# Back (Canadian) Bacon, Wet Vs Dry Cure and video



## disco (Apr 9, 2019)

There was a good confluence of events. Whole pork loins were on sale and I was heading to visit relatives in Alberta. I take a lot of bacon for the family when I go to visit.

I had also had a couple of requests to do a wet cure, brined bacon. 

I decided to do 4 loin pieces to make back (erroneously called Canadian bacon in the US). I would do two dry cured and two wet cured for a head to head taste. I have done this before but it has been years.

I started by mixing my standard dry cure mix for one loin, for each kg of weight I use:

25 ml brown sugar
15 ml kosher salt
3 grams (2.1 ml) Prague powder #1
In US measures for each pound:

2 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/5 teaspoon Prague powder #1
For the second loin, I mixed a maple sugar cure mix which is the same but I substituted maple sugar for the brown sugar.








I injected the maple loin with 25 ml of maple syrup per kg (1 tablespoon per pound).







I put each piece of pork loin on a plate to catch any rub that falls off. I rubbed the curing mix into each piece of loin.







I put each piece of loin into a vacuum sealer bag and made sure to scrape the plate into the bag.







I sealed the other end of the bag but did not suck the air out.







Then I started on the two wet brined loins.

I weighed the loins.







I added a measured amount of water and calculated the combined weight of the water and pork.







I took the pork out and for each kilogram of pork and water I added to the water:

25 ml brown sugar
15 ml kosher salt
2.1 ml (3 grams) Prague powder #1
In US Measures for each pound of pork and water

2 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/5 teaspoon Prague powder #1
I stirred until dissolved added the meat and put a plate on top.







The thickest piece of pork was 2 1/2 inches thick. I allow 4 days curing time plus 2 days for each inch of thickness. So I covered the wet cure and put all the bacon in the fridge for 12 days. I turned the bags and the bacon in the brine every day or so.

I took the bacon out and applied a coating of pepper to one of the wet cure loins.







I put a fan on the loins and let them sit until the surface was dry. Then I smoked them to 140 F internal temperature in a 190 F smoker. The bacon isn't cooked at this temperature so it must be fried before eating. You can take it to 150 F and it will be cooked but I find that has a slightly worse texture on cooking.







I cooled the bacon and wrapped it in plastic wrap. I let it sit for a couple of days.







I sliced the bacon with my rotary slicer.












I fried a piece of each loin:







Left to right is the dry cured Maple Bacon, dry cured bacon, wet cured Pepper Bacon and wet cured bacon.







I also did a video of making the wet cure bacon.



The Verdict

First, all of the bacon was great. The differences I am about to describe were minor.

The dry cure was a bit pinker but that can be explained by the piece of pork as they vary. 

The dry cure was firmer and had more chew. The wet cure was softer and didn't crisp as much.

The taste of the dry cure is a bit more salt forward and the wet cure was a bit sweeter.

I still like the dry cure better but the differences are minor. If you prefer a tender bacon, you will prefer the wet cure.

Disco


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## Misplaced Nebraskan (Apr 9, 2019)

All looks good from here!  Great post! tabbed the vid for viewing later. off to find me some bacon now! Like


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## disco (Apr 9, 2019)

Thanks so much! Get that bacon!


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## motocrash (Apr 9, 2019)

Very nice disco,please pass the baguette and cheese.

Ha-Ha! You still have plenty of snow...


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## disco (Apr 9, 2019)

motocrash said:


> Very nice disco,please pass the baguette and cheese.
> 
> Ha-Ha! You still have plenty of snow...


Yes we do! The pleasure of living in the Canadian Rockies. Thanks for the kind words.


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## pc farmer (Apr 9, 2019)

Great post and review Disco.   One day I will post as good as you.


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## smokerjim (Apr 10, 2019)

looks great, Canadian rockies is a beautiful area, my sister lives in Calgary and years ago while visiting her we went sking in the rockies, mountains are just a little bigger then the ones around here where I live. (should say a whole lot bigger)


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## disco (Apr 10, 2019)

pc farmer said:


> Great post and review Disco.   One day I will post as good as you.


Liar! Har! I have learned a lot from your posts!


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## disco (Apr 10, 2019)

smokerjim said:


> looks great, Canadian rockies is a beautiful area, my sister lives in Calgary and years ago while visiting her we went sking in the rockies, mountains are just a little bigger then the ones around here where I live. (should say a whole lot bigger)


Thanks! I do love our mountain home!


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## crazymoon (Apr 11, 2019)

D, Another awesome post and you have got me thinking about making up some "Canadian " bacon.  like!


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## HalfSmoked (Apr 11, 2019)

The Canadian bacon (back bacon) master strikes again. Nice post great write up Disco. I've always do the dry cure per Bears recipe but the wet cure sounds interesting.

Warren


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## pushok2018 (Apr 11, 2019)

Nice looking Canadian bacon! Great tutorial and video as well.... Thank you for sharing, Disco! Like for sure!


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## disco (Apr 12, 2019)

crazymoon said:


> D, Another awesome post and you have got me thinking about making up some "Canadian " bacon.  like!



Get wth it! Thanks!



