hamalicious pork loin

[don24]

ok bear with me .i made my first canadian bacon last week and it was great .i want to do a whole ham someday but not yet .i was wondering if i took a pork loin and cured a little more like ham and smoked to a higher temp could i get a more ham like texture . i guess a little more tender if i can ,what temp do you suggest im thinking just short of 190 .wrapeed in foil at about 150 and ftc for an hour afterward smoking, any imput will be helpful hell its critical .tell me if im in the ball park or in another country . i bow to the superior knowledge 

[Tenpoint5]

Don,
How much time are you willing to invest in this little project of yours?? I am thinking you might want to try doing to a loin what I did with Hamzilla

[don24]

it depends .i would like to have a dinner with it and i realize i cant time it to be done when i want instead of when it wants to be done. it seems to me that from hamzillas thread you are gonna let it rest in fridge to mellow out anyway is rehaeting after a rest period the way to go

[Tenpoint5]

I have done this with hams and have pulled at 147º then reheated to 152º with a glaze and served for dinner. If you go to 152º in the smoker you will have a fully cured and cooked ham like product. Beings that it is such a small cut of meat I would soak in cold fresh water for 30 minutes to leach out some of the salt. Then dry with a towel before you start the smoking process.

[Habanero Smoker]

I don't like to fully cook pork loins over 142°F - 147°F, the meat begins to dry. If you want a texture more similar to a ham use the rib end of the loin; it has more connective tissue then the sirloin end. It won't be the same, but closer to the texture then using the sirloin end. Since there is a lot less connective tissue I would use a cabinet temperature of 225°F. There is no need to FTC a loin, and it may cause it to over cook.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

If it is more ham-like texture and tenderness that you want from a loin, I don't think increasing the IT in a cook is going to help.  Being basically a single muscle cut, there is relatively little collagen, and there is so little fat that if you do cook to an IT of ~ 180-190 it will seem fairly dry.

Part of the magic that happens with cured hams comes from the length of time that it takes to cure the large cut.  During that prolonged time an "aging" effect takes place during which both connective tissues and proteins break down. This leads to a changes in texture and tenderness.

Using the USDA's guideline of safe storage of cured but uncooked ham of 5-7 days, you might try curing, then wrapping or bagging to prevent drying  and "aging" in a refrigerator for 5-7 days, then proceed with smoking/cooking.  That might provide some help, but I doubt it will be profound.

If the loin you buy is in a cryovac package you might want to hold that loin in its cryovac pack up to it's labeled "sell by" date, then begin curing.  Pork quality is known to improve with wet aging in a cryopac.
http://www.thepigsite.com/articles/6/production-and-management/2364/ageing-and-the-impact-on-meat-quality

[don24]

i think im gonna give the cure then age thing a test try soon. i would love to do a ham but the timing seems impossable to me ,it wont go well if i tell wife hmmm maybe 6 or 16 more hours till dinner

[Habanero Smoker]

If the aging does not make a significant change, then use the rib end of the loin. I make a lot of Canadian bacon, and I have found that if you want a texture that is closer to ham, it is best to use the rib end of the loin. That has more connective tissue, especially the part closest to the shoulder.

Often you will not see this cut sold as one piece. It is generally cut into chops and the part closest to the shoulder is often sold as country style ribs. The sirloin end is sold as roasts and chops, and is lighter in color. Therefore you will have to purchase a whole loin. If it is boneless, the rib end is the tapered smaller end. It should also be darker in color. That is a indication that part of the muscle was used more, thus more connective tissue that is tougher.

I also forgot to ask how did you cure your loin. I find that using a dry cure you achieve a better texture than with a wet cure. The following is a link to my recipe:

Canadian Bacon

[don24]

thats the recipe i used .i have a very good butcher close to me and i can get about any cut i want .so i will go there and get the largest and darkest piece of the rib end of loin i can get .