# Canadian Bacon (Step by Step—2015)



## Bearcarver

*Canadian Bacon*  (Step by Step—2015)



NOTE: The following is how I do this particular Smoke. You can do it this way, or many other ways.
I'm posting this in Step by Step form in case anyone would like to follow it.


I got a pretty good score about two weeks ago!!!
On Sale at Redner’s Market for $1.88 per pound! for Pork Loin!!!
Then since it was Veteran’s Day I got another 10% off everything.
So I got 2 Whole Pork Loins for $1.71 lb. I bought about 20 pounds of Pork Loin.

*Prepping (Day #1):*
First I cut enough off of these Loins to give Mrs Bear enough for her Crock-pot to make Pork & Sauerkraut on New Year’s Day, and Vac Sealed & put that in the Freezer for her.
I did this in a way that I would have 4 pieces left that would just fit in a Gallon size Ziplock bag.
Then I Rinsed, Dried, and Weighed the pieces to be cured.
Then I Weighed the proper amounts of Tender Quick for each piece (1/2 ounce---One TBS per pound).
Rub TQ on first, trying to get it distributed evenly all over the piece of meat it was measured for.
Rub on about 2 tsp of Brown Sugar per pound of meat, and put the piece of meat in the bag.
Note:*We fold the top of the bag over, like a pants cuff, so no salt or sugar grains get in the zipper parts.
Any cure that falls off before getting into the bag, I pick up & put in the bag, with the piece of meat it was designated to be with. That will ensure that the proper amount of cure will be with each piece of meat during the curing stage. I do this on a Dinner plate, so it’s easy to wipe the fallen TQ up & put it in the bag.

*Calculating curing time:*
The method I use for calculating curing time is simple. I learned it 6 years ago right here on SMF, and it has never failed me.
The cure has always gotten to the center of all pieces, and I have never had any that were salty. Those are the 2 Important things!!
Measure the thickest spot of all of the pieces of meat you plan to cure.
Figure how many "half inches" there are in that measurement.
Add 2 to that number. That will be the minimum time that I would cure that piece of meat.
Then I personally like to add 2 or 3 more days to be extra safe (you can't over-cure, but you can under-cure).
Example:
My thickest piece was 2 3/4 inches. Round that up to 3”. There are 6 "Half inches" in 3”.
So that would be 6 Days plus 2 days = 8 days absolute minimum curing time.
Then due to the fact that I wanted to smoke the meat on Monday, I added 2 more days to that number.
So I cured these pieces of Pork Butt for 10 days in my Meat fridge, at 37°.
Note: Curing should be done in temps between 34° and 40°. I always cured between 37° and 38°. Now I’m able to hold 37° IT Meat temp.

*Day #10:*
Rinse all the pieces off, and soaked them in cold water for about 15 minutes to remove surface salt.
I cut a slice from the middle of the Thickest piece, and checked the color inside to be sure it was cured to the center.
Then I did a Fry-Test to make sure it wasn't too salty. It was perfect——Zero Salt flavor, as usual.
So I rinsed the pieces all off again, and patted them dry with a lot of paper towels (Mrs Bear says I should buy a paper towel company!!)
Then (experimenting to get more of a Ham flavor) I skipped sprinkling the CBP, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder.
I put these pieces in my Kitchen Fridge for the night.
I can no longer carry a rack full of meat up & down the steps, so I will put it in my smoker for an hour or two at about 150˚, before adding the smoke, to get my pellicle.*

*Day #11 (Smoking Day---Using MES 40 BT):*
7:00 AM-------------------------Pre-Heat Smoker to 150˚.
7:30 AM-------------------------Put loaded rack on 3rd position of my 6 position smoker, with top exhaust vent open fully.
8:00 AM————————-Fill 2 rows of AMNS with Hickory Dust & light one end.
9:30 AM————————-Internal Temp at 101°——Put Smoking AMNS on bottom rack, on left side.
1:00 PM-------------------------Bump heat to 170˚ (Internal Temps were at about 127° at this time).
2:00 PM————————-Add Apple Dust to half of last row of AMNS to complete smoke.
3:00 PM————————-Bump Heat to 180° (IT was at 133°)
4:00 PM—————-———Internal Temp at 139°.
5:15 PM————————-All pieces were over 145° IT——Remove from smoker.

Allow to cool to about 100˚ before wrapping in plastic wrap, and putting in fridge for R & R.
Leave in Fridge over 2 nights for best flavor.
Put in freezer for 3 to 4 hours before slicing makes the slicing work much better.
I sliced this batch, and vacuum packed in 8 slices per pack, which is good for one Supper for each of us & one Breakfast (with Eggs) for me.

Note: I actually used Dry Maple Sugar (Equal amount as the TQ) on one of the pieces, instead of Brown Sugar, and I could not taste a difference.


That's all I can think of right now----Enjoy the Views!!

