Canadian Bacon
Printed From: Foods of the World Forum
Category: Other Food-Related Topics
Forum Name: Curing of Meats, Charcuterie and Smokehouse Specialties
Forum Discription: From basic sausages and smoked bacon to specialised meat products such as cured hams or other charcuterie, this is the place to discus it!
URL: http://foodsoftheworld.ActiveBoards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=3255
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 19:33
Topic: Canadian Bacon
Posted By: Hoser
Subject: Canadian Bacon
Date Posted: 26 February 2013 at 02:01
Well the powers that be out here finally put whole pork loins on sale this week for $1.88 so I figured it's about time to make some Canadian bacon. As you can see, it's a good sized loin (9 lb) so I decided to portion it up and freeze a bit of it. From left to right a nice roast, 4 thick cut chops, and two pieces to be cured on the far right.  I'm using tenderquick to cure, with some turbinado sugar added, and a host of other spices as well...I don't remember for sure where I got this recipe, but it may be from Shooter Rick. Of course I trimmed the fat so the cure will be directly on the meat surface, and gave it a good rub...also added some dried basil, granulated garlic, cayenne pepper and coarse black pepper to the mix. I was toying with the idea of adding some very strong grade B maple syrup to one of the pieces, but was afraid it might get too sweet. I may still open one up and do that for one or two days of the4 cure. Measured the pieces to calculate the cure time ....first piece (slightly smaller) will cure in 5 days and the second in 6. I always add 2 days to the cure time for safeties sake, so they will be in the fridge for 8 days before smoking.   Check back every once in a while for updates.
------------- Go ahead...play with your food! |
Replies:
Posted By: MarkR
Date Posted: 26 February 2013 at 11:41
Isn't that done yet?  ------------- Mark R |
Posted By: Hoser
Date Posted: 27 February 2013 at 00:36
LOL....The waiting is the hardest part! ------------- Go ahead...play with your food! |
Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Date Posted: 27 February 2013 at 08:15
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Looking good so far, Dave -
I've got a 2-pound Canadian bacon that is going to be smoked this weekend, in apple-wood, for my http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/ppelflsk_topic3211.html" rel="nofollow - appelfläsk project. I'm really looking forward to trying the new http://www.amazenproducts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AMNPS5X8" rel="nofollow - Amaze-N-Smoker That I got from Marty and Tanya Owens at http://www.owensbbq.com" rel="nofollow - www.owensbbq.com .
------------- If you are a visitor and like what you see, please http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/registration_rules.asp?FID=0" rel="nofollow - click here and join the discussions in our community! |
Posted By: Hoser
Date Posted: 28 February 2013 at 02:32
Ron...you are absolutely going to fall in love with the amaze-n-smoker. I love mine and use it all the time. I will cold smoke my CB for about 12 hours and then light the gosm and slowly bring it to temp of about 145°-150° ------------- Go ahead...play with your food! |
TasunkaWitko wrote:Posted By: africanmeat
Date Posted: 28 February 2013 at 03:56
yup it is a great product love it too good for smoking salmon( low heat) ------------- Ahron |
Posted By: Hoser
Date Posted: 07 March 2013 at 01:51
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Well we pulled the CB out of the cure yesterday and it was looking very nice. It attained a nice color after an 8 day cure.  Rinsed it off really well and then let it dry as I sliced and did a quick fry pan test. YUM! Just right...not too salty but just enough. Nice and pink all the way to the middle...cure penetrated just as it should.    Ok...into the fridge it went for 18 hours to build up some pellicle, and then we fired up my favorite toy...my a-maz-n-smoker that I got from Tod. Gave it cold smoke for about 8 hours and then lit the GOSM and slowly brought it up to 152° F internal.    It's been in the fridge overnight again firming up ...today we'll slice and vacuum seal for storage. ------------- Go ahead...play with your food! |
Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Date Posted: 07 March 2013 at 09:11
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Looks really good, Dave -
I smoked mine last weekend with a simple dusting of cracked pepper; it got at least 8 hours over my AMNPS, with apple smoke. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of coming down with a bad virus on the same day, so I wasn't able to do anything with the Canadian bacon after that, just put it in a ziplock bag and into the refrigerator to firm up and equalise the smoke flavours. I cold-smoked mine, so it will need to actually be cooked when I use it for my http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/ppelflsk_topic3211.html" rel="nofollow - Äppelfläsk project, slated for this weekend.
