# TG Smoked Loin Ham, Smoked Pork Chops, and Canadian Bacon



## Bearcarver (Nov 30, 2010)

*The Bear's Thanksgiving, and then some:*

My son told me he was making a 27 pound Turkey (oven), and wanted me to bring something smoked to go with it.

So I got a 10 pound Pork Loin, cut it in 3 pieces, and cured it for 10 days. I weighed the 3 pieces, and added 1/2 ounce (one TBS) of Tender Quick with each pound of meat.

I rubbed them individually, and put any cure that fell off of each piece in the Zip-lock bag with that particular piece, so that the exact amount of cure stays with the right piece of meat.

I also added about 1 TBS of Brown Sugar to each pound of meat. I flipped all 3 bags every day & gave them a quick massage, 

pulling the bottom of the bag nice and tight, so the meat would lay in the curing juice that had formed in the bags.

I kept my refrigerator temp at 37˚/38˚ for the whole 10 days. The thickest part of the Loin was about 3 1/2", so I figured it should be in cure for at least 9 days---I made it 10 days.

*10 Days Later:*

After curing, I got it out & rinsed each piece, and soaked them in a big bowl of ice water.

Then I rinsed a piece, dried it with paper towels, and took a couple slices off of it for testing.

The meat was dark pink all the way through, proving that the cure went all the way to the middle.

I fried those test pieces, and they were not salty in the least, MMMmmmmm!!!

Next I rinsed the other two pieces well, and dried them off real good with paper towels.

Then I set one of my MES grill racks on top of two bowls, so the meat doesn't get against my counter top.

I placed the three pieces on the rack, and sprinkled CBP, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder on all three of them.

Then I put the rack in my meat fridge uncovered for a night of rest & pellicle forming.

*Next Day:*

Then on Thanksgiving Morning, I pre-heated my MES 40 at 8 AM to 120˚.

8:15 AM----Put rack with loins in smoker, on second shelf from top, and probed two pieces.

9:00 AM----Load 5 X 11 experimental AMNS with Hickory Dust, light one end, and put on bottom bars on left.

10:00 AM--Bump heat to 130˚.

11:00 AM--Bump heat to 140˚. (Add 3 cups of boiling water to water pan)

11:30 AM--Bump heat to 150˚.

12 Noon- --Bump heat to 160˚. (Meat probes now reading 100˚ and 98˚)

12:30 PM--Bump heat to 170˚.

1:00 PM----Bump heat to 190˚. (Meat probes now reading 111˚ and 113˚)

1:30 PM----Bump heat to 210˚. (Add 2 more cups of boiling water to water pan)

2:00 PM----Bump heat to 220˚. (Meat probes now reading 130˚ and 133˚)

2:30 PM----Pulled AMNS out, foiled center piece of loin, placed pineapple slices on top, added pineapple juice, re-probed, and put back in smoker.

3:00 PM----Foiled piece probe reading 150˚. Other piece reading 155˚.

4:00 PM----Unfoiled piece reading 164˚---Checked other unfoiled piece--read 170˚. Pulled those two pieces.

4:30 PM----Foiled piece hit 164˚. Shut smoker off & removed.

4:50 PM----Sliced foiled piece, put in nice dish, and covered to take to son's house.

Also wrapped other two semi-cooled pieces in cling wrap, and put in meat fridge for next day slicing.

5 PM Arrived at son's house with 4 pounds of sliced loin ham to go with his Turkey and all the trimmings.

Did not take pictures of the filling, two pumpkin pies, and the chocolate peanut butter pie Mrs Bear made (sorry).

The next day I sliced the remaining two pieces into 3/4" slices for Boneless Smoked Pork Chops.

This stuff is actually the exact same thing as Canadian Bacon, but since I still have some of that in my freezer, I didn't cut any that thin.

Many pictures & comments below:

Thanks for looking,

Bear

9.9 Pound Pork Loin:








Three pieces of loin in cure, ready for fridge:







Soaking in ice water for 1 hour, after curing for 10 days:







Fy testing a couple of pieces---MMMMmmmm.....







Seasoned and ready for overnight in fridge:







One end of AMNS lit & ready to go (Hickory Dust):







Smoking away:







Nice AMNS Smoke:







What do you think---Is that nice smoke, or what??







Loin Ham ready for slicing:







Mrs. Bear playing with the camera---"Look!--A trained Bear!"