Bear




These are “Whole Boneless Pork Loins”:







This one was 11.68 pounds——The other one was 10.58 pounds. Most Pork Loins I see around here are about that size:






The pieces I cut off for Mrs Bear’s Crock pot for New Year’s Day “Pork & Sauerkraut”:






4 pieces cut to fit in 1 gallon Ziplock bags for curing:






Coated with proper amount of TQ and Brown Sugar, and bagged for 10 days in 37° in fridge to cure:






4 pieces after soaking in cold water for 15 minutes & rinsed to remove surface salt:






Here I cut the thickest one in half to check for cure to center (Pink all the way to center):






One test slice showed ZERO salt flavor:






Ready for Smoker:






2 Rows of Hickory Dust in my AMNS with one end lit, ready for Smoker:






Smoked, cooled in Fridge over 2 nights, and in Freezer for 3 hours——Ready for slicing:






All sliced up—Ends in bowl on left—Slices on plate:






Closer Look of All:






Closer look at slices:






All Vacuum Packed for Meat Freezer:


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## gary s

It's hard to come up with anything different to say about Bears Step by Steps. Always great information and pics. Looks great my friend













Gary


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## Bearcarver

gary s said:


> It's hard to come up with anything different to say about Bears Step by Steps. Always great information and pics. Looks great my friend
> 
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> 
> Gary


Thanks Gary!!

I'm good for at least a year now!

And Thanks for the Point !!

Bear


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## crankybuzzard

Another winning SxS!


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## dukeburger

Nice winter stash!!


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## Bearcarver

CrankyBuzzard said:


> Another winning SxS!


Thank You CB !!

Bear


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## Bearcarver

DukeBurger said:


> Nice winter stash!!


Thank You Duke!!

And Thanks for the Point !!

Bear


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## tropics

Bear sorry I almost missed this,still trying to catch myself after the holiday LOL That should hold ya for awhile and as always another great job.Thanks for sharing

Richie


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## Bearcarver

tropics said:


> Bear sorry I almost missed this,still trying to catch myself after the holiday LOL That should hold ya for awhile and as always another great job.Thanks for sharing
> 
> Richie


Thanks Richie!!

I thought more people would like this one-----This is one of my Best Step by Steps. And Easy to follow!

And Thanks for the Point !!

Bear


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## floridasteve

I think I'm going to revisit Canadian bacon, this time using your dry method rather than a wet brine.

That size sealer bags did you use?
:points:


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## Bearcarver

FloridaSteve said:


> I think I'm going to revisit Canadian bacon, this time using your dry method rather than a wet brine.
> 
> That size sealer bags did you use?


Thanks Steve!!

Just yell (PM) if you got any questions!

And Thanks for the Point !!

Bear


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## Bearcarver

FloridaSteve said:


> I think I'm going to revisit Canadian bacon, this time using your dry method rather than a wet brine.
> 
> That size sealer bags did you use?


OOOOPS----Missed that question.

Pint size bags----6 X 10.

Bear


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## sbishop

Bearcarver, looks good...been using your step-by-step for a long time now...except I changed a 2 things....I go with 1tsp of brown sugar per lbs and had 1/4 cup of maple syrup (per half loin)....what a difference in flavor.

You must give that a try next time!

Sbishop


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## Bearcarver

sbishop said:


> Bearcarver, looks good...been using your step-by-step for a long time now...except I changed a 2 things....I go with 1tsp of brown sugar per lbs and had 1/4 cup of maple syrup (per half loin)....what a difference in flavor.
> 
> You must give that a try next time!
> 
> Sbishop


Thanks sbishop,
I tried Real Maple Syrup, and this time I tried Dry Maple Sugar, and so far I have not gotten enough Maple flavor to be worth paying for the Syrup or Sugar.

Bear


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## sbishop

Bear...I'm blaming you on this one....I picked up 3 loins last night...HAHA


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## Bearcarver

sbishop said:


> Bear...I'm blaming you on this one....I picked up 3 loins last night...HAHA


LOL---I've been blamed before!!

3 Whole Loins??   That's nearly 30 pounds. 

I did that one time---What a load !!  Ended up about 60 Pork Chops (1/2" thick), and about 100 Canadian Bacon slices (1/8" thick).

Bear


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## sbishop

Loins were little small...23 lbs....costco here has them always at 2.25lbs...sometimes they hav 5$ off a loin.

I slice all mine at 1/8" and vacuum pack it all.


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## Bearcarver

sbishop said:


> Loins were little small...23 lbs....costco here has them always at 2.25lbs...sometimes they hav 5$ off a loin.
> 
> I slice all mine at 1/8" and vacuum pack it all.


This time Mrs Bear wanted 1/2" Thick for Pork Chops.

I wanted 1/8" for Canadian Bacon.

I compromised by cutting them all to 1/4".

Bear


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## sbishop

Bearcarver....took some out of the smoker this morning.

I usually don't have all day to smoke ( busy with the kids) so wha I do is 1 hr at 150f with the door open just a bit on my mes30....crank to 200f second hr with smoke, turn up to 250f for third hour with smoke...continue until 143 or so.

Let cool then wrapped in plastic wrap for, 24 hrs....slice away!

I also hang mine in my mes30... I use metal rods 














IMG_20151213_110434.jpg



__ sbishop
__ Dec 13, 2015


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## sbishop

Forgot, maple is my favorite wood


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## gary s

Man those are plumb Purdy

Gary


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## kanata smoker

I'm from Ontario, Canada, and so jealous... the price of your pork is soooooo cheap!! Wow!!

Here's a few pics of my first tries at bacon.... simple, pork belly cure, and then a maple sugar coating, and smoked with Pecan and Hickory. The last photo was a try with some small pieces of pork belly, and then did a mix of coatings... molasses and pepper, maple syrup, and dark brown sugar.... all worth the effort.

Anyway, off to cure another belly....No snow here... life is wonderful!!!! 













Bacon Before Smoker.jpg



__ kanata smoker
__ Dec 13, 2015


















Bacon After Smoker.jpg



__ kanata smoker
__ Dec 13, 2015


















Three Types of Bacon.jpg



__ kanata smoker
__ Dec 13, 2015


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## Bearcarver

All looks Great, Kanata!!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






You should start a Thread of your own, so all can see it.

