First Homemade Canadian Bacon


 
Rich Dahl

Rich Dahl

R.I.P. 7/21/2024
Made my first batch Canadian bacon. I used the Morton salts recipe.
http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/recipes/38/canadian-bacon/
Followed the directions very carefully.
Unfortunately I didn’t think much of it. The final product didn’t taste anywhere near any Canadian bacon I’ve ever had. The flavor and texture was almost exactly the same as a store bought bone in ham.
It’s a simple recipe, pretty hard to screw it up but I wouldn’t recommend it.
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Sorry to hear that you weren't impressed. I'm not a big Morton's cure, sugar or tender quick fan. I like to use cure #1 for making all my bacon. my favorite method is to dry rub cure. I use the cure calculator here:

http://diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html

I do add other spices after the cure. Typically white pepper, garlic, and fresh ground pepper. Depending on the thickness I usually am curing for 7-14 days. Then I rinse and season. I allow the meat to air dry in the fridge for 5-7 days. Then I cold smoke for a total of 18-24 hours, doing 6-8 hour stints of smoke, with an over night rest, then repeat. After I get the color I like, I rests again in the fridge for 5-7 days. Slice and seal after that. It's a process but sure does make a difference in the final product.
 
Wish it had turned out better Rich.
Any CB I've ever eaten was pretty much like regular cured and smoked ham, texture and taste.
I have to wonder if you had smoked it whole to about 150° internal first if it would have been more to your liking, that's what I do.
Here's one with TQ:
http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?47522-Maple-Cured-Hickory-Smoked-Peppered-Back-Bacon

and one using Ruhlman's bacon cure method:
http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?115...-loin-Canadian-bacon&highlight=canadian+bacon

After curing with pink salt, and not seeing much if any difference from using TQ, it's what prompted my BME thread.
Can't vouch for my taste buds though. ;)
 
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Bob Correll said:
Wish it had turned out better Rich.
Any CB I've ever eaten was pretty much like regular cured and smoked ham, texture and taste.
I have to wonder if you had smoked it whole to about 150° internal first if it would have been more to your liking, that's what I do.
Here's one with TQ:
http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?47522-Maple-Cured-Hickory-Smoked-Peppered-Back-Bacon

and one using Ruhlman's bacon cure method:
http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?115...-loin-Canadian-bacon&highlight=canadian+bacon

After curing with pink salt, and not seeing much if any difference from using TQ, it's what prompted my BME thread.
Can't vouch for my taste buds though. ;)
Click to expand...

Well this one is on me, like I said I followed the directions exactly and it makes no mention of smoking it. Barb and I both thought that odd because any CB you buy in the store is fully cooked.
After I ran it through the meat slicer I went on the internet and there were numerous treads of the same Morton recipe that people had smoked before slicing. A classic case of research after the fact, like I said this one is on me.
I've got another half of the pork loin so I'll take it from the top and start over.
At least we can make some pineapple and ham pizzas and it was good on our egg McRich's today.:D It won't go to waste that's for sure.
 
My to do list: Rich's Pepperoni
My to don't list: Rich's Canadian Bacon

Thanks Rich for making the list simple :)
 
Rich Dahl said:
Made my first batch Canadian bacon. I used the Morton salts recipe.
http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/recipes/38/canadian-bacon/
Followed the directions very carefully.
Unfortunately I didn’t think much of it. The final product didn’t taste anywhere near any Canadian bacon I’ve ever had. The flavor and texture was almost exactly the same as a store bought bone in ham.
It’s a simple recipe, pretty hard to screw it up but I wouldn’t recommend it....
Click to expand...

Rich, sorry for your disappointment. I think the recipe you followed was not named appropriately. What you made is pea meal bacon, without the pea meal. It is cured only then meant to be fast cooked, like fried, but could be hot cooked on a grill.

Canadian (back) Bacon is pork loin cured then smoked to 140ºF. Then quickly cooked, usually fried.
 
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