Canadian Bacon

[asa]

Thanks Hab for the suggestion.
Perhaps I should have asked MallardWacker first about the curing time. So, MW, where did you come up with the 3 weeks? Was that by trial and error, or by suggestion in another recipe. Your observation that a longer cure affected the texture adversely, leads me to tentatively conclude that the 3 weeks cure probably produces a more tender, perhaps even jucier product than a 1 week cure. Any further thoughts about this?
Thanks in advance.

[Habanero Smoker]

It may be do to the different types of cures being used. You and I are using Morton Tender Quick which is a fast acting cure, due to it's blend of salt, nitrates, and nitrites. My past experience is that if you cure too long with Tender Quick, your product will be a lot saltier.

[asa]

It may be do to the different types of cures being used. You and I are using Morton Tender Quick which is a fast acting cure, due to it's blend of salt, nitrates, and nitrites. My past experience is that if you cure too long with Tender Quick, your product will be a lot saltier.

I guess I assumed that the Butcher Packer cure would have, more or less, a similar combination of active ingredients, but with other added flavorings to give them a unique appeal. I didn't notice that my 3 week cure was too salty. I tend to like salty food, but my wife and others didn't think it was too salty either. Guess we all need to do two whole loins at a time, one by each method to compare. Good grief! What have I gotten into??

[Habanero Smoker]

Good grief! What have I gotten into??

Look like you got yourself into a very interesting experiment :) I'm very interested in the outcome. It may change the way I do things.

I'm far from being knowledgable on this subject, but do know that cures have different concentrations of nitrites and/or nitrates. That is why one should always refer to the manufacturer's recommendations when you first use them. WRONG:Some only have nitrites, which is slower acting than nitrates.

Keep us posted.

Edited
After re-reading this I found an error in my statement. Nitrites are faster acting then nitrates.

[MallardWacker]

I didn't notice that my 3 week cure was too salty

ASA, YOU GOTTA RINCE WELL! and I do mean really well.  When you think you have done it enough-do it again then maybe a again for good times sake.  I have NEVER had a salty product.  The saltiest stuff I ever made was with the BuckBoard stuff.  After that I learned my lesson, also how much Butcher Packer did you use???  The amount is not very much at all.

[asa]

MW:
I used Morton TenderQuick and did not think it was too salty after the couple of rinses that I did. My question for you (above) was where did you come up with the 3 weeks of curing time? Was that by trial and error, or by suggestion in another recipe. Your observation that a longer cure affected the texture adversely, leads me to tentatively conclude that the 3 week cure probably produces a more tender, perhaps even jucier product than a 1 week cure. My guess is that the longer cure leads to more tenderizing, based on your observations of the even longer than 3 week cure. Therefore, a 3 week cure may produce a more tender product than a 1 week cure. Any further thoughts about this?

[winemakers]

Has anyone ever tried injecting maple syrup pre or post curing but prior to smoking?  May be a way to pump up the maple flavor.

just a thought.

mld

[MallardWacker]

ASA,

The three week thing came by trial and error, what got me down this road was that I really wanted natural flavored bacon product that didn't smell like someone sprayed Maple perfume all over like what you get from the store.  My thinking was that was the longer you keep in the flavored cure the more flavor you would get.  The 28day mishap, and it really wasn't all that bad, I just noticed that the meat was REALLY tender, like some parts would just fall apart when you sliced them.  My 21 day cure time still keeps it very tender but seems to hold the meat together well.  The flavor that it yields is not over-powering, it's more like overtones with the flavor of the cured pork, to me anyway, that's what makes it good.  But when it comes to flavor, it is in the mouth of the beholder.  I am sure there are some out there that can not stand it, or there is not enough flavor for others.  All I know is that it's gone faster than I can make it.  Both the Maple and the Jalapeno.

Man of Wine,

A while back I bought some Maple Flavored Sausage, now that was months ago and I think I can still smell that over-powering fake maple smell or maybe it's still in my dreams I am not for sure but I will tell you this that real Maple is just flat out good, it doesn't have a big smell thing going on when you fry it up or open the bag, the overtone of maple really compliments the cured pork along with the smoke.  I hate talking about bacon like it is a glass of wine or something, people will really think I am off the wall...well I think that is too late for that.  I will tell you this, after the rinsing process, letting it sit at room temp sitting in maple syrup made the biggest difference in my opinion.

I will be pulling my two batches out this weekend and applying the sacred smoke to them.  ONE FREEK'N bad thing, my new Digi Cameras is busted and it's at NIKON getting fixed...

DANG I LOVE THIS STUFF>>>

[winemakers]

uhoh,  I sense an early lunch coming on.  And now I have to wipe drool off my desk.

mld

[iceman]

Dang it MW!!! Ya did it again! Posting those pictures first thing in the morning is killing me. I look like a St. Bernard here cause I'm drooling so much. MAN that looks good!!!! ;D
I just had some more of JimGuy's canadian bacon he made. I am hooked for sure. No more store bought in this house!

[asa]

Good lookin' sammich there MW. I took some of my Canadian bacon and salami to an office potluck today and got rave reviews. One guy even allowed as how I probably could give up my day job if I wanted to make smoked meat all the time. Come to think of it, I wonder what he really meant by that?

So, I gather from your answer that you did the longer cure for the flavor, and that you may not have any strong opinion about how, say, a 3 week cure compares to 1 week or 2 weeks as far as texture is concerned. That was one thing that I was wondering, especially since you did notice a texture difference between 3 and 4 weeks. I'm sold on what 3 weeks does for texture and taste, but was just wondering if 2 weeks would be perhaps as good.

[West Coast Kansan]

Not just the bacon on that sandwich...cant remember the last time I had a tomato that tasted like a tomato. 

[Habanero Smoker]

Not just the bacon on that sandwich...cant remember the last time I had a tomato that tasted like a tomato. 

In the summer time to get good tomatoes you have to find a farmers market, or stop at a road side stand. That's were all the "Great Tomatoes" go. :)

[csakis]

Canadian Bacon
Pork loin (cut into 3 - 4 pound sections)
1 Tbl. Morton Tender Quick per pound
1 tsp. dark brown sugar per pound
1 tsp. garlic powder per pound
1 tsp. onion powder per pound

I tried Habanero Smoker' s Canadian recipe. It is absolutely amazing. I have never really like Canadian bacon, but I got a very good deal on pork chops at the local Smiths and followed his recipe to the letter. What I found interesting that the bacon did not taste at all good taken directly from he smoker, but after 4 5 days in the fridge it just came all together. I am doin my next 8 pound batch this week. However, i am thinking using hickory instead of maple smoke.
csaba

[La Quinta]

We have 6lbs curing in the Hab's brew of cure right now...my husband loves it...3lbs for us and 3lbs for friends coming out on Saturday....gonna show them how to smoke....  :)