But first you should stop in at Roll Call, and introduce yourself so All can give you a proper Welcome on your thread.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## yeroc

Bear,

This looks great. Thanks for the step by step. Question for you about the ending temperature of 145. Does the bacon still need to be cooked again whenever used or is it safe to eat as is?

I really want to make this soon - as soon as I can gather the ingredients.


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## sbishop

If you pull it at 145 it is safe to eat. Remember it will go up a few degrees after taking it out of the smoker. I pull mine just under 140 but I fry mine up just a bit.

Good luck

Sbishop


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## Bearcarver

Yeroc said:


> Bear,
> 
> This looks great. Thanks for the step by step. Question for you about the ending temperature of 145. Does the bacon still need to be cooked again whenever used or is it safe to eat as is?
> 
> I really want to make this soon - as soon as I can gather the ingredients.


Like sBishop said, it's safe to eat at 145° IT. You could eat it cold then or just warm it up a little.

I pull it between 145° and 150° to be sure all of the pieces got to 145°.

There isn't much carry-over when we smoke at low temps.

Bear


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## yeroc

Thanks for the replies, Bear and sBishop. Now I just need to get my hands on some Tender Quick and I'm in business.


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## Bearcarver

Yeroc said:


> Thanks for the replies, Bear and sBishop. Now I just need to get my hands on some Tender Quick and I'm in business.


Check your Grocery stores---Should be near the Morton Salt, if the store has any.

It's expensive on the web, and so is the shipping.

Also: This doesn't often work too good, but this link is supposed to be a "Store Locator" for TQ:

http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/where-to-buy

Bear


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## pignut hickory

Thanks for Canadian Bacon (step by step) It looked so good..

I just joined the Forum today..and Canadian Bacon is what I want to smoke..I have two questions..

1) Did the internal meat thermometer stay in meat while cooking ?? 

2) has anyone used step by step with out using sugar ??


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## Bearcarver

pignut hickory said:


> Thanks for Canadian Bacon (step by step) It looked so good..
> 
> I just joined the Forum today..and Canadian Bacon is what I want to smoke..I have two questions..
> 
> 1) Did the internal meat thermometer stay in meat while cooking ??
> 
> 2) has anyone used step by step with out using sugar ??


Thank You PH !!

1)  Yes I leave the Meat Probe in the meat until I pull the meat from the smoker. If I have multiple pieces of meat, I check them all with my Instant Therm too.

2)  You can use less Sugar, but if you eliminate the sugar, the end product could be too Salty. Sugar counteracts the salt in the TQ.

Bear


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## pignut hickory

Thanks Bear

I always try to cut sugar if possible..do you think I can cut it in half ?? or what would you suggest ?


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## Bearcarver

pignut hickory said:


> Thanks Bear
> 
> I always try to cut sugar if possible..do you think I can cut it in half ?? or what would you suggest ?


On this Step by Step I used 2 tsp of Brown Sugar per pound of meat.

I have used as much as 1 TBS (3 tsp), and as little as 1 tsp.

Try 1 tsp, but I wouldn't go any less.

And then make sure you do the Salt-Fry test after curing in case it needs a little soaking.

Bear


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## pignut hickory

Hello Bear

Question about meat probe.??

I would like to know the brand of your meat probe ,if you are sharing..


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## Bearcarver

pignut hickory said:


> Hello Bear
> 
> Question about meat probe.??
> 
> I would like to know the brand of your meat probe ,if you are sharing..


My Digital Wireless is a Maverick ET-732---Have it for 5 years & I love it !!!

Bear


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## pignut hickory

Bear...That sort of looks complicated ..I have a LEM meat grinder that I really like ..but now I want a meat slicer any suggestions..looked at lots of them yesterday hard to decide.. what kind are you using ?


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## Bearcarver

pignut hickory said:


> Bear...That sort of looks complicated ..I have a LEM meat grinder that I really like ..but now I want a meat slicer any suggestions..looked at lots of them yesterday hard to decide.. what kind are you using ?


The Maverick ET-732 isn't complicated at all. Very Simple or I wouldn't use it. The ET-733 is more complicated, which is why I got the ET-732 (Actually I have 2 sets of "ET-732" for multiple meats).

As for the slicer----I don't actually have one----I share my Son's slicer with him. It's small, but I love it, and it does everything I ask of it. It's a "Chef's Choice International #645".

Bear


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## pignut hickory

Good Morning Bear

making sausage..I have been making pan sausage for years now and like this recipe ..

Jimmy Dean

Regular 
16 ounces ground pork 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley 
1/4 teaspoon rubbed dried sage 
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon MSG (such as Accent Flavor Enhancer)

Hot
16 ounces ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon rubbed dried sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon MSG (such as Accent Flavor Enhancer)

Maple
16 ounces ground pork
3 tablespoons maple-flavored syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon MSG (such as Accent Flavor Enhancer)
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

I like the hot..Question ? 1)Do you think I could use the same recipe to stuff except changing the regular salt to TQ  and smoke it . ??

........................................2) And would it need a curing time ??


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## Bearcarver

> Hot
> 16 ounces ground pork
> 1 teaspoon salt
> 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
> 1/4 teaspoon rubbed dried sage
> 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
> 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
> 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
> 1/4 teaspoon MSG (such as Accent Flavor Enhancer)
> 
> 
> 
> I like the hot..Question ? 1)Do you think I could use the same recipe to stuff except changing the regular salt to TQ  and smoke it . ??
> 
> ........................................2) And would it need a curing time ??