As I recall, TenderQuick is a product you don't use too often - how did you like it for this project? To me, it is an easy product to use, with no hassles and consistent results, especially for large, whole cuts of meats. ------------- If you are a visitor and like what you see, please http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/registration_rules.asp?FID=0" rel="nofollow - click here and join the discussions in our community! |
Posted By: Hoser
Date Posted: 07 March 2013 at 15:41
|
You know Ron...I just may be a convert to the Tenderquick system. Didn't have to soak the bacon at all before smoking, it was right on. It will take me a few more projects before I make up my mind for sure. ------------- Go ahead...play with your food! |
Posted By: Hoser
Date Posted: 08 March 2013 at 02:05
 And finally...all sliced into 1/4" pieces and packaged for storage or delivery. LOL...seems I always wind up giving half of it away in care packages. ------------- Go ahead...play with your food! |
Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Date Posted: 11 March 2013 at 09:48
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G'morning, Dave - it looks like this Canadian bacon turned out very well! I am a believer in the TenderQuick, and am very glad that it worked with its usual near-perfect results!
If you want to feel like a Swede, that Canadian bacon would work really well for http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/ppelflsk_topic3211.html" rel="nofollow - Äppelfläsk ~ ------------- If you are a visitor and like what you see, please http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/registration_rules.asp?FID=0" rel="nofollow - click here and join the discussions in our community! |
Posted By: HistoricFoodie
Date Posted: 11 March 2013 at 10:31
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Don't know if I want to feel like a Swede, Ron.
But there was that blue-eyed, blond-headed goddess on the beach once.....uh, oh. Better quit right there.
 |
Posted By: AK1
Date Posted: 11 March 2013 at 18:40
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I have to ask! What is Canadian bacon???? I live in Canada and I have never heard of it. We have normal belly bacon, and "peameal" which is a pork loin, cured & then rolled in cornmeal.
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Posted By: HistoricFoodie
Date Posted: 11 March 2013 at 19:10
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Darko, In the States, bacon made from the loin is referred to as Canadian bacon.
I suppose, by all rights, it should be called "Canadian style bacon," and maybe it was at one time. Typically, what we have here is not rolled in cornmeal.
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Posted By: Boilermaker
Date Posted: 23 November 2014 at 22:37
| My first try at Canadian bacon this week, I did a 4 lb loin (after trimming). Started the cure using Tender Quick last Monday. Today I took it out of the bags rinsed it well and then took a slice from each piece and fried them (I had split it into two pieces). I did half of it based loosely on Dave's recipe here using dark Muscovado sugar and some herbs and spices and when I fried a slice it tasted fantastic. The other half I used only the Tender Quick and no sugar and it tasted very salty, I'm guessing sugar is needed to balance the salt. I soaked that half in cold water for an hour hoping to remove some of the salt. I smoked them over apple pellets and then kicked up the heat and got them to 145 degrees. Just took them off the smoker and they are in the fridge cooling. Haven't tasted them yet after smoking and cooking. |
Posted By: HistoricFoodie
Date Posted: 24 November 2014 at 04:48
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I've never cured loins, Andy. But with hams, if you don't include some sugar in the mix the salt draws out so much moisture that the meat turns brick hard. I don't know the chemistry behind this, but the sugar helps keep the meat softer. ------------- But we hae meat and we can eat And sae the Lord be thanket |
Posted By: Boilermaker
Date Posted: 24 November 2014 at 22:05
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Thanks Brooke, I agree, the sugar is apparently an integral part of the process and the half I cured using only the cure was hard when it came out of the bag. After soaking for an hour then smoking it and cooking the result is very nice, not salty at all and very good. I'm new to curing meats and have a lot to learn but look forward to the journey. |
