More Canadian bacon

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Thu Nov 14, 2013 00:14

Hard to believe I ran out of the last batch so fast but the smoking season is upon us. I scored two whole pork loins yesterday totaling 18 pounds. I usually wait till the sale price is $1.99lb but the fact that I was all out made me have to lump $2.69lb.. I whipped up some of CW's Famous Canadian Bacon Brining Sauce:
6 quarts ice water
4&1/2 tblsp Instacure #1
1 cup powdered dextrose
1&1/2 cups canning salt
1 ounce Mapeline (optional)

Two cuts and all the butcher work is done

Geezed each piece with 5-6 ounces of brine

Covered them with the rest of the brine solution, 5-day fridge nap.

The plan is to pull them out after next Monday nights football game to dry for a couple of hours, then get them smoking right around 11pm. That way I can go to bed and not have to worry about changing the chip pan till seven the next morning. I love the fall season. RAY

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Thu Nov 14, 2013 00:42

Out-danged-standing Ray!

Now, that's the way to celebrate Fall!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Thu Nov 14, 2013 06:54

Hi Ray,
You had a bargain compared to their cost here down-under.
Is it the Mapeline that makes the brine so dark, or did you add brown sugar somewhere along the line.
Cheers Mate,
Jan.

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Thu Nov 14, 2013 08:15

It's the Mapeline Jan, a little is supposed to go a long way, I like to use a lot, The Mapeline doesn't flavor the meat as much as you'd think from the color, even a bit turns the brine dark. I just figure what the hell, if I want some maple flavor, add a bunch of the stuff. Like I stated, even a lot of the stuff doesn't over-power the finished product, you'll just catch a hint of it. RAY

Shuswap · Post by **Shuswap** » Sat Nov 16, 2013 16:05

Ray, I'm getting ready to make my first batch. Do you follow the brine with a rub before smoking - if so, what's the rub?
Phil

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Sat Nov 16, 2013 18:14

Hi Phil! I just soak the pork loins in the solution after I've injected them with about 10% of their weight. If a half a loin weighs 50 ounces I inject about five ounces of solution into it with my brining needle. One thing you can do that CW suggests is to roll the loin in black pepper right before it goes into the smoker, I'm going to do that with two of the pork loin halves on Monday night. I usually place the loins in netting as pictured below but two of the halves are too fat to fit, so those I'm going to tie like a roast and roll it in black pepper. Follow the prescribed procedure and you will be way happy with what you've got when all finished. Good luck and let us know how things turn out! RAY

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Sun Nov 17, 2013 07:07

Now the weather forecast for my hood is saying rain Tuesday morning. If I go with a Sunday night start instead of Monday I'll have been brining for 4 & 1/2 days, and I think that'll have to do. I love my Pro 100 way too much to ever even think of letting it sit out in the rain, and I procrastinated myself out of building the shelter for it I had in mind. Tomorrow is Football Sunday and that means a great brunch, the Niner game, followed by the best game of the year with Peyton and our still beloved Alex. Yep, I'll roll the dice and start smoking a day early. There's a lot to be said for having confidence in a brining needle, and I'm confident.RAY

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 15:26

Had the loins in the smoker for a two-hour drying period last night at eight, started the smoke chips right at ten. Had the loins all tied when I found I'd used all my baggie of black pepper on last weeks sausage, filled the grinder with fresh peppercorns and gave the two a nice dusting, rolled would have been better

Got up at 5am to change the chip pan and raise the temp at six, feeling hungry. Canadian bacon-onion-cheddar cheese omelet with a side of maple-honey bacon and toast has me ready to go back to bed now.

I'll get up at ten to remove the chip pan, close dampers, raise the temp up to 180°. Later a few old friends and I will be exchanging e-mails in regard as to how much we hate our team right now. Fire Harbaugh, fire Balke, we never should have traded Alex. Looks like I'm going to just beat the rain. RAY

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Tue Nov 19, 2013 01:34

Another project comes to a successful conclusion. Each loin came off the Pro 100 at 148° over a two hour period, I was working two meat thermometers. After a night in the fridge I'll shrink-wrap three of the loins whole for the freezer and keep one in the deli drawer. RAY

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Tue Nov 19, 2013 03:32

Ray you seem to be getting pretty good at those. Ready for a sour rye bread effort?

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Tue Nov 19, 2013 06:56

Ray, they are beauties! Nicely done pal. Sliced thinly on Ross's sour rye bread with a touch of Gray Poupon would be food for illustrious royalty and would probably put my ol' carcass into some kind of shock.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Tue Nov 19, 2013 09:42

Ah, remember Ross, I've had and been using my bread machine for years. I've done rye and walnut loaves that are beyond reproach, tho there's always room for improvement. The loins are superb, I've been snacking to ensure they are of the proper quality to appease Mrs G. I have no English muffins, nor do I feel the need. I'm thinking of toasting a big roll sliced in half, some melted cheddar on it with some micro'ed CB, topped with three eggs and Hollandaise sauce. Not poached eggs, FRIED!!! My wife absolutely loves that brekky, tho without the sauce. Women, who knows? Oh, not me. RAY

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Tue Nov 19, 2013 16:21

Ray, I have started to ferment the rye flour for about 3 days before I make it into bread but beyond that not much different from whole wheat.