You would have to get rid of any Salt in your recipe, and add 1/4 ounce (1/2 TBS) per pound of ground meat.

I personally would ditch the MSG Accent too.

I would also add 1 ounce of ice water per pound of meat.

Bear


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## pignut hickory

Thanks Bear...

I did some research on accent and will ditch it..and will add water...Is there a curing time on stuffed sausage ??..and what kind of smoker do you have ??


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## Bearcarver

pignut hickory said:


> Thanks Bear...
> 
> I did some research on accent and will ditch it..and will add water...Is there a curing time on stuffed sausage ??..and what kind of smoker do you have ??


They tell me you can smoke it right away, but I like to smoke it the next day.

I'm in no hurry.

I use an MES 40.

Bear


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## pignut hickory

One day sounds good..I look up MES 40 ..I wanting to get away from buying fuel to smoke with..Had a 24" pipe smoker for years produced many great ribs and briskets..a couple of years age I bought a egg look a like to me it does not smoke as good as old pit..Just put a new thread on of my smoke house..


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## ragnar

Bear, thanks a ton for the how-to! It was my first whole-meat cure/smoke, and it was fantastic. I'll be running a second batch (Apple instead of Hickory this time, for a different flavor). Not only is the stuff excellent just to snack on, it made a killer Hawaiian pizza, excellent omelet, and the end cuts were cubed up and put into a wicked bean soup. I have a couple of pounds left, but a lot of it was either devoured or claimed by my people.

Anyway, here are a couple of photos for folks to enjoy.













Canadian Bacon.jpg



__ ragnar
__ Jan 24, 2016


















Sliced Canadian Bacon.jpg



__ ragnar
__ Jan 24, 2016






-Ragnar


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## daveomak

Awesome looking CB...   
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






....


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## wurm slinger

Bearcarver, thank you for displaying your step by step instructions for newbies like myself. I had never thought about making Canadian bacon before I read this post, now it's a must do. All I am waiting for now is pork loin to go back on sale.


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## Bearcarver

Ragnar said:


> Bear, thanks a ton for the how-to! It was my first whole-meat cure/smoke, and it was fantastic. I'll be running a second batch (Apple instead of Hickory this time, for a different flavor). Not only is the stuff excellent just to snack on, it made a killer Hawaiian pizza, excellent omelet, and the end cuts were cubed up and put into a wicked bean soup. I have a couple of pounds left, but a lot of it was either devoured or claimed by my people.
> 
> Anyway, here are a couple of photos for folks to enjoy.
> 
> -Ragnar


Looks Great !!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





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Glad you like it !!

Keep up the good work!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


Wurm Slinger said:


> Bearcarver, thank you for displaying your step by step instructions for newbies like myself. I had never thought about making Canadian bacon before I read this post, now it's a must do. All I am waiting for now is pork loin to go back on sale.


Glad you like It !!   It really is easy.

Around here, Boneless Pork Loin is the only meat they have at a good price---Always between $1.59 and $1.99.

Bear


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## travisty

Hey Bear!

So I am planning to tackle some Canadian Bacon as my next project, but just wanted to know something.

All of the recipes that I have found on here are using "Pork Loin" / "pork Loin Roasts". Could I instead use "Pork Tenderloin" Usually they are a little smaller and perfectly round, and often they have awesome sales on them at my local store. Not sure why I wouldn't just use the tenderloin and not ask questions, but for some reason I just like the size and shape of the tenderloin better than the larger loin roasts.

Is there even any difference between the 2 cuts of meat? Would a tenderloin make a food Canadian bacon? Any other thoughts?


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## Bearcarver

Travisty said:


> Hey Bear!
> 
> So I am planning to tackle some Canadian Bacon as my next project, but just wanted to know something.
> 
> All of the recipes that I have found on here are using "Pork Loin" / "pork Loin Roasts". Could I instead use "Pork Tenderloin" Usually they are a little smaller and perfectly round, and often they have awesome sales on them at my local store. Not sure why I wouldn't just use the tenderloin and not ask questions, but for some reason I just like the size and shape of the tenderloin better than the larger loin roasts.
> 
> Is there even any difference between the 2 cuts of meat? Would a tenderloin make a food Canadian bacon? Any other thoughts?


I've seen Pork Tenderloin used, but it's usually at least twice as expensive, and makes pretty small CB.

Tenderloin is usually used for other smokes, because it is more tender, and qualifies more as a good Tasty Pork to Smoke without curing.

To me using Tenderloin for CB would be like using Prime Rib for Dried Beef..

Also most Pork Loin has very little Fat, and most people don't want much fat on their CB.

I can always get Pork Loin around here for under $2 per pound.

Bear


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## siege

Hi Bear ! I got a great buy on a 1/2 pork loin 2 weeks ago, and followed your earlier CB recipe. It turned out great.....except it went away too fast, I have a whole loin that I will cure on Wednesday, to smoke a week from Saturday.
 My question is regarding the temperature steps. Why do you start low and bump up during the smoke? Is this for improved flavor, texture, or some other reason ?


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## Bearcarver

siege said:


> Hi Bear ! I got a great buy on a 1/2 pork loin 2 weeks ago, and followed your earlier CB recipe. It turned out great.....except it went away too fast, I have a whole loin that I will cure on Wednesday, to smoke a week from Saturday.
> My question is regarding the temperature steps. Why do you start low and bump up during the smoke? Is this for improved flavor, texture, or some other reason ?


