# Pepper Back (Canadian) Bacon a la Bearcarver



## disco (Dec 30, 2014)

I have been making back (Canadian) bacon using Pop's brine for awhile. I add some maple syrup to it and inject the loin. It is very good but I found some loin rib ends on sale at the supermarket. I like them for back (Canadian) bacon because they usually have some fat lines in them. Also, they are thinner than the centre loin which makes them perfect for a dry cure.

Here are the loins I picked up.













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The first thing I did was measure the thickest part of the loins.













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The thickest part were two inches thick. I usually don't dry cure a loin that is thicker than 2 inches. I have slightly modified Bearcarver's formula for how long to dry cure bacon. I multiply the thickest part in inches by 2 and add 5. So, 2 inches times 2 plus 5 equals 9 which is the number of days I will dry cure the bacon.

Next, I weighed each loin to determine how much Mortons Tenderquick I would need for each loin. It is important to get the amount of cure right if you are dry curing. The first loin was just over 1 kilogram. You need to use 15 grams of Tenderquick per each 500 grams of pork loin. So I needed just over 30 grams of Tenderquick for that loin.













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Following Bearcarver's recipe, I added 10 ml of brown sugar to the Tenderquick. My own addition was 15 ml of maple syrup to the Tenderquick and brown sugar.













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Then, I rubbed the mixture all over the pork loin. Before doing this, I put the pork loin on a plate. It is important that you get all the mixture of the cure into the plastic bag you cure the bacon in and the plate makes that easier.













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I put the pork in a large Ziploc bag and made sure I got all the cure mixture in the bag. I sealed it and put it in the fridge.

I repeated this procedure with the second loin.













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Both loins went in the fridge for 9 days. I turned the bags and rubbed the liquid that came out into the loins every morning.

After 9 days, I took the loins out of the bags and rinsed them of under running water. Then I soaked them in water for 20 minutes. I changed the water and soaked them for another 20 minutes.

I dried each loin with paper towels and put them in the fridge, uncovered, for 5 hours.

I like to make a new smoke with a version of the old smoke so I can compare. So I only took one loin to make into pepper bacon. I rubbed maple syrup into it and sprinkle a liberal amount of coarse ground pepper over it.













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It went back into the fridge with the unpeppered version overnight.

The next morning I put them on the rack for my Bradley and put in the probes of a little present I got myself for Christmas, a Thermoworks BlueTherm Duo. I think I purchased the Rolls Royce of remote thermometers but I will write a review later.













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The loins were nice and dry so I did not put them in the smoker without smoke at 140 f for a couple of hours to develop pellicle.

I put the loins in a 180 F Bradley over maple smoke. I only left the smoke on for four hours. The unpeppered loin was ready after five and half hours and the peppered took six hours. I took both to an internal temperature of 145 F.













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I put them in the fridge under plastic wrap overnight.

The next day I sliced them with my trusty ham slicer.













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Of course, you have to fry some up and try it.













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*The Verdict*

As usual, Bearcarver's recipe worked great. The straight up bacon has a great but not overpowering salt taste and a nice sweetness. However, here is where my advanced age and stupidity caught up to me. I had forgotten how the maple syrup just adds sweetness and not much maple flavour. Considering the cost of maple syrup, I will just double the brown sugar to 20 ml per kilogram of pork next time and leave out the maple syrup. It will be easier to rub in a totally dry rub as well.

As for the peppered version, it is the best bacon I have made. It had way more pepper flavour than I expected and the touch of heat with the sweet salty bacon taste is magnificent. I love it!

Put some spice in your life and make peppered back (Canadian) bacon.

Disco


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## dirtsailor2003 (Dec 31, 2014)

Something doesn't look quite right there Disco. I'd suggest you send all of that back bacon down here to my independent testing laboratory so I can get a closer look [emoji]128516[/emoji]

I really need to cure some more bacon soon! 

Points for another great tutorial!


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## bear55 (Dec 31, 2014)

That looks great.


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## pc farmer (Dec 31, 2014)

That looks great Disco.

Nice therm you have too.


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## mdboatbum (Dec 31, 2014)

David you've done it again!  Beautiful bacon. Thanks for pointing out the maple syrup issue. I have the same problem with adding the good stuff to recipes as its just stupid expensive around here. My wife found maple extract the other day and I was wondering if that might be an alternative. She didn't buy it, said she wanted to ask me first if it would work. (I was a little shocked at her interest in making bacon, perhaps all my experimentation in the kitchen is working!)
My thinking was for a dry cure I could just put the salt/sugar mixture in the food processor and give it a few pulses with a teaspoon of extract. I'm hoping that'll basically make a reasonable facsimile of a maple cure. For brine curing I could obviously just add it to the brine. Heading out of town later today but I think I'll be trying it when we get back next week!


