# Problem? with canadian bacon



## ironhorse07 (Apr 1, 2012)

I have had two pork loins curing since 3-21. TQ and brown sugar, turned every day. I didn't get a chance to smoke them until tomorrow. (pics didn't turn out good, cell phone) Anyway, took them out to soak this evening and noticed 1) there is a red stripe on the one on the right and 2) there was hardly any liquid in the bags I cured them in. What is this and should I be concerned?








Close up of striped one.







First canadian bacon but I have been reading tons on curing and don't remember running into anything like this. Concentration of cure? Lack of brown sugar? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Doug


----------



## jalan43 (Apr 1, 2012)

The red stripe is probably where the meat was touching the bag and your meat probably sucked up the cure.


----------



## forluvofsmoke (Apr 1, 2012)

If it's as pink as it looks in the photo, that portion didn't cure, likely due to uneven application of (or rubbed off) dry cure. Fully and completely cured meats should have the same color inside and out, even if you slice into the center.

Just me, but I like wet curing larger cuts...faster and less worries of cure application.

Never had this issue myself, so, what to do, what to do...I think I'd be trimming the pink meat off ('til it's the same color throughout) before I smoked it.

Eric


----------



## bmudd14474 (Apr 1, 2012)

Is the loin firm or soft? did you slice a test piece? if so do you have a picture of that?


----------



## badbob (Apr 1, 2012)

I do the dry cure also, and there never very much if any liquid in the bag. As for the pink part, I'd do like the other guys suggested and trim it off. In the future if you don't already do it, move the meat around several times a day while it is curing. Good Luck!


----------



## ironhorse07 (Apr 1, 2012)

Here it is sliced open, looks like uneven cure. I turned the bags on a daily basis.







Opposite end.







I guess trim out the red and keep going. Just don't wanna make anybody sick.

Doug


----------