Thank You!!

I'm real glad you liked it !!

As for my Smoking Temp Schedule:

My finished target is 145° +

So I start low enough (but above 100°) to give it a lot of time to absorb smoke flavor, and keep it there for hours.

Then when I feel I got a good amount of smoke on it, I start bumping it up to get it closer to 145° IT.

Then when I'm tired of playing around, and already have plenty of smoke on it, I bump it up enough to get it done before it begins to dry out.

I like to keep the smoker temp below 200°.

Note:  Way back years ago, before I had my Amazing smokers, I used to bump it up about 10° every hour, because it was the only way I could get my MES Chip burner to do any smoking. Every time I bumped it up the chips smoked for a short time. The Amazing Smokers solved that problem!!!

Bear


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## travisty

Thank you for the tip Bear!


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## siege

Thanks for the quick reply, Bear. As always, very enlightening. I downloaded the whole book you put together, and it's a great resource. "priciate all you do.


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## Bearcarver

siege said:


> Thanks for the quick reply, Bear. As always, very enlightening. I downloaded the whole book you put together, and it's a great resource. "priciate all you do.


Thank You!!

Glad to hear you like them!!

Bear


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## gearjammer

I just found this now I  got another thing to do.

Bear your SxS things have always worked great

for me and this one will too.

You make them pretty newbie proof.

Thanks.

                              Ed


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## Bearcarver

Gearjammer said:


> I just found this now I  got another thing to do.
> 
> Bear your SxS things have always worked great
> 
> for me and this one will too.
> 
> You make them pretty newbie proof.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Ed


Thank You Ed !!

I'm always glad to hear when my Step by Steps are helping some!!!

Bear


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## jignjab

Hi Bear, Great sxs. Did you have water in the water pan?


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## Bearcarver

JignJab said:


> Hi Bear, Great sxs. Did you have water in the water pan?


Thank You!!!

No water---Actually I haven't put water in an MES water pan in over 6 years.

It just doesn't work good in an MES. IMHO

Bear


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## jignjab

Bearcarver said:


> Thank You!!!
> 
> No water---Actually I haven't put water in an MES water pan in over 6 years.
> 
> It just doesn't work good in an MES. IMHO
> 
> 
> Bear


Thank you.


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## spillinpaint

Thanks for the step by steps they are a big help. 
Can I use loin that has been injected or does it need to be fresh? Tough to find ones that aren't injected here


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## Bearcarver

spillinpaint said:


> Thanks for the step by steps they are a big help.
> Can I use loin that has been injected or does it need to be fresh? Tough to find ones that aren't injected here


Glad you like them.
I would definitely prefer non-injected, but if you can't find any, I would guess the injected would be alright.

Bear


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## yeroc

Thanks for this step by step, Bear! I've made Canadian bacon using this recipe a few times and I like it a lot. I'm wondering what the CB might taste like if no sugar was used. Would it just be more savory or do you think the salt might overpower the taste of the meat? Does mixing brown sugar with the tender quick help the curing process?

My wife is forcing me into a 30 day restricted diet with no sugars, dairy or grains. I can eat plenty of meat, veggies and eggs. I thought I would stock up on some sugar free CB to help get me through. it.


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## Bearcarver

Yeroc said:


> Thanks for this step by step, Bear! I've made Canadian bacon using this recipe a few times and I like it a lot. I'm wondering what the CB might taste like if no sugar was used. Would it just be more savory or do you think the salt might overpower the taste of the meat? Does mixing brown sugar with the tender quick help the curing process?
> 
> My wife is forcing me into a 30 day restricted diet with no sugars, dairy or grains. I can eat plenty of meat, veggies and eggs. I thought I would stock up on some sugar free CB to help get me through. it.


Thank You!

Glad you like it.
I would think with no sugar at all, it would be salty. I usually use between 1 tsp and 1 TBS, so just use 1 tsp.

I don't think the consumption of sugar from a couple pieces of CB that only had 1 tsp of Brown Sugar per pound in the cure mix is a bad thing.

Bear


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## yeroc

Thanks, Bear. I think I'll make half the batch with sugar included and half without sugar to see how it goes.


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## Bearcarver

Yeroc said:


> Thanks, Bear. I think I'll make half the batch with sugar included and half without sugar to see how it goes.


That's a Great Idea!!

I would suggest doing a "Salt-Fry-Test" on both of them too, before smoking.

Bear


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## yeroc

Bearcarver said:


> That's a Great Idea!!
> 
> I would suggest doing a "Salt-Fry-Test" on both of them too, before smoking.
> 
> Bear


Will do. I'll report back with whatever I learned.


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## yeroc

Yeroc said:


> Will do. I'll report back with whatever I learned.


So I cured two batches of CB. One with Tender Quick and about 2 TSP brown sugar per pound and one batch with TQ and no sugar. The fry test of the no sugar batch was a bit salty. I soaked that meat in water for another 15 minutes before patting dry and letting it form a pellicle in the fridge. I didn't do another fry test on the no sugar meat but after smoking it tastes great and not at all salty.

I will say that in side by side tastings, the batch with sugar is a few notches better IMHO but this one is good too.


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## Bearcarver

Yeroc said:


> So I cured two batches of CB. One with Tender Quick and about 2 TSP brown sugar per pound and one batch with TQ and no sugar. The fry test of the no sugar batch was a bit salty. I soaked that meat in water for another 15 minutes before patting dry and letting it form a pellicle in the fridge. I didn't do another fry test on the no sugar meat but after smoking it tastes great and not at all salty.
> 
> I will say that in side by side tastings, the batch with sugar is a few notches better IMHO but this one is good too.


