Peameal Bacon Preparation


 

JRPfeff

TVWBB Guru
I posted this on a different forum without any response. Maybe the VWBB draws a more eduacated class of participant.

On a previous trip to Ontario, I purchased some fully cooked peameal bacon from a butcher. It was the best "Canadian Style Bacon" I have ever eaten. I didn't have a chance to get to the butcher yesterday, so I purchased a package of uncooked cured boneless pork loin produced by Lou's Peameal Bacon of Canada, Ltd., eh.

I need some advice on how to prepare this pork loin, especially from my Canadian friends. I looked in my Charcuterie book and it advises to smoke Canadian Bacon before use, but also says it can be baked in an oven. The one thing that has me scratching my head is that this meat came in a cryopack with a ziplock seal. This tells me that it is meant to be used as-is, and put back in the package for storage.

Should I rinse this cured loin before use? Can I use this as is, or should I smoke or bake it whole first (my original plan was to smoke it)?

Thanks for any help.
 
Here is a wet cure for bacon, and here is a dry cure.

I have done both of these, but I prefer the wet cure myself, (follow the recipe and please allow your wet cured bacon to air dry, I normally leave at least a day between taking it out of the cure before I smoke it), once it is cured I like to cold smoke it, the way I cold smoke is to cheat, I set up a Dutch oven full of wood chips (I use a mix of Oak and Maple chips), I then use a blow torch to get 3 briquettes of charcoal going till they have ashed over, I leave the top of the Dutch oven slightly cracked to allow air in and smoke out, then I put the middle section of my wsm over the top of the Dutch oven, (I don't bother with the water pan but you could if you wanted to), put the bacon on the racks and put the lid on, with the top vent totally open I allow the charcoal to burn down the wood chips, and when the whole thing has stop smoking I have freshly smoked, Oak and Maple home cured bacon.

I have not ended up either over smoked or under smoked, I got the quantity of wood chips right first time, and just do it by touch now. It is about a half oven full of chips, I do make sure the two types of wood chips are mixed well, but that is about all I do.

I started cool smoking this way after seeing it on the web somewhere, (I have just found it again in my bookmarks).
 
I should have looked before asking, I found a couple websites that sell Peameal Bacon in the U.S. which included cooking instructions. They charge nearly $10/pound plus shipping. I bought mine for $1.50/pound. I declared the meat on my Customs form and had no problem bringing it into the U.S.

I have used my Peameal Bacon in two ways so far, sliced into 1/2 inch pork chops and sliced as thin as possible for "Canadian Bacon." Both were excellent, extremely juicy and tender. The piece I bought last time was roasted, which is another suggested use. I'll smoke a small piece just to try it, but no smoking is needed.

jrp
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JRPfeff:
Maybe the VWBB draws a more eduacated class of participant. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Eduacated!?
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That was on purpose right?

I'm not picking on you - That's funny no matter who you are (eduacated or not).
 
Doh!
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What this bulletin board needs is a spell check function. Or am I too dumb to see it?
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Thanks Pete. I deserved that.
 
I laughed... I cried... I laughed again. I'm with you on the spell checker... i'm a horrid speller and type faster than I think so it can be scary.
 
Chris:

Can you please show me a photo of the Dutch oven you use? I'd like to see what size it is.
 
It’s very easy to make pea meal bacon at home, you just need to cure a pork loin….Canadian Bacon is smoked cured pork loin. It’s a lot cheaper than buying it and very easy to do.
 

 

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