# First Canadian Bacon



## Deer Meat (Oct 19, 2007)

I am finally getting a chance to make my long awaited Canadian Bacon. I am using the Hi-Mountain Bacon cure. The 8# loin is cut in half, trimmed of excess fat, and rubbed with the proper amount of cure.

I did run into a small problem......or maybe no problem at all. The directions say to place the meat in a non-reactive dish and cover with plastic wrap. I do not have the room in my fridge wright now, so I double wrapped them in plastic wrap and placed them in the fridge.

*I hope this is o.k.* 

Here they are rubbed and ready for there 10 day rest


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## t-bone tim (Oct 19, 2007)

Your gonna be fine ,just remember to flip once everyday , can't wait to see the finished product


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## Deer Meat (Oct 19, 2007)

Thanks Tim I thought I would be O.K.


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## salmonclubber (Oct 19, 2007)

deer meat

i put mine in a ziploc bag it works fine you should have no problem with the wrap except maybe it will leak just keep an eye on it 
huey


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## Deer Meat (Oct 19, 2007)

Good idea Huey, I am going to put them in ziploc bags wright now.


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## cowgirl (Oct 19, 2007)

Can't wait to see the finished bacon.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	




I'm going to have to try that Hi-Mountain cure....sounds good.


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## Deer Meat (Oct 19, 2007)

There will surely be Q-view to follow.

This is going to be a long 10 days.


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## deejaydebi (Oct 19, 2007)

Vaccum seal bags work good too. 

10 days IS a long time to wait but for some reason it always tastes better when you have to wait.


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## smoked (Oct 19, 2007)

good lord.....10 days?  my cure I use is direct from mortons themselves, 1 Tbls tenderquick plus 1 tsp sugar per each pound, rub, wrap sit 3-5 days in fridge, cool water bath 30 minutes.....then it's off to the smoker 225 until it reaches 150........


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## cowgirl (Oct 19, 2007)

I use the morton's method too and have never cured canadian bacon past 7 days, (I know it depends on the size of the loin.)

Does the Hi-Mountain stuff require a longer time? I'm just curious, I've never tried it.


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## Deer Meat (Oct 19, 2007)

The 10 day period according to Hi-Mountain, is based on the thickness of the meat 3-3Â½". 
The cure is for buckboard bacon, but I have read several post on here stating it is excellent
for canadian bacon as well. I can probably cut down on the curing time, because 
the thickest part of the loin I am using is 2Â½-2Â¾"

Still I hope 10 days is not to long, because with my busy schedule 
I have planned my smoke day in advance and Oct. 28th is the day.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Hopefully someone reassures me this is o.k. to do this way


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## salmonclubber (Oct 19, 2007)

deer meat 

you can pull the loin at 7 days and smoke it and it will be fine as leave it in cure for up to 3 weeks and it will be just fine the next time you do canadian bacom try the morton tender quick method  my family likes it better then the hi mtn stuff for canadian bacon good luck you are gonna love it its all good 
huey


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## cowgirl (Oct 19, 2007)

Thanks for the info DEER MEAT....I will have to give Hi-Mountain a try someday.


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## Deer Meat (Oct 28, 2007)

Well the day has finally arrived. It is time to smoke my Canadian Bacon.

6:30a.m. In the clean sink to rinse off excess cure


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## roger (Oct 28, 2007)

Looks good so far, we'll be waiting for more pic's.

I've got one that's been curing in the fridge and it'll go in the smoker tomorrow.

Good Luck


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## smoked (Oct 28, 2007)

the thing about the morton method (1 tbls tenderquick plus 1 teaspoon sugar per pound) is that it's so simple and allows the SMOKE to make the taste.......I'll never make canadian bacon any other way.... of which was once again re-affirmed today with the party we went to that gobbled up a ton of my canadian bacon, half with alder smoke and half with apple/hickory mix........  and considering a bag of tenderquick can be found (out here) in a grocery store for less then 3 bucks...........


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## Deer Meat (Oct 28, 2007)

Here they are out of there one hour soak. Thoroughly rinsed, patted dry with paper towel, resting for an hour before the smoker.


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## richtee (Oct 28, 2007)

That's all I use is TQ per directions, and maybe a bit of CBP, onion and garlic powders.