Posted By: HistoricFoodie
Date Posted: 25 November 2014 at 05:01
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Keep us in the loop with your experiments, Andy. I'm sure lots of members would like to share the journey with you. ------------- But we hae meat and we can eat And sae the Lord be thanket |
Posted By: AK1
Date Posted: 26 November 2014 at 13:01
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Posted By: BriCan
Date Posted: 27 November 2014 at 00:40
Depends on a lot of things ... where you are (East - West) .... the demographics ... the butcher .. the cliental ... where you (family) come from ... and possibly a host of other things .. As for pork loin cured and sold as bacon and to boot .. smoked ... and that would be 'cold smoked' which is the correct way ... I do about 100 kg a week and thats not including the non smoked stuff  Traditional English Gammon shortback bacon ... cold smoked  ------------- But what do I know |
Posted By: AK1
Date Posted: 27 November 2014 at 12:52
| We do have smoked loin, I've just never seen it called "bacon". All the smoked loin here is ready to eat. No cooking required. |
Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Date Posted: 05 December 2014 at 17:51
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Very nice-looking Gammon shortback bacon, BriCan! I'd love to give that a try someday ~ Andy, sounds like you did really well with your canadian bacon - as Brook said, that soak must put some moisture back in and equalise the salt content a bit throughout. I need to be making some more Canadian bacon (or cured-and-smoked pork loin, if you prefer) soon, and will see what I can learn.... ------------- If you are a visitor and like what you see, please http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/registration_rules.asp?FID=0" rel="nofollow - click here and join the discussions in our community! |
Posted By: drinks
Date Posted: 11 February 2015 at 15:27
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I polled a hunting forum I am on, it had several Canadians as members. The ones from the eastern 1/3 of Canada had never heard of it, the ones from the western 2/3 all knew of it even if they had not tasted it. I make it and have for a number of years, dry cured and cold smoked with hickory or mesquite. I have tried tenderquick but usually make my own cure using #2 pink salt. I use equal parts of canning salt and plain cane sugar with black pepper, garlic powder and ground cayenne. I use 1 tbsp of #2 pink salt per cup of cure and cure 1 day per inch of thickness, plus one more day. Usually cold smoke it about 6-8 hours. |
Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Date Posted: 11 February 2015 at 20:39
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Sounds good, drinks ~ how does the mesquite do with the loin? ------------- If you are a visitor and like what you see, please http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/registration_rules.asp?FID=0" rel="nofollow - click here and join the discussions in our community! |
Posted By: drinks
Date Posted: 11 February 2015 at 21:57
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I am always torn between hickory and mesquite, both are good flavored but different.I can get either here, most groceries have 25-30 lb sacks of cooking chunks for $6-7 , not every day but often. I also have black cherry and river birch here just for going and cutting it. I go high tech using a 1 lb oval sardine can on the hotplate to hold the wood.;I am making a new smoker now, the 16cu' one will not get over 110' with a 600 watt hot plate, the new one is 6.6 cu' and will have a dual heat plate. 500 and 1000 w so I can have 500, 1000 or 1500 w. When I get done I shall post a photo of both. |
Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Date Posted: 13 February 2015 at 21:31
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Sounds good - looking forward to seeing how it goes! ------------- If you are a visitor and like what you see, please http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/registration_rules.asp?FID=0" rel="nofollow - click here and join the discussions in our community! |
Posted By: gonefishin
Date Posted: 14 February 2015 at 08:57
 Oh my word! That is one of the best pictures I've seen on the internet in quite some time! WOW! Nicely done!!! ------------- Enjoy The Food! |
Posted By: AK1
Date Posted: 14 February 2015 at 16:59
| I agree! |