HalfSmoked said:


> The Canadian bacon (back bacon) master strikes again. Nice post great write up Disco. I've always do the dry cure per Bears recipe but the wet cure sounds interesting.
> 
> Warren



I prefer dry cure as well but only by a little. They are very close. Thanks!



pushok2018 said:


> Nice looking Canadian bacon! Great tutorial and video as well.... Thank you for sharing, Disco! Like for sure!



I appreciate the like!


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## John_D (May 16, 2019)

I discovered your Canadian bacon and buckboard bacon Videos on youtube. I had never made bacon prior to this and thought " hey, that looks easy"  I was right it was. In a short time I have made several batches and even adventured into jalapeno bacon and all with great success thanks to your easy to follow instructions. You have turned me into a bacon hog and I in turn have several friends that have now ventured into this great hobby as well. Cheer's from Ontario.


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## disco (May 19, 2019)

John_D said:


> I discovered your Canadian bacon and buckboard bacon Videos on youtube. I had never made bacon prior to this and thought " hey, that looks easy"  I was right it was. In a short time I have made several batches and even adventured into jalapeno bacon and all with great success thanks to your easy to follow instructions. You have turned me into a bacon hog and I in turn have several friends that have now ventured into this great hobby as well. Cheer's from Ontario.


Thanks for the kind words, fellow Canadian!


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## Bearcarver (May 19, 2019)

All looks Great, Disco!!
Your comparison ended up with the same results mine did, but you did yours like a Movie Star!! I'd break the camera!!
I can't do that---I got enough just Posting my Step by Steps.
Nice Job, Buddy!
Like.

Bear


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## disco (May 19, 2019)

Bearcarver said:


> All looks Great, Disco!!
> Your comparison ended up with the same results mine did, but you did yours like a Movie Star!! I'd break the camera!!
> I can't do that---I got enough just Posting my Step by Steps.
> Nice Job, Buddy!
> ...


I don't know, Bear! The world could use an expert smoker movie!


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## Bearcarver (May 21, 2019)

disco said:


> I don't know, Bear! The world could use an expert smoker movie!




LOL---I haven't seen a Good "Smoker" in years!! Haven't been to one in at least 40 years.

Bear


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## John_D (May 22, 2019)

Here is a question ( don't mean to hi-jack thread ) but two very knowledgeable people already here. What's best, add spices to a dry cure when it first starts the curing, or is there more flavor after curing when adding a rub before smoking?


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## Bearcarver (May 22, 2019)

John_D said:


> Here is a question ( don't mean to hi-jack thread ) but two very knowledgeable people already here. What's best, add spices to a dry cure when it first starts the curing, or is there more flavor after curing when adding a rub before smoking?



Disco can give you what he does for both Dry Cure & Wet Cure.
All I can give you is what I do with my Dry Cure:
I put my measured amount of Tender Quick on the pieces of Meat, and the Brown Sugar that goes with it. That is my curing mix, and it goes in the Bag for the prescribed amount of time to cure.
Then after curing & rinsing, that's when I put my CBP, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder on the surface, so when the "Pellicle" forms, it helps those seasonings stick fast while I'm smoking it.

Bear


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## flatbroke (May 22, 2019)

Looks great.  I have a question on the 2:10 minute mark of the video.  not sure I understood correctly


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## disco (May 22, 2019)

flatbroke said:


> Looks great.  I have a question on the 2:10 minute mark of the video.  not sure I understood correctly


Good catch. It should be kilograms, not grams.


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## disco (May 22, 2019)

John_D said:


> Here is a question ( don't mean to hi-jack thread ) but two very knowledgeable people already here. What's best, add spices to a dry cure when it first starts the curing, or is there more flavor after curing when adding a rub before smoking?


I'm with Bear for both the wet cure and dry cure. If I am adding chipotle, ground pepper, or other dry seasonings, I put them on before the pellicle forms. That being said, I have forgotten and put it on after the pellicle formed and it still worked.


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## John_D (May 23, 2019)

Bearcarver said:


> Disco can give you what he does for both Dry Cure & Wet Cure.
> All I can give you is what I do with my Dry Cure:
> I put my measured amount of Tender Quick on the pieces of Meat, and the Brown Sugar that goes with it. That is my curing mix, and it goes in the Bag for the prescribed amount of time to cure.
> Then after curing & rinsing, that's when I put my CBP, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder on the surface, so when the "Pellicle" forms, it helps those seasonings stick fast while I'm smoking it.
> ...


Thanks Bear, I see Disco is in agreement with you as well. I never thought of doing it that stage of the process. I had waited until the pellicle had formed and surface was tacky enough to take seasonings. I will give it a shot as soon as the latest slab is ready to go.

Slainte


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## Bearcarver (May 23, 2019)

John_D said:


> Thanks Bear, I see Disco is in agreement with you as well. I never thought of doing it that stage of the process. I had waited until the pellicle had formed and surface was tacky enough to take seasonings. I will give it a shot as soon as the latest slab is ready to go.
> 
> Slainte




Yup---Give it a try.
The seasonings seem to tack up within the sticky pellicle this way.

Bear


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## disco (May 23, 2019)

Bearcarver said:


> Yup---Give it a try.
> The seasonings seem to tack up within the sticky pellicle this way.
> 
> Bear


Good advice...

Listen to the Bear!


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## Steve H (Jan 12, 2020)

I've been doing the wet cure in the past for CB. This time around I got 7 pounds started with the dry cure method. Anxious to see the results!


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