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## smoked (Oct 28, 2007)

I've been tempted.....really have.....but I just keep falling back to the "KISS" method.....(keep it simple stupid), I really love the smoke coming thru, but really thinking of doing a CBP style to see if it kicks it up a "notch" or give it more....ummmmmm how do I say........ here it is... "BAM"


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## Deer Meat (Oct 28, 2007)

O.K. Rich, what are the exact quantitys you use to kick up your cure


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## smoked (Oct 28, 2007)

my first thought on CBP, is 1/4 tsp per pound.......just a guess thou....that would make it rather.....peppery.....granted, you do cold water soak first......so a bit of CBP to cover just before the smoke would be good.....


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## Deer Meat (Oct 28, 2007)

Here is an update:

9:00 a.m. into the smoker



The directions say place in smoker at 150Â° for one hour, no smoke. Then increase to 200Â° with smoke. 

The lowest I can get my smoker is 165Â°. So that will just have to do. I really don't see a problem with this.


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## Deer Meat (Oct 28, 2007)

_*Caution:*_ Have a drool rag handy 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





















Here is the one I took to an internal of 140° for skillet frying.


And a few pictures of the Bacon sliced 




In the skillet to finish it off for a long awaited snack.


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## roger (Oct 28, 2007)

Dude, you got my mouth watering.

Mine goes in the smoker in the morning.


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## Deer Meat (Oct 28, 2007)

Good luck Roger. If it is your first Canadian Bacon, you will love it. It took about 4 hours for the loin I took to 140Â°, and about 5Â½ hours for the loin taken to 160Â°.

I used apple wood for the entire smoke. They are not as smoky as I would have liked, but they are super juicy, and not at all salty. Next time I may add some Hickory chunks to the pan.


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## jocosa (Oct 28, 2007)

Wow, that looks awesome... nice slicing job!   

Can't wait for my himtn cure to arrive.   Will have to try the TQ cure too...   

As for the hour at 150 w/no smoke, any reason why one couldn't do that inside, in the oven and then move it to the smoker?


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## t-bone tim (Oct 28, 2007)

Great lookin bacon , Brian , dropped the freakin drool towel and ruined a perfectly good keyboard 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 .... on the smoke flavor , the hickory is the way to go for best flavor , IMHO.
          Good job


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## Deer Meat (Oct 28, 2007)

jocasa, I actually had wood in the pan while I tried to maintain the 150Â°. My plan was to not have to open the door when it was time to crank it up to 200Â°. I was not able to get as low as 150Â° though, 165Â° was as low as I could get it. 

After seeing  and tasting the results, I feel you could still start in the smoker. Just hold the lowest temperature you can and let it go.

I am not exactly sure what that low temperature period is. I think it has something to do with drying the surface of cured meat before the smoke process. 

I am sure someone on here can explain this better.


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## blackhawk19 (Oct 28, 2007)

Great lookin Bacon, I'm goin to have to try that


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## roger (Oct 28, 2007)

Brian, If you sliced that bacon with that knife, I'll let you be my brain surgeon.


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## Deer Meat (Oct 28, 2007)

LMAO.......that is a good one. While I was slicing the bacon "with that knife" I was thinking of how bad I need to add a slicer to my Christmas list.


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## blackhawk19 (Oct 28, 2007)

Heck, my meat slicer  doesn't do that good


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## jocosa (Oct 28, 2007)

Makes sense on the drying time...  I haven't tried to see how low I can go and maintain a temp, haven't had the need yet...  but we'll see in a couple of weeks.


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## scotty (Oct 28, 2007)

Here is a link for a slicer that seems to be a good  buy. The larger blade is  very important.
 I read a post  by DJ that said a few  of the members of TSMF have them.
It's on my  soon to get list


http://www.instawares.com/meat-slice...10901w.0.7.htm


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## vulcan75001 (Oct 28, 2007)

Smoked..
When you do the tenderquick method...is that regular white sugar or brown sugar??? does it matter???
Thanks..


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## smoked (Oct 28, 2007)

I have that slicer, it's great although the tray on it is a tad small....would be nice to be able to have it extend further from the blade so you can slice larger meats..... other then that it's great (well no cheese blade for it either, but for meat it's awsome)


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## smoked (Oct 28, 2007)

I've always used regular white sugar.......not sure how different of a taste the molasses in the brown sugar would have.....


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## Deer Meat (Oct 29, 2007)

Thanks for the link scotty, looks like a great slicer.


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## smoked (Oct 29, 2007)

it is, and from instawares is fairly quick delivery also, Im on the list for weston (who actually imports the unit) for when they come out for a sharpener for the blade and a cheese blade for the unit when and if they make them........  love the big blade on this thing.....just needs a longer "throw" on the tray is all........but all can be modified.....
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 (and the price is good......)


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