# Canadian bacon - dry brine



## shyzabrau (May 15, 2017)

When I search on "Canadian bacon - dry brine", most of the results are for Morton TQ. I don't have that. The ones that mention cure #1 mostly mention volumes, not weights.

Can anyone provide the correct weights for cure #1 and salt for a dry brine for making Canadian bacon? What is a typical range for the sugar?

Once I get going, I'll provide plenty of pictures, I promise!


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## pc farmer (May 15, 2017)

I use this calculator with #1

http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html


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## shyzabrau (May 15, 2017)

c farmer said:


> I use this calculator with #1
> 
> http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html


What percents of salt/sugar do I want for CB? I've never done it and it's a long investment in time, so I want to do it right!


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## SmokinAl (May 15, 2017)

I use the default, which is 2% salt & 1% sugar.

Al


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## shyzabrau (May 15, 2017)

Alrighty, the Canadian bacon voyage has begun!

I cut two pieces off the loin so I get twice the experimental fun! One is a standard cure/salt/brown sugar, and the other is a bit more savory.

For my own records, here are the actual amounts: 

Standard

525 grams - pork loin

1.3 grams - cure #1

9.3 grams - salt

5.3 grams - dark brown sugar

Savory

501 grams - pork loin

1.3 grams - cure #1

8.9 grams - salt

5 grams - dark brown sugar

2 grams - black pepper

2 grams - coriander

0.5 grams - cayenne pepper

0.5 grams - ancho chile pepper

I rubbed them and vacuum-sealed them individually. I assume that this will speed up the penetration, but I will follow the standard rule. The thickest part (of the shortest dimension) is 2.5 inches, so I'll let it go seven days at least. (I may be travelling a week from today, so it might have to wait a bit longer).

Standard on the left, savory on the right.













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__ shyzabrau
__ May 15, 2017






I portioned and froze the rest of the loin, but decided I would smoke a small roast for dinner tonight. I rubbed it with one of my own butt rub mixes.













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__ shyzabrau
__ May 15, 2017






I popped it in the Bradley Electric with the AMZNPS (mix of garlic spice, apple and sugar maple). No heat from the Bradley (not even turned on). After a couple of hours, the cooking chamber is 50 degrees above ambient (130*F). I guess I'm going to need to build a mailbox mod. (Not that I need it cold smoked. I have bumped up the heat to start cooking it. I just wanted to see what it would do...)


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## shyzabrau (May 15, 2017)

I turned up the heat in the smoker and meant to take it out at 135 and put it in the sous vide for an hour at 135. I got distracted cleaning out all the debris in the pool from my wife's yard work. Sigh. 

It was 145 when I pulled it so I let it rest and wen ahead and fixed the sides for dinner. I was hungry anyway...

Here it is sliced. A bit drier than I would prefer (and if I had stuck to the original plan). Very light smoke, but great flavor from the rub. Not my best work but a very nice weeknight meal. 













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__ shyzabrau
__ May 15, 2017


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## shyzabrau (May 23, 2017)

Okay, back to the Canadian bacon...

After eight days with the dry cure, I rinsed off the sections of loin and soaked them for about 45 minutes, changing out the water once.













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__ shyzabrau
__ May 23, 2017






I trimmed off a bit more of the "ugly" bits and used them for the fry test.













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__ shyzabrau
__ May 23, 2017






The two pieces at the top were from the "savory" loin. The coriander was quite noticeable, but, of course, that will not be as significant once it is smoked.

The salt was less than commercial Canadian bacon, so I probably can skip the soak.

For the savory version, I lightly coated it in freshly crushed black pepper. The both went into the fridge, to be smoked tomorrow.













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__ shyzabrau
__ May 23, 2017






More pictures tomorrow after the smoke!


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## shyzabrau (May 24, 2017)

I smoked them at 230, with sugar maple.

I pulled them out of the smoker when the IT of the savory CB reached 145. Oddly enough the IT of the straight CB was 155. (I'm not sure how long they were on the smoker - maybe 3 hours?)













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__ shyzabrau
__ May 24, 2017






I took off a couple slices to sample. I really had to struggle not slicing off more...

I popped them in the freezer for a few hours to firm up before I break out the slicer...


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## shyzabrau (May 24, 2017)

I went ahead and sliced the standard CB thick for dinner tonight (I'll try to remember a plated shot) and the savory thin for sandwiches.

The standard was good, but the savory was fantastic. The coriander really took it to the next level!













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__ shyzabrau
__ May 24, 2017






I definitely need to do more than 1 kg next time. (I wasn't sure what I was getting into, to be honest...)


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## shyzabrau (May 24, 2017)

Here is the plated shot of the thickly sliced standard CB. (Sorry, no fancy plating - just a regular work night dinner!)