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## disco (Dec 31, 2014)

dirtsailor2003 said:


> Something doesn't look quite right there Disco. I'd suggest you send all of that back bacon down here to my independent testing laboratory so I can get a closer look [emoji]128516[/emoji]
> 
> I really need to cure some more bacon soon!
> 
> Points for another great tutorial!


Thanks for the points, Case. I did send you some but there appears to be a problem with food stuffs getting past your custom inspectors. It also seems they are putting on weight!


Bear55 said:


> That looks great.


Thanks, Bear. It was  mighty tasty too.

Disco


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## disco (Dec 31, 2014)

c farmer said:


> That looks great Disco.
> 
> Nice term you have too.


Thanks, Adam. It is a method I will use again.


Mdboatbum said:


> David you've done it again! Beautiful bacon. Thanks for pointing out the maple syrup issue. I have the same problem with adding the good stuff to recipes as its just stupid expensive around here. My wife found maple extract the other day and I was wondering if that might be an alternative. She didn't buy it, said she wanted to ask me first if it would work. (I was a little shocked at her interest in making bacon, perhaps all my experimentation in the kitchen is working!)
> My thinking was for a dry cure I could just put the salt/sugar mixture in the food processor and give it a few pulses with a teaspoon of extract. I'm hoping that'll basically make a reasonable facsimile of a maple cure. For brine curing I could obviously just add it to the brine. Heading out of town later today but I think I'll be trying it when we get back next week!


Thanks, MD. I have tried the flavouring and it gives a bit more flavour but not enough for me to bother with again. The only way I have ever got a decent maple flavour was to mix some maple syrup with some of Pop's brine and inject at the beginning of a wet cured bacon.

However, keep experimenting, you get to eat the bacon!

Disco


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## Bearcarver (Dec 31, 2014)

Looks Great Disco!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Mighty Tasty!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	









I gave up adding Maple Syrup years ago----To expensive & I never got any Maple flavor with Real Maple Syrup.

They tell me Maple Sugar works, but I never got around to trying it.

You're wrong about the timing---Your way is just about exactly how I do it.

I Figure how many half inches----Plus 2 days for minimum curing time, which I never use.

Then I add 2 or 3 days to that depending on which is most convenient for my smoking.

So with your 2" Loins, I would get----4 + 2 =6 + 2 or 3 = 8 or 9 days in cure.

So the only difference between yours and mine is you add 5 days at the end, and I add 4 or 5 days depending on which day I'd rather smoke.

Bear


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## disco (Dec 31, 2014)

Bearcarver said:


> Looks Great Disco!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Har! I am so used to being wrong, I think it is a mistake when I'm right! However, when I said I did it differently from you, I was referring to not worrying about 1/2 inches. I just multiply the thickest part by two and add 5.

Instead of 4 half inches being 4 days plus 2 for minimum plus 2 or 3 more, my mind works better saying 2 inches times 2 plus 5. Six of one or half a dozen of the other. Different ways of saying the same formula.

I know it comes out the same as yours but I am not smart enough to mess around with 1/2 inches.

Thanks again for your great methodology on this bacon. I love the texture and the taste.

Disco


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## Bearcarver (Dec 31, 2014)

Disco said:


> Har! I am so used to being wrong, I think it is a mistake when I'm right! However, when I said I did it differently from you, I was referring to not worrying about 1/2 inches. I just multiply the thickest part by two and add 5.
> 
> Instead of 4 half inches being 4 days plus 2 for minimum plus 2 or 3 more, my mind works better saying 2 inches times 2 plus 5. Six of one or half a dozen of the other. Different ways of saying the same formula.
> 
> ...


LOL----I made it easier than they taught me 5 years ago!!!!

Check this out----------They taught me to count how many 1/4" there were in Half the thickness---Then add 2, etc. That way was stupid!!

So it still came out the same, but you had to divide first by 2, the multiply by 4.

I went to my way (using 1/2") because of bellies that are 2 1/2" thick---That would be 5 days + 2 + 2 or 3 days = 9 or 10 days.

You & I are both using a better calculation than breaking it down to how many quarter inches are there in half the thickness!!!!

BTW Disco: I got about 8 pounds of Pork Loin in cure for 2 Days currently.

