canadian bacon : first try Question

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dave54

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Dec 12, 2009
384
19
OHIO
Picked up the bacon cure from Cabala's (Cabala's Smokehouse & Butcher Shop) and the 8# pork loin from Sam's club

  My question is if I do the liquid brine, is one gallon enough to do 8 # of loin ? I thought for my first time the premixed

route would be the simplest . Seems like 1 gallon isn't enough brine and if it is ,is this why you flip and massage daily?

c77b70da_bacon002.jpg


6ecc0a8e_bacon001.jpg
 
Hey Dave,

You'll be amazed at how much brine 1 gallon actually is once you put your meat in the bucket.  The meat has to be submerged and will displace much of the water in the bucket.  I would cut the large loin into 3 or 4 pieces so it fits better in the bucket.  Fill a zip lock bag with water and place it on top the loin to keep it submerged in the brine.  I gave everything a little "Spin" in the bucket once a day.

Do you have a clean "Food Grade" bucket?  If not, go back to SAMS and ask for one from the bakery.  I got a bunch of them last year for "FREE".  They guy told me they throw the buckets in the recycling bin.

Yesterday, SAMS had whole pork loin for $1.98/lb.......CHEAP!

Keep us posted!

Todd
 
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Yea Dave you will be surprised how little water it takes just to cover a pork loin. I would make sure that it is submerged too. That's one of the keys to a great Canadian Bacon too. I usually do mine the dry rub way but I'm sure that the brine is a good way too. I have a corned beef in a brine right now. It will come out tomorrow and the point is into the smoker for pastrami.
 
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Dave,

I always dry cure all of my Bacons, and I flip them daily.

You don't have to flip wet (brine) cured Bacon, but it must all be completely submerged.

Like Todd said, cut it in small enough pieces and weigh it down so it's all completely submerged.

Then don't touch it until it's time is up.

Keep the temp between 34˚ & 40˚ through the whole curing process.

Bear
 
Brine mixed and pork loin cut into 3 smaller pieces 

a5d625b1_bacon001.jpg


Covered to keep submerged with freezing bag filled with water- check

0e0d2178_bacon002.jpg


In fridge _check

0076db0f_bacon003.jpg


Temp good -check

c333f110_bacon004.jpg


One more question ,one gallon WAS more  than I thought ,I can get pork bellies tomorrow ,can I add them to this after i pick them

up and not and not mess anything up or should I make them in a different batch?
 
I would say, judging by how much brine you have in there, you maybe should not add any more meat.

If you add more meat---then the brine might not cover it, then you have to add more brine---slippery slope to getting the wrong mix.

If you can, just do this one, and then you'll be a veteran----Do some more then. 
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These are just my suggestions---I don't want to tell you what to do.

Bear
 
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I would say, judging by how much brine you have in there, you maybe should not add any more meat.

If you add more meat---then the brine might not cover it, then you have to add more brine---slippery slope to getting the wrong mix.

If you can, just do this one, and then you'll be a veteran----Do some more then. 
eek.gif


These are just my suggestions---I don't want to tell you what to do.

Bear
Thanks  I'm not going to add more then!
 
 
seasoned with fresh cracked pepper and in the MES

783b6e8e_reatofbacon003.jpg


Out of the smoker .

Smoked with apple  Started at 100 degrees and went up to 200 over 7 hours

pulled it out at 160

back in the refrigerator

ed3b39a6_reatofbacon004.jpg


sealed and in the freezer this morning

ff5d929e_reatofbacon005.jpg


 Thanks to all that helped!!!!!!!

        (especially Bear for answering all my IMs)
 
I do a lot of my brining and my dry curing (mmm...bacon) in 2 gallon plastic bags from GFS. Easy to see what is going on in there, easy to keep it all submerged. Disposable clean up... wins all over the place.

Bearcarver's Canada Bacon is one of the best recipes I have seen on here.

I use the recipe from Charcuterie.

::cheers::

-Princess
 
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