine.

[Habanero Smoker]

I agree with Mike and Pensrock. The only thing else I would do is let the bacon rest over night in the refrigerator to allow the salts to redistribute themselves equally.

[La Quinta]

OK...guys...I have 5lbs of bacon (belly) dry curing in the fridge for a week...I'm nervous as hell...used...MTQ 2.5 TBLS per slab...read alot of posts...worried I may have gone a little light on the MTQ...but I'm not a big salt fan...am I ok?

[Gizmo]

LQ were your slabs around 2.5 lbs?  You should be fine. 

[Habanero Smoker]

If you didn't have enough TQ, it may not cure all the way to the middle. It will be perfectly safe to eat, it will look a little funny. It may have a center that could be either brownish or greenish in color.

When I prepare my pork loins for curing they average around 3 pounds, so you should be all right. If they has any soft spots when you press down on them, let them cure for an extra day.

[vicat]

Thanks everyone, for all the great advice.

I pulled all six loins out of the smoker yesterday afternoon. The juice from the holes where the thermometer was put in tasted very good. I will report back with the result after they have sat in the fridge a few days.

[La Quinta]

Thanks guys...Habs...it was 4.87lbs of belly...as you said ..may not penetrate the whole way through...not a whole lot of liquid coming out yet...but has 3 more days to go...turning daily...we'll see...I'm jazzed about trying it anyway...

[Habanero Smoker]

Thanks guys...Habs...it was 4.87lbs of belly...as you said ..may not penetrate the whole way through...not a whole lot of liquid coming out yet...but has 3 more days to go...turning daily...we'll see...I'm jazzed about trying it anyway...

I'm just noticing you were talking about belly; it must have been one of those mornings. :) But the same information applies, check for firmness, and let it cure a day or two extra. Bacon is a thin cut of meat and the cure time is short, so you won't have to worry about it spoiling in the middle. If you did not apply enough cure, the bacon may not have that full "bacon" flavor, and it will look a lot different when cooked, but it will be edible. Fortunately we live in a age of refrigeration, so it in no longer necessary to cure to preserve food. :)

[vicat]

Well I finally tried the bacon yesterday and it was very good. It doesn't have as complex a flavor as the first batch but still nice. I don't think I'll have a problem handing part of it out to family and friends.   
A big thanks again to all for their input.