Bear


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## dave17a (Jan 1, 2015)

Gotta try youralls recipe! Have done HI Mountain and a hit. Been looking at bying maple sugar for bellie bacon. Just finishing up our last bbb.


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## disco (Jan 1, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> LOL----I made it easier than they taught me 5 years ago!!!!
> 
> Check this out----------They taught me to count how many 1/4" there were in Half the thickness---Then add 2, etc. That way was stupid!!
> 
> ...


Well, you and Pops have saved me and a lot of people some pain. I did a lot of research on making bacon before I found this forum. It was so great to find your dry cure method and Pops brine method that just work.

Get than loin in the pan, Sir!


dave17a said:


> Gotta try youralls recipe! Have done HI Mountain and a hit. Been looking at bying maple sugar for bellie bacon. Just finishing up our last bbb.


Dang, now I want to make BBB. I think you'll love Bearcarver's method and if you continue on to try the pepper addition I did to it, I think you will enjoy it!

Please post whatever you do. We all learn from seeing what others do!

Disco


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jan 4, 2015)

Very nice Disco, great thread & the end result is just awesome... My next adventure is gonna hopefully be some of this.... I just hope it turns out half as good as yours did here ! 

:points1:


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## disco (Jan 4, 2015)

WaterinHoleBrew said:


> Very nice Disco, great thread & the end result is just awesome... My next adventure is gonna hopefully be some of this.... I just hope it turns out half as good as yours did here !


Har, Brew! It can't be hard to do, I did it. I do recommend you don't use maple syrup in the brining mixture and substitute extra brown sugar. I couldn't taste any maple syrup in the finished product. I just use 2 teaspoons of brown sugar a pound or 20 ml a kilogram.

I look forward to your post if you do try it.

Disco


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jan 4, 2015)

Disco said:


> WaterinHoleBrew said:
> 
> 
> > Very nice Disco, great thread
> ...



Thanks Disco, I'll let ya know when I give em a go !


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## papabob (Jan 18, 2015)

Dear Mr. Disco,

I saw your recipe and as a new smoker, just got my MES40 this Christmas, I followed your recipe to the letter.  My temps and times almost came out exactly like yours.  Beginners luck possibly but here is a compliment for you.  You see, my wife absolutely hates anything smoked.  Let me stress "HATES". But I cooked some up this morning after yesterday's smoke and an overnight rest in rather fridge and she thought it was spectacular.  Even caught her later in the day snitching from the plate of left overs in the fridge.  Thanks for the guidance.  I'll keep watching you for other recipes.  Again, many many thanks!


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## disco (Jan 18, 2015)

PapaBob said:


> Dear Mr. Disco,
> 
> I saw your recipe and as a new smoker, just got my MES40 this Christmas, I followed your recipe to the letter. My temps and times almost came out exactly like yours. Beginners luck possibly but here is a compliment for you. You see, my wife absolutely hates anything smoked. Let me stress "HATES". But I cooked some up this morning after yesterday's smoke and an overnight rest in rather fridge and she thought it was spectacular. Even caught her later in the day snitching from the plate of left overs in the fridge. Thanks for the guidance. I'll keep watching you for other recipes. Again, many many thanks!


Bob, you have me blushing! 

It is a process. I learned to make bacon using this method from Bearcarver. Then I changed it to meet my tastes. I am sure you will add your style and taste to it as you continue to smoke.

In the meantime, thank you for your kind words and I am really glad your missus liked it too.

She Who Must Be Obeyed professes to not like smoked food either. If I may suggest some dishes that she has come to like even though they are smoked:

Chicken (particularly wings)
cheese
double smoked ham
summer sausage
kielbasa
The other news is you are likely addicted now. Sorry, there is no cure or 10 step program. You will just be doomed to have fun and eat good food.

Disco


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## azbohunter (Jan 18, 2015)

Regardless, how you add it up, it adds up to some fine eating! I recently made a batch following Bears "Step by Step" and for having never done it before, I was very impressed.

So many of you guys make it so much easier for those of us just learning!

Thanks and 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





to you both!


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## disco (Jan 18, 2015)

azbohunter said:


> Regardless, how you add it up, it adds up to some fine eating! I recently made a batch following Bears "Step by Step" and for having never done it before, I was very impressed.
> 
> So many of you guys make it so much easier for those of us just learning!
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for the kind words. I understand what you are saying.  Three years ago I had been smoking for a couple of months with minimal success and then I found this forum. I too learned from Bear's step by steps, Seen Red's kind advice, Nepas' sausage expertise, Pop's stories, and so many others who made this hobby make sense to me. Just keep reading others' ideas and experiment on your own. You will have much more fine eating!

