First attempt at Canadian Bacon


 
BrianBishop

BrianBishop

TVWBB Member
Hi folks, I'm excited to get this going but I need just a little more guidance.

I bought a 5lb loin tonight to try my hand at some canadian bacon (I haven't found a source for belly YET). I plan to use tenderquick and intended to simply follow Bob's "Bacon made easy" thread, but after reading the other canadian thread I saw Martin recommending a brine for the larger leaner cut I'm not sure how to proceed. I looked at Martin's calculator but I didn't notice a spot for tenderquick... Can anyone steer me in the right direction? Will a dry cure for a first attempt at bacon of any kind be ok or should I go for the wet?? Also, what kind of recommendations do you have for quantities of brown sugar and spices for such a chunk of meat?

Thanks for the help and patience! I'm always nervous trying something new and this one is pretty far out of my comfort zone, but I know with a little guidance from the wise folks here it will turn out great!
 
The calculator will only work with cure #1.
Dry cure or wet cure, either will work, I prefer dry curing bellies, but IMHO loins benefit from brining because of their tendency to dry out easily.
Pumping up the cells as much as possible combats that problem.
The level of brown sugar and spices is a matter of personal preference.


~Martin
 
TQ has a recipe book for sale - but I don't have it yet.

The Ingredient Store has a page talking about using TQ and Sugar Cure here --> Morton SC/TQ Guide

Mother Earth News - The Morton Salt Book section discusses making Canadian Bacon here --> Morton Salt Book

Basically what I've seen for Tender Quick: 1 tablespoon per pound if DRY curing and 1 cup per QUART if in a brine.
 
I'm happy to report my Canadian bacon is done and turned out fantastic!

I stuck with the standard dry cure of TQ, and added a little grade A maple syrup and brown sugar for good measure.

Here's the weight details and a little math.
5.03#s untrimmed
Trimmed to 4.11#s The cure calls for 15g of TQ per pound so I added 62g of TQ

To make the loin fit in a gallon ziploc easier and to help the cure penetrate better, I cut the loin in half. Once coated in the TQ I simply added the two halves to the bag and poured in a couple tablespoons of Maple Syrup and brownsugar and twisted everything around in the bag.

I let it cure for 2 weeks, turning everyday and massaged the liquid in the bag into the meat also.
This past thursday I was planning a rib cook so I figured it a good time to smoke the loin as well. I fired up the WSM with kbb and lots of apple wood. I aimed for 200-225 and cooked the loin to 150 internal. During the cook a strong but brief thunderstorm rolled in and killed my power so I had nothing to do but sit by the smoker and drink some beers. The only dwnside to that was my camera battery was dead so I couldn't snap any pics during or after. I do however have some pics of breakfast this morning.





Canadian Bacon egg and cheese bagels in all their glory! Absolutely delicious!

We kept half the loin for ourselves and gave 1/4 to my parents and the other 1/4 to my future in-laws and both parties were very impressed with the results and are looking forward to the next batch :cool:

The success of this cook definitely gives me the confidence to track down some belly for a go at legit bacon.

Thanks to everyone here who makes their knowledge available to us who are following in their footsteps. I couldn't have done it without ya!
 
Has anyone tried using the Hi Mountain Buckboard Bacon Cure with pork loin or tenderloin for canadian bacon? I've got a lot of it left even though I've done 2 pork butts for buckboard bacon. I'd like to find out if it would work for canadian bacon...
 
OK, I stopped being lazy and checked the instruction sheet included with the Hi Mountain Buckboard Bacon Cure. At the end of the instructions, it says you can also use the cure with "regular side meat" (pork bellies?), and pork loin for "Canadian style bacon". Off to Costco I go…after payday...:(
 
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