Makin' Me Bacon

@BigTwig

I gave Canadian Bacon a shot the past two weeks. I was wondering if you think this looks cured all the way? I didn't see any brown in the middle, but it wasn't bright pink like some talk about. I used Bearcarvers recipe from smokingmeatforums. When I fried it, I could taste salt in each bite and before cooking the meat did not have any smell to it.

1 tablespoon Tenderquick per pound
2 tablespoons brown sugar per pound
4.5lb loin (4.5tbs of tenderquick rubbed all over then 9 tbs of brown sugar rubbed on top of the TQ with residual put in the bag)
2.5" thick so that is 5 days(1 day per half inch) + 2 then an additional 2 were added for 9 full days at 39-40F flipped each day.

After curing
cured.jpg

Sliced in the middle and fry-test slice
cut.jpg

Fried up.
cooked.jpg


Next step is half will be Peameal bacon the other half smoked.


Thanks,
 
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tod0987 said:
@BigTwig

I gave Canadian Bacon a shot the past two weeks. I was wondering if you think this looks cured all the way? I didn't see any brown in the middle, but it wasn't bright pink like some talk about. I used Bearcarvers recipe from smokingmeatforums. When I fried it, I could taste salt in each bite and before cooking the meat did not have any smell to it.

1 tablespoon Tenderquick per pound
2 tablespoons brown sugar per pound
4.5lb loin (4.5tbs of tenderquick rubbed all over then 9 tbs of brown sugar rubbed on top of the TQ with residual put in the bag)
2.5" thick so that is 5 days(1 day per half inch) + 2 then an additional 2 were added for 9 full days at 39-40F flipped each day.




Next step is half will be Peameal bacon the other half smoked.


Thanks,
Click to expand...
It looks cured all the way through to me - I dont see any major differences in color in the cross section slices. Did you smoke the whole loin after the cure?
 
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bspitt said:
It looks cured all the way through to me - I dont see any major differences in color in the cross section slices. Did you smoke the whole loin after the cure?
Click to expand...

ok thanks. Yes the color was pretty uniform.

Not in that picture, that is right out of the bag. It's in the contraption I somewhat would call a smoker right now with hickory.
 
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I make my own bacon. It's easy. I cold smoke mine. The pictures look nice. Pulled my country ham down about 3 weeks ago. It hung in my lean-to for about 3 months. Turned out pretty good.

For bacon I just use maple syrup/honey, brown sugar, white sugar, kosher salt. It turns out real good. I smoke with persimmon, Apple, maple or hickory. I use no salt peter what so ever. There is no need for it.

Ham gets a little white sugar and kosher salt. In the salt box. After it gets a little firm I wrap it in a t shirt and hang it outside in the lean-to. Also no salt peter.
 
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tod0987 said:
@BigTwig

I gave Canadian Bacon a shot the past two weeks. I was wondering if you think this looks cured all the way? I didn't see any brown in the middle, but it wasn't bright pink like some talk about. I used Bearcarvers recipe from smokingmeatforums. When I fried it, I could taste salt in each bite and before cooking the meat did not have any smell to it.

1 tablespoon Tenderquick per pound
2 tablespoons brown sugar per pound
4.5lb loin (4.5tbs of tenderquick rubbed all over then 9 tbs of brown sugar rubbed on top of the TQ with residual put in the bag)
2.5" thick so that is 5 days(1 day per half inch) + 2 then an additional 2 were added for 9 full days at 39-40F flipped each day.

After curing
View attachment 46787

Sliced in the middle and fry-test slice
View attachment 46788

Fried up.
View attachment 46789


Next step is half will be Peameal bacon the other half smoked.


Thanks,
Click to expand...


I agree, looks cured through. Smoking it will give bring out the color.

Looks great!
 
Piggly Wiggly has whole loins for $1.38 per pound so $10-17 per loin. Going to pick up one tomorrow and give it another whirl.

@bspitt how was the ham?
 
I'm going to have to give this a go... I use a lot of pork belly and used to make a lot of cured and uncured sausage but never tried bacon...
 
I started with a 9.5lb loin and cut it in half with one half for Peameal Bacon and the other for Canadian Bacon. Both were cured in large 2.5gallon Ziploc bags. The Peameal bacon was then coated in yellow cornmeal, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. I wrapped it in plastic wrap tightly to form a crust and stuck it in the freezer to freeze for slicing. The Canadian bacon was sprinkled with onion & garlic powder and black pepper then smoked until the internal temperature was 145F. It was then left to mature in the fridge for 48 hours before slicing. Tomorrow's breakfast is going to be good.

Peameal Bacon (uncooked. need to cook to eat) I also very lightly dusted the cut face of the slices with cornmeal for flavor and crunch). Yielded about 50, 1/4" thick slices
20190123_195728.jpg


Canadian Bacon (cooked ready to eat or can be quickly reheated in a pan) Yielded 60, 3/16" thick slices
20190123_180727.jpg
20190126_143723.jpg
 
So the Pig had whole loins for $1.49/lb 2 weeks ago so I snagged 2. One I cut up and packaged for chops and roasts and the other I cured in tenderquick, dark brown sugar, and a bit of black pepper. Half of the loin went to the smoker today covered in pepper, onion, and garlic for Canadian bacon with some sausage . The other half (I had cut in half to make sure it was cured through) was covered in corn meal, black pepper, onion power, and garlic powder and wrapped tightly for 24hrs (to get it to stick) for peameal bacon. I got about 70 1/8" slices off the peameal bacon half. The smoked half is mellowing to allow the smoke to permeate for 48hrs before I slice.

Before the smoke, drying out the skin for the smoke to stick to for 3 hours with a fan.
20220226_105324.jpg


After the smoke and up to 145F
20220226_143749.jpg

Half a loin, cured and smoked to 145F. Should be quickly heated/fried and eaten plain or on english muffin, roll, or anywhere you would eat country ham.
20220226_143809.jpg

Peameal Bacon half loin. One whole (1/4 a loin) unsliced and the other sliced up.
20220226_164614.jpg

Sliced up with cornmeal edges. Will be fried up and eaten on a hard roll.
20220226_164944.jpg
 
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