Disco


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## gravey (Jan 19, 2015)

I have a loin in the fridge for this very reason! Just needed the motivation to get it started. Thx for the motivation!!


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## disco (Jan 19, 2015)

gravey said:


> I have a loin in the fridge for this very reason! Just needed the motivation to get it started. Thx for the motivation!!


By all means get some bacon started and don't forget to do a post on it!

I love your icon by the way. A two headed smoker!

Disco


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## nesmokingchad (Jan 19, 2015)

Looks great Disco, after seeing this will have to try a batch for myself.


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 19, 2015)

Disco,

You are the baconator.looks great.

A little disappointed though: no wine glass in sight.


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## disco (Jan 19, 2015)

nesmokingchad said:


> Looks great Disco, after seeing this will have to try a batch for myself.


Thanks, Chad. Only fair to warn you. It is addictive.


atomicsmoke said:


> Disco,
> 
> You are the baconator.looks great.
> 
> A little disappointed though: no wine glass in sight.


Kind words, Sir! I assure you some wine was consumed. I don't make the rules, I just follow them.

Disco


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## bear55 (Jan 19, 2015)

Visited your web site, very well done.

Richard


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## susieqz (Jan 19, 2015)

disco, thanks for your thots on maple syrple. it's very expensive here, so i substituted raw brown sugar in my wet cure. i have 9  lbs curing right now.

i grew up on back bacon from ontario. it has a nice sweetness, so that's what i wanted.

i'm using dave omak's brine with added raw brown sugar as it seems to have a close flavor profile to real maple syrup..

raw sugar doesn't add that much sweetness either. i added 4 cups to the brine for a ham i cured,  n i was afraid it might be so sweet as to mask the ham taste. it wasn't.

the ham tasted like real back bacon.

so, don't be shy adding brown sugar. use more than you think you need.


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## disco (Jan 19, 2015)

Bear55 said:


> Visited your web site, very well done.
> 
> Richard


Very kind words, Richard. I have fun with it and have met some cool people online.


susieqz said:


> disco, thanks for your thots on maple syrple. it's very expensive here, so i substituted raw brown sugar in my wet cure. i have 9  lbs curing right now.
> 
> i grew up on back bacon from ontario. it has a nice sweetness, so that's what i wanted.
> 
> ...


I have messed around with several sweetening profiles. For wet curing, I like molasses and brown sugar for dry. However, I am always experimenting and will give your suggestion a try and kick up the brown sugar.

Thanks, suzieqz.

Disco


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## susieqz (Jan 19, 2015)

disco, i see you're in the rockies, but the bacon must be similar to ontario's.

by any chance, have you ever found a CANADIAN recipe for a back bacon brine.?

they sell what they call canadian bacon here in new mexico, but it's pathetic

 i've spent most of my life within a few miles of the border, so i'm spoiled.


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## disco (Jan 19, 2015)

susieqz said:


> disco, i see you're in the rockies, but the bacon must be similar to ontario's.
> 
> by any chance, have you ever found a CANADIAN recipe for a back bacon brine.?
> 
> ...


Ah, you have put me in a spot. There are 4 kinds of back bacon (Americans call it Canadian bacon). There is the back bacon of my youth. Nice smokey flavour with a nice bite, Not hammy.

Then there is the back bacon my wife and her family liked. I always thought it was closer to ham. It was softer and less flavourful in my opinion (She Who Must Be Obeyed would hit me for that comment).

The third was pea meal bacon. Less smokey but a nice chew.

The last is the plastic commercial stuff that comes sliced in a cryovac package. Terrible texture and taste.

If you like chewier bacon like I was raised with, go with dry cure. Don't use a lot of spices, just Tenderquick and brown sugar.

If you want the hammier and a bit more tender bacon, go with Pop's brine. Delicious but a bit more ham like.

Pea meal bacon is great but I haven't made it.

The plastic commercial stuff you can get in the supermarket, if you are crazy.

Disco


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## susieqz (Jan 19, 2015)

thanks, but it's peameal bacon i love most. in ontario there are a zillion ways it's made. some smokey, some not.

if you google it you will find a claim that it's not smoked, just cured.  that's plain wrong.

how do you avoid the ham taste in the bacon of your early days?

i can make ham. i don't want back bacon to taste like ham.

oops. sorry. you already answered me.


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