(If I'd have known she was taking pics, I would have sucked in my Bear Gut!)







Nice little slices for the big Dinner:







Sliced & ready to cover:







Next day, slicing up some nice "Boneless Smoked Pork Chops":







Closeup of Pork Chops:







Wrapped for freezing (in pairs for me & the Mrs):







Next day Supper (Oddball pieces---Middle one for Mrs Bear):







Bear's day after TG Supper (Smoked Pork Chops, Roasted Reds, Corn, and stuffed mushrooms):







Bear's Breakfast two days later:


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## coacher72 (Nov 30, 2010)

Bear,

That are some good looking loins. Thanks for sharing how you did it. May have to try curing some loins myself.


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## squirrel (Nov 30, 2010)

Very nice papa Bear! I like it when Mrs. Bear plays around with the camera and we get to see papa in action! The color is awesome on those chops too. How in the heck do you keep the glass door to the MES so clean? Gawd, the inside of mine isn't pretty and I always clean after smoking. Hmmmm....


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## Bearcarver (Nov 30, 2010)

Coacher72 said:


> Bear,
> 
> That are some good looking loins. Thanks for sharing how you did it. May have to try curing some loins myself.


Thanks Coacher!

You'll love it!

Bear


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## tjohnson (Nov 30, 2010)

Coacher72 said:


> Bear,
> 
> That are some good looking loins. Thanks for sharing how you did it. May have to try curing some loins myself.


Thought this was a "Family Site!"

LOL!!!

Todd


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## brdprey (Nov 30, 2010)

nice job bear, lets see ...um i turn left at the second light or was it the third. be right over for breakfast.

the one pic you have labeled chops, really is that all boneless chops are?

hell my little woman is going to be having me make this all the time...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





dam it there goes my poker time.


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## xjcamaro (Nov 30, 2010)

I cant wait to get home from work and get mine in the smoker now!


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## Bearcarver (Nov 30, 2010)

Squirrel said:


> Very nice papa Bear! I like it when Mrs. Bear plays around with the camera and we get to see papa in action! The color is awesome on those chops too. How in the heck do you keep the glass door to the MES so clean? Gawd, the inside of mine isn't pretty and I always clean after smoking. Hmmmm....


Thank You Dear,

I just clean it with a little windex & a couple paper towels before I use it. Spray a little, and wipe it all off (leaves it slightly smeared). Then spray it again & get the rest (if it's real dirty, you might have to do it one or two more times). Seems if you get it every time, it's easy & only takes about a minute.

My son lets his go, then uses a razor blade.

I like my wood-stove door nice and clean too. Before I light it, I dampen a couple paper towels. Then touch them in the ashes on the floor of the stove. Then scrub the glass with that. Takes the tuff stuff right off. Then another go with a clean wet paper towel, and then a dry one. I should buy stocks in Bounty!

Bear


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## rdknb (Nov 30, 2010)

WOW that all looks good, and chocolate peanut butter pie , hmmmm


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## justpassingthru (Nov 30, 2010)

Bear,

You did good and the finished product looks excellent, step by step with pics even I can follow, thanks for an excellent tutorial.

Now, I have a question, please have patience with me, but what does it taste like?  I don't remember if I ever ate a pork loin, but then you call it pork chops and then you say it's Canadian Bacon, that got my attention, I'd love some Canadian Bacon, but before I go and pay $15 per pound for loin, which is it, does it taste like pork chops or Canadian Bacon?

Mrs JPT and I started a green diet today so I'll wait 'till after the new year to ask for Mrs. Bear's chocolate peanut butter pie recipe, sounds good, especially using the homemade peanut butter recipe someone posted here.

Gene

p.s. I love the cabinetry, I wish they wanted that style here, instead it's the Home Depot stuff that's the hot thing.


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## Bearcarver (Nov 30, 2010)

JustPassingThru said:


> Bear,
> 
> You did good and the finished product looks excellent, step by step with pics even I can follow, thanks for an excellent tutorial.
> 
> ...


Gene,

After doing what I did to it in the smoker:

When you cut it thin & fry it very lightly, it is Canadian Bacon, and it tastes like Canadian Bacon.

When you slice it fresh out of the smoker, it tastes almost exactly like Ham (a little more lean).