That's Great !!
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Then it worked the way you wanted it to, and it didn't take much soaking.

I wasn't sure what would happen without any added sugar, but I'm glad it came out Great for you.

And Thanks for the Report !!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## shawnthomas

Got some smoking today, thanks for recipe!  Will let you know how it turns out!   Covered mine in molasses and honey and rolled in brown sugar prior to putting on smoker...wild hair that sounded good!













20161023_130930.jpg



__ shawnthomas
__ Oct 23, 2016


















20161023_130842.jpg



__ shawnthomas
__ Oct 23, 2016


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## shawnthomas

20161023_144947.jpg



__ shawnthomas
__ Oct 23, 2016






Pulled mine off at 135 degrees


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## Bearcarver

Looks Real Nice, Shawn!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I always take mine to 145° IT, and it doesn't carry over much at the smoker temps I use.

Hope you Like It !!

Bear


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## thebig1

Hey Bear, great thread as always.  Of course now I want to attempt to tackle this but I always have questions.  I guess by reading opening that there is more than one way of doing this.  I don't know of any so I'm going to try your way.

My main question has to do with heat.  I have a stick burning offset that likes to burn around 275-300.  Of course I'm guessing that this is too much heat.  I was looking at Disco's thread on the same subject and he used his AMNPS to smoke his meat first (No heat), let it rest for a day or two, and then proceeded to smoke/cook to get it up to it's final IT.  So if I were to use his smoking, wait, and then cook method such as he did, could I just finish them off in the oven to be able to get the IT up to where it needs to be since I've already cold smoked them?

As always, thanks Bear.

Chad


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## Bearcarver

TheBig1 said:


> Hey Bear, great thread as always.  Of course now I want to attempt to tackle this but I always have questions.  I guess by reading opening that there is more than one way of doing this.  I don't know of any so I'm going to try your way.
> 
> My main question has to do with heat.  I have a stick burning offset that likes to burn around 275-300.  Of course I'm guessing that this is too much heat.  I was looking at Disco's thread on the same subject and he used his AMNPS to smoke his meat first (No heat), let it rest for a day or two, and then proceeded to smoke/cook to get it up to it's final IT.  So if I were to use his smoking, wait, and then cook method such as he did, could I just finish them off in the oven to be able to get the IT up to where it needs to be since I've already cold smoked them?
> 
> As always, thanks Bear.
> 
> Chad


I'm not big on cold smoking, but sure you could do that. Cold smoke as long as you like, and then oven heat it until the IT is at least 145°.

Then you can eat it cold whenever, or warm it up in the Nuke or the Pan. Believe it or not, I like mine heated up in the Nuke best, because it Doesn't dry out at all that way.

If you can get yours down to 230° without too much hassle, I'd still do it all in the Smoker.

Bear


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## thebig1

Thanks Bear. I'll give it a try at 230 but I'd have to babysit that thing something awful. 

At least I know that if I can't control the heat that low then there is another option. I'll let you know how it turns out when I get to do it.


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## Bearcarver

TheBig1 said:


> Thanks Bear. I'll give it a try at 230 but I'd have to babysit that thing something awful.
> 
> At least I know that if I can't control the heat that low then there is another option. I'll let you know how it turns out when I get to do it.


I would actually prefer a lower than 230° Smoker Temp if you can, but that shouldn't hurt anything like 275° to 300° might.

Bear


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## thebig1

Bear, sorry to bother you again.  Is this boneless pork SIRLOIN?  I ask because it's on sale right now for $1.69/lb.

Chad


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## Bearcarver

TheBig1 said:


> Bear, sorry to bother you again.  Is this boneless pork SIRLOIN?  I ask because it's on sale right now for $1.69/lb.
> 
> Chad


This was "Boneless Pork Loin", and it is almost always under $2 per pound.

A whole Pork Loin is normally about 3" or more thick, about 5" to 6" wide, and 22" long, and weighs about 10 to 12 pounds.

Bear


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## thebig1

Bearcarver said:


> This was "Boneless Pork Loin", and it is almost always under $2 per pound.
> 
> A whole Pork Loin is normally about 3" or more thick, about 5" to 6" wide, and 22" long, and weighs about 10 to 12 pounds.
> 
> Bear


The WHOLE pork sirloin is what's on sale at my local restaurant supply store, that's why I was asking.  So is SIRLOIN a good cut to use?


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## Bearcarver

TheBig1 said:


> The WHOLE pork sirloin is what's on sale at my local restaurant supply store, that's why I was asking.  So is SIRLOIN a good cut to use?


I never saw anything marked "Pork Sirloin" in any of my stores, so I just did a search on it.

It appears to me to be the same as a "Pork Loin", so if it's near the Width & thickness I mentioned above, it should be Great for CB.

Bear


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## thebig1

Thanks Bear.  One more question, as you stated it's going to be approximately 3" high but it's going to be about 5"-6" wide.  When determining curing time, I use the HEIGHT and NOT the width, correct?

Chad


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## Bearcarver

TheBig1 said:


> Thanks Bear.  One more question, as you stated it's going to be approximately 3" high but it's going to be about 5"-6" wide.  When determining curing time, I use the HEIGHT and NOT the width, correct?
> 
> Chad


Use the Thickness (Height). The thinnest way is the thickness, and assuming you lay it flat, the thickness would be the height.

If it's thicker than 3--3 1/2", I usually try to press it down each time I flip & massage it during curing, because I don't inject it.

