# Curing a Pork Loin



## custom99 (Nov 17, 2012)

I make canadian bacon but my wife found a recipe on another forum that I dont know what you would call the final cut of meat. It really looks good. Sounds like canadian bacon being called pork chops.

Heres what they used:

Brine:

2 Cups of Water
½ Cup Morton Tender Quick
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder

They call it brine-cured smoked pork chops. It was hot smoked to 150. To serve they sliced in 3/4 inch chops the next day and warmed on the grill.

Sounds to me like a thick slice of canadian bacon.

I am starting with a 5 pound pork loin. I only use #1 as cure. Any suggestion how much #1 to use and how long is best to brine? I didnt know if it was ok to put a link to what she found.


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## big casino (Nov 17, 2012)

Yeah custom99, this is one of my family's  favorite pork chops, usually the bone is left in for this style of smoked chop, the butcher I go to leaves it whole and then cuts them to what ever thickness I want when I order them


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## pit 4 brains (Nov 17, 2012)

custom99 said:


> I make canadian bacon but my wife found a recipe on another forum that I dont know what you would call the final cut of meat. It really looks good. Sounds like canadian bacon being called pork chops.
> 
> Heres what they used:
> 
> ...


If you are going to use a wet brine, then just add a level Tablespoon of cure #1 to a gallon of water along with about 1/2 cup kosher salt and 1-2 cups brown or raw sugar. You can follow Pops' recipe here:http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110799/pops6927s-wet-curing-brine

Brine for about seven days. You could brine for less time if you inject the brine into the center of the loin.

The 1 Tbl. of cure to a gallon of water keeps well within the Parts Per Million guidelines for cure to meat ratio.

If you are going to dry rub, then one level tsp. of cure mixed with the other dry ingredients will do the 5 lbs.

Whatever you do, DO NOT MIX THE #1 WITH TENDERQUICK in any recipe..


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## scottphillips1 (Nov 17, 2012)

Hi Custom,

I make a lot of canadian bacon, and prefer to use the following dry brine.  The ingredients listed are for one pound of well trimmed pork loin - visible fat and silver skin removed.  You'll need to scale it up based on the weight of your loin.

1 tablespoon Morton Tender Quick

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon onion powder

Mix the ingredients and fully cover the loin, then refrigerate for seven days, turning daily.  I like to brine the loin in a big ziplock bag placed in a plastic bowl (in case it leaks, and it usually does).

After a week, rinse the loin, and let air dry for about an hour until the shiny and sticky pellicle forms.  Smoke/cook until the internal temperature reaches 155 F (I like to cook it at about 200 F to reach the target internal temperature).  In my opinion fruit woods work well with this recipe; I've used hickory and mesquite before, and both seemed to leave a bitter flavor.  It's pretty easy to oversmoke a loin, so I generally use only one or two disposable pie pans of chips at the front end of the smoking.

After smoking, I generally cut it into one pound portions, vacuum seal it, and hide it in the refrigerator so I'll actually get to eat some of it.

Regarding chops, if you slice the loin, you can dramatically reduce the bring time.  If memory serves, the rule of thumb for curing is one day per 1/4" of meat thickness.

Ham chops cooked on a hot grill sounds like an excellent idea!

Cheers,

Scott Phillips

Star, ID


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## custom99 (Nov 17, 2012)

Thanks guys. I should have started sooner. Not thinking how close Thanksgiving is and my wife wanted to have this in addition to the turkey.


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## grabber (Feb 4, 2021)

One quick ????.  I've done 5 lb pieces before but now will be doing 15 lbs, total.  Do I need to triple the cure formula or will one batch cover the total poundage.  Will inject but just want to be on the safe side.  Any help, much appreciated.  Thanks in advance.


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