When you cut it 1/2 to 1" thick, and fry it in a pan until the outside browns a bit & the inside warms up, it is a "Boneless Smoked Pork Chop" (My favorite way).

I built the cabinets. They are the last ones I made, after closing my cabinet shop.

Thanks,

Bear


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## marlin009 (Nov 30, 2010)

Bearcarver said:


> 8:15 AM----Put rack with loins in smoker, on second shelf from top, and probed two pieces.
> 
> 9:00 AM----Load 5 X 11 experimental AMNS with Hickory Dust, light one end, and put on bottom bars on left.
> 
> ...


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## Bearcarver (Nov 30, 2010)

marlin009 said:


> Bearcarver said:
> 
> 
> > 8:15 AM----Put rack with loins in smoker, on second shelf from top, and probed two pieces.
> ...


Thanks Marlin,

I used to do that to keep it smoking.

That one on Thanksgiving I did that way to get it to go up gradually, but still make the 5 PM Dinner.

If I wouldn't have had a deadline, I would have kept it lower longer, and then finished it quicker.

It's so nice though. It can be at 130˚---I push a button, telling it to go to 150˚---about 3 or 4 minutes later, it's at 150˚.

I love my MES 40!

Bear


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## jayhawk (Jan 10, 2011)

Bearcarver,

Thanks for sharing!  You made me interested in making Canadian Bacon.  I do have a question though.  What's the difference between this recipe and the one in your signature line: "Bonless Smoked Pork Chops/ Canadian Bacon?"  Do you like one over the other? 

Thank you for your input!


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## rbranstner (Jan 10, 2011)

Looks great there bear. Especially the breakfast plate as I am starving this morning and I didn't eat anything. I need to make another batch of bacon soon and I think I am going to make some Canadian bacon for the first time.


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## rbranstner (Jan 10, 2011)

Wow I reread this post and how did this one sneak by me. I figured this was something you made this past weekend but heck this was from Thanksgiving. I must be slipping in my old age.


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## smokinhusker (Jan 13, 2011)

It all looks great and your post for the boneless smoked pork chops had me chomping at the bit (the other half loves them) to try this as a surprise for him.

Thanks for all the great tips!

Alesia


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## Bearcarver (Jan 13, 2011)

Jayhawk said:


> Bearcarver,
> 
> Thanks for sharing!  You made me interested in making Canadian Bacon.  I do have a question though.  What's the difference between this recipe and the one in your signature line: "Bonless Smoked Pork Chops/ Canadian Bacon?"  Do you like one over the other?
> 
> Thank you for your input!


The important things are basically the same---Curing mix & curing time.

This one was with my new 1200 watt MES 40, with remote & glass door, which works much better than my old MES 30 did (not near as much recovery time).

This one had a time limit, so I had to get it done on time, and regulated my heat as needed.

This time I used the A-MAZE-N-SMOKER, which made it 100 times easier to do.

I also cut my Pork Chops a little thicker this time---by hand, because my slicer only cuts up to a heavy half inch.

I can't think of any other differences.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Jan 13, 2011)

SmokinHusker said:


> It all looks great and your post for the boneless smoked pork chops had me chomping at the bit (the other half loves them) to try this as a surprise for him.
> 
> Thanks for all the great tips!
> 
> Alesia


Thanks Alesia,
That's great---Your other half is pretty smart getting you that smoker!

Any questions--ask away, or PM me.

Bear


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## beer-b-q (Jan 13, 2011)

Dang, I missed this one when I was having computer problems... That looks dang good...


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## Bearcarver (Jan 14, 2011)

rbranstner said:


> Wow I reread this post and how did this one sneak by me. I figured this was something you made this past weekend but heck this was from Thanksgiving. I must be slipping in my old age.


Thanks RB,

It's not you, and I'm glad others are missing posts.

That means they shouldn't get mad when I miss theirs, because I swear I miss a lot more than I used to.

Bear




SmokinHusker said:


> It all looks great and your post for the boneless smoked pork chops had me chomping at the bit (the other half loves them) to try this as a surprise for him.
> 
> Thanks for all the great tips!
> 
> Alesia


Thank You Alesia,

Mrs Bear isn't a big "smoked meat" person, but she loves these "Boneless Smoked Pork Chops".

Bear
 




Beer-B-Q said:


> Dang, I missed this one when I was having computer problems... That looks dang good...


Thanks Paul!

Bear


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