Also if it's over 3", I like to give it an extra 2 or 3 days above my normal calculated curing time.

Bear


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## thebig1

As always, thank you very much Bear! After looking at your finished picture, I cannot wait to give this a try. I'll try not to let my prior negative experience with QT get in my way.

Chad


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## xray

Bear, I'm subbing to this thread now because Canadian bacon is in my near future.

Our local Weis has pork loin on sale for $1.47a lb...( pork n sauerkraut time!) So I would like to grab some for CB.  Also, pork shoulder picnic roast are .75¢ a lb.

Thanks again for your step by steps and have a happy new year!


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## Bearcarver

Xray said:


> Bear, I'm subbing to this thread now because Canadian bacon is in my near future.
> 
> Our local Weis has pork loin on sale for $1.47a lb...( pork n sauerkraut time!) So I would like to grab some for CB. Also, pork shoulder picnic roast are .75¢ a lb.
> 
> Thanks again for your step by steps and have a happy new year!


Did Similar.

When we got a couple Prime Ribs on sale ($5.99), Giant had Boneless Pork Loin for $0.99, so we got one whole Loin.

I cut a hunk off the big end for Mrs Bear's Crock Pot for New Year's Day Pork & Sauerkraut. Then I cut the rest in half & froze for TBD.

And a Happy New Year to you too!!

Bear


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## xray

I have the two pieces of loin curing now. 

Here's my question. One piece weighed 1 lb 14oz and another was 1lb 15 oz...I just used two level tablespoons TQ for each piece since they were shy of two pounds by 2 and 1 oz respectively.  Is this anything to lose sleep over? I'm thinking it's okay but I just want to make sure. 

Also, I used 4 tsp brown sugar for each piece.


----------



## Bearcarver

Xray said:


> I have the two pieces of loin curing now.
> 
> Here's my question. One piece weighed 1 lb 14oz and another was 1lb 15 oz...I just used two level tablespoons TQ for each piece since they were shy of two pounds by 2 and 1 oz respectively. Is this anything to lose sleep over? I'm thinking it's okay but I just want to make sure.
> 
> Also, I used 4 tsp brown sugar for each piece.


That's Great---No problem!!

TQ doesn't have to be near as accurate as Cure #1, because there is about 12.5 X less cure in 1 TBS of TQ than there is in 1 TBS of Cure #1.

It takes 1 ounce of Cure #1 to cure 25 pounds of meat.

It takes 12.5 ounces of TQ to cure 25 pounds of meat.

And the 4 tsp of brown sugar is good too (for about 2 pounds). I never measure the brown sugar. I just put a pile in a bowl, so I can grab somewhere between 1 tsp & 1 TBS per pound of meat, as close to 2 tsp as I can estimate.

Bear


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## xray

Bearcarver said:


> That's Great---No problem!!
> TQ doesn't have to be near as accurate as Cure #1, because there is about 12.5 X less cure in 1 TBS of TQ than there is in 1 TBS of Cure #1.
> 
> It takes 1 ounce of Cure #1 to cure 25 pounds of meat.
> It takes 12.5 ounces of TQ to cure 25 pounds of meat.
> 
> And the 4 tsp of brown sugar is good too (for about 2 pounds). I never measure the brown sugar. I just put a pile in a bowl, so I can grab somewhere between 1 tsp & 1 TBS per pound of meat, as close to 2 tsp as I can estimate.
> 
> 
> Bear



Thanks Bear and sorry for the late response. I figured I would be okay. My thinking was the little bit of extra TQ wouldn't hurt it, if this was cure #1 I would have been much more diligent.

The loins went in Sunday night (Jan. 1st). My earliest day off that I can smoke is the 11th but I think I'm going to smoke these bad boys on the 16th when I have more time, that's a 15 day rest which should be good.

Here's another question. How about rubbing a small amount of maple syrup on the loins the night before while in the fridge as it rests for the pellicle? I tried searching for anybody that did this. 

Worth a try or don't bother? I'm thinking the sugar won't burn at the lower smoker temperature.


----------



## Bearcarver

Xray said:


> Thanks Bear and sorry for the late response. I figured I would be okay. My thinking was the little bit of extra TQ wouldn't hurt it, if this was cure #1 I would have been much more diligent. *Exactly!*
> 
> The loins went in Sunday night (Jan. 1st). My earliest day off that I can smoke is the 11th but I think I'm going to smoke these bad boys on the 16th when I have more time, that's a 15 day rest which should be good. *That should be fine, but since you're Dry curing, make sure you do a Salt Fry Test before smoking, to see if you should soak it to eliminate extra salt flavor. The Dry curing with TQ is stronger than an equilibrium brine curing, and can absorb extra salt during those extra days in cure.*
> 
> Here's another question. How about rubbing a small amount of maple syrup on the loins the night before while in the fridge as it rests for the pellicle? I tried searching for anybody that did this.
> 
> Worth a try or don't bother? I'm thinking the sugar won't burn at the lower smoker temperature. *If you don't mind it being a little sticky, when you're slicing or heating before eating, that should be fine---It shouldn't burn at the temps used for CB.*


*Bear*


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## xray

Thanks again! I'll pass on the syrup, I figured it would absorb more into the meat but I could do without the tackiness.

I will get a thread going on it when I start. Or follow your nose an hour north.


----------



## Bearcarver

Xray said:


> Thanks again! I'll pass on the syrup, I figured it would absorb more into the meat but I could do without the tackiness.
> 
> I will get a thread going on it when I start. Or follow your nose an hour north.