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__ shyzabrau
__ May 24, 2017






This was basically ham. Very low level of salt (especially compared to the ham slices that we normally buy). Flavor was good, but it was a bit dry. The standard CB got up to nearly 160 IT, so that didn't help. (I really need a thermometer that is on my wifi with an app on my phone...)

Definitely going to do it again, though. Good use of pork loin when it goes on sale!


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## robin h (May 24, 2017)

That looks really good I will have to try as well. Thanks for the pics.


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## shyzabrau (May 24, 2017)

Robin H said:


> That looks really good I will have to try as well. Thanks for the pics.



Thanks!


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## jus256 (May 25, 2017)

Shyzabrau said:


> Alrighty, the Canadian bacon voyage has begun!
> 
> I cut two pieces off the loin so I get twice the experimental fun! One is a standard cure/salt/brown sugar, and the other is a bit more savory.
> 
> ...



Do you have a scale that can accurately weigh tenths of a gram?


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## shyzabrau (May 25, 2017)

jus256 said:


> Do you have a scale that can accurately weigh tenths of a gram?


It displays that resolution. Whether it is accurate is a very different question!

I use an Ashiba model 1622 scale that goes up to 100 grams. I really need to calibrate it, but I keep forgetting to buy a test weight.

I bought it for weighing brewing salts for making beer.


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## jus256 (May 25, 2017)

Shyzabrau said:


> It displays that resolution. Whether it is accurate is a very different question!
> 
> I use an Ashiba model 1622 scale that goes up to 100 grams. I really need to calibrate it, but I keep forgetting to buy a test weight.
> 
> I bought it for weighing brewing salts for making beer.



I guess it really doesn't matter if it's accurate as long as everything is consistently being weighed the same. Thanks, I'll look in to that model.


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## shyzabrau (May 25, 2017)

Repeatability is, of course, useful for me personally, but if I'm sharing recipes, accuracy would be good as well!

I don't know if that is a great model. I bought it so many years ago, I don't remember the goods/bads. I'm sure there are plenty of good gram scales on the market.


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## tropics (May 25, 2017)

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__ shyzabrau
__ May 24, 2017






CB Looks good to me I always like thinner slices 

Richie

When I use that calculator I only rinse the meat off

Points for a first


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## shyzabrau (May 25, 2017)

Thanks, Richie!

It seems to me that if we give the cure and salt time to equalize, it will be uniformly distributed (as it naturally "wants" to be). If we use the correct amount of salt it should be unnecessary to soak.


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## Bearcarver (May 25, 2017)

Shyzabrau said:


> Here is the plated shot of the thickly sliced standard CB. (Sorry, no fancy plating - just a regular work night dinner!)
> 
> This was basically ham. Very low level of salt (especially compared to the ham slices that we normally buy).* Flavor was good, but it was a bit dry. The standard CB got up to nearly 160 IT, so that didn't help. (I really need a thermometer that is on my wifi with an app on my phone...)*
> 
> Definitely going to do it again, though. Good use of pork loin when it goes on sale!


Yup---It definitely should be 145° or at least no higher than 150°.

I used to Smoke CB to 160° because that was the Temp the USDA called for, and they were very dry.

Then about 5 years ago they changed the safe temp of Pork to 145°---What a Difference!!!

Looks Great from here, Shy!!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## shyzabrau (May 25, 2017)

Bearcarver said:


> Yup---It definitely should be 145° or at least no higher than 150°.
> 
> I used to Smoke CB to 160° because that was the Temp the USDA called for, and they were very dry.
> 
> ...


Thanks, Bear!

To be pedantic, they really didn't change anything. It is still 158 (round up to 160) _for instantaneous temp_ and 145 _held for three minutes_. If you look at the time/temp tables, they are both log 5 mortality rates.


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## Bearcarver (May 25, 2017)

Shyzabrau said:


> Thanks, Bear!
> 
> To be pedantic, they really didn't change anything. It is still 158 (round up to 160) _for instantaneous temp_ and 145 _held for three minutes_. If you look at the time/temp tables, they are both log 5 mortality rates.


LOL--It takes me more than 3 minutes to bring it in, plate it up, add sides, take pics, and sit down & start eating.

I haven't seen 160° or 158° written in years.

Bear


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## shyzabrau (May 25, 2017)

Bearcarver said:


> LOL--It takes me more than 3 minutes to bring it in, plate it up, add sides, take pics, and sit down & start eating.
> 
> I haven't seen 160° or 158° written in years.
> 
> Bear


Yep, and the carry over heat usually means that the temp in the middle is increasing for at least three minutes.

The guidelines are pretty clear, though - it is either one or the other...


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## Bearcarver (May 25, 2017)

Shyzabrau said:


> Yep, and the carry over heat usually means that the temp in the middle is increasing for at least three minutes.
> 
> The guidelines are pretty clear, though - it is either one or the other...


Exactly---Been 145° for years.

Bear


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