Hour North?? 

Stroudsburg?

Poconos? Rt 402, Rt 209?

My old stomping grounds?

Bear


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## xray

Luzerne County, Hazleton area...more commonly known as coal cracker country or ridge runner central..lol


----------



## Bearcarver

Xray said:


> Luzerne County, Hazleton area...more commonly known as coal cracker country or ridge runner central..lol


LOL---Yup---Coal Cracker.

Ridge runner goes from Hazleton all the way to at least Potter County.

I just wondered because you said an hour North, and I did the majority of my Life's Hunting & Fishing in Wayne & Pike County, but lived in Bucks & Lehigh.

Bear


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## indaswamp

bearcarver said:


> Thanks sbishop,
> I tried Real Maple Syrup, and this time I tried Dry Maple Sugar, and so far I have not gotten enough Maple flavor to be worth paying for the Syrup or Sugar.
> 
> Bear



Bear, old thread I know. I'm getting ready for another CB smoke and was lookin around on SMF for ideas. Thought I'd mention this to ya-use maple extract to boost the maple flavor. With Brown sugar, and maple extract, it's awesome. You'll have to play with the amount, but I start out @ 1 TBSP per whole loin. And it's cheaper than maple syrup or sugar but works much better! Just use the extract with brown sugar....


----------



## Bearcarver

indaswamp said:


> Bear, old thread I know. I'm getting ready for another CB smoke and was lookin around on SMF for ideas. Thought I'd mention this to ya-use maple extract to boost the maple flavor. With Brown sugar, and maple extract, it's awesome. You'll have to play with the amount, but I start out @ 1 TBSP per whole loin. And it's cheaper than maple syrup or sugar but works much better! Just use the extract with brown sugar....




Thanks Inda!!
I thought about that awhile back, but now I'm encouraged!

Bear


----------



## indaswamp

Bearcarver said:


> Thanks Inda!!
> I thought about that awhile back, but now I'm encouraged!
> 
> Bear


Bear, 
I found another supplier of natural maple extract...
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/natural-maple-flavor-1-oz


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## Bearcarver

indaswamp said:


> Bear,
> I found another supplier of natural maple extract...
> https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/natural-maple-flavor-1-oz



Thanks!
I gotta try that on my next Bacon or BBB.
I tried Maple Sugar and it didn't add any more flavor than Real Vermont Maple Syrup.

Bear


----------



## thomasrwise

Hoping someone can answer this (probably stupid) question. I rubbed the loin with TQ and brown sugar and place it in the fridge yesterday. Do I need to drain the liquid from the bag today or leave it in there?

Thanks!
Thomas


----------



## Steve H

Leave it in there.  It is part of the process. Just flip the bag over daily.


----------



## thomasrwise

Thanks Steve! This is my first attempt at curing.


----------



## Steve H

thomasrwise said:


> Thanks Steve! This is my first attempt at curing.



Glad to help! Keep us posted on your progress.


----------



## Bearcarver

thomasrwise said:


> Hoping someone can answer this (probably stupid) question. I rubbed the loin with TQ and brown sugar and place it in the fridge yesterday. Do I need to drain the liquid from the bag today or leave it in there?
> 
> Thanks!
> Thomas




Sorry I'm late, Thomas!
Leave the juices in there. 
That's the transportation method of the Cure you put it in.
The Dry cure can't move through meat---It has to dissolve & hitch a ride with those Meat Juices.
Sometimes a lot shows up & sometimes not so much, so don't worry about it.
Just keep flipping it every day.

Bear


----------



## thomasrwise

Thank you!


----------



## thomasrwise

Perfect fry test done...now in the fridge for pellicle. On the smoker tomorrow with a couple of butts!


----------



## thomasrwise

First batch (seen above) turned out PERFECTLY! So perfectly in fact that it didn’t make the 2 day rest after the smoke. The wife and baby got a taste and it was gone in 2 days. Round 2 going in the smoker tomorrow! 4 different “experiments”. Some done exactly to the step-by-step, some with my BBQ rub, some with white sugar, and finally the smallest cuts cured in TQ and kosher salt instead of sugar. Almost a country ham flavor and not too salty!


----------



## Bearcarver

thomasrwise said:


> First batch (seen above) turned out PERFECTLY! So perfectly in fact that it didn’t make the 2 day rest after the smoke. The wife and baby got a taste and it was gone in 2 days. Round 2 going in the smoker tomorrow! 4 different “experiments”. Some done exactly to the step-by-step, some with my BBQ rub, some with white sugar, and finally the smallest cuts cured in TQ and kosher salt instead of sugar. Almost a country ham flavor and not too salty!




Looks Great Thomas!!
Glad you liked it.
Have to mention though, It's not generally good to add any kind of salt to meat cured with TQ.
There's already plenty in the mix.

Bear


----------



## thomasrwise

Bearcarver said:


> Looks Great Thomas!!
> Glad you liked it.
> Have to mention though, It's not generally good to add any kind of salt to meat cured with TQ.
> There's already plenty in the mix.
> 
> Bear


Thanks for the tip. I made sure to fry test that one as well and it was salty but not overbearing.


----------



## Bearcarver

thomasrwise said:


> Thanks for the tip. I made sure to fry test that one as well and it was salty but not overbearing.




That's great----You got it covered then!! 

Bear


----------



## thomasrwise

Done and vacuum sealed!


----------



## Bearcarver

Looks Great, Thomas!!
Now you're set for some Great Eating!

Bear


----------

