my fist smoked canadian bacon

king kabanos · Post by **king kabanos** » Fri May 31, 2013 18:15

Check out my first try at smoking canadian bacon. i thought i was supposed to come out like a red color when donw smoking but turned out brown and a little burned at the end. i used this recipe

2 quarts apple juice
2 quarts filtered water
1 Cup Pure Maple Syrup (doesn't have to be the premium brand $$$, but not the fake stuff)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Sea Salt
1 oz. Cure #1 (Pink Salt)
6 fresh Bay Laurel Leaves (or 3 dry bay leaves)
1 1/2 Tablespoons whole Allspice
2 Tablespoons Whole black Peppercorns
8 # whole pork loin

Maybe it turned out brown because i used a maple brine. i dont know tell me what you guys think. i tried a piece its not dry at all and i smoked it for 10 hours at 130-150 deg. why is it a little burnt

Post by **redzed** » Fri May 31, 2013 22:43

Your smoked loin looks good from here, but I have a couple of observations. If it is not dry then the burnt appearance should not matter. If the ends appear to be more well done then it may be because you have a small smoker and it was too close to the heating element. Did you move the loins around every hour while smoking? In smaller smokers it is also a good idea to tie loops at both ends and flip the meat over to attain more even cooking.

The colour of the finished product also depends a great deal on the type of wood you used and the RH in the smoker.

The other reason for the dark appearance is that you used a heck of a lot of sugar. the apple juice, the brown sugar and maple syrop. Everyone has their preferences but my ration of sugar in preparing back bacon is 50% to the weight of the salt.

I'm also surprised that your loin is still moist after 10 hours of cooking.

And what the heck were you using to cut the loin?

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Fri May 31, 2013 23:02

King Kabanos,
For a 24 year old and a beginner you have done very well so far.
With Redzed's advise you will certainly improve the looks and procedure of making Canadian Bacon.
The main thing is, did they taste alright? I bet they did, just keep on making them, eventually they will turn out 110%
When you get my age, you will be the most experienced charcuterier on this Forum.
Start saving your money for a decent size grinder and dedicated stuffer as well.
You're hooked already I can see.
Let all of us know what you are going to make next.
Good Luck,
Jan.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri May 31, 2013 23:20

The meat looks good but your knife needs sharpening.

king kabanos · Post by **king kabanos** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 02:34

the canadian bacon turned out very good and i know that was a pretty crappy cut i made in that loin i will post a pic of it sliced. your right i did use a lot of sugar in my brine and that does burn. but the taste of it is exellent and i guess that's what matters most. The next thing i am going to want to smoke is bacon do you guys have a good recipe for 5 pounds? a hot smoke bacon recipe because its hot in california and can not cold smoke it

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 03:27

http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?p=19504#19504 This one turns out pretty good. 1.8% salt .25% cure #1, 2% sugar 1% molassas all by weight rubbed into the surface placed in a zipper bag and cured for 15 days, dried for 4 days and smoked for 12 hours over hickory at 150°F

Post by **redzed** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 04:52

Well, sugar actually does not burn until 300F or even a bit higher. I still think you had the loins too close to your heating element. What type of smoker do you have?

And the colour and the bark that formed on the loins is the result of 10 hours of smoke, low humidity and the type of wood used.

king kabanos · Post by **king kabanos** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 05:05

i am probly going to try pops brine this is it and people say its preety good but my question is that i am going to be making only 5 pounds of bacon do you think this is too much cure for that here is the recipe

for every 1 gallon of water, add:

1/3 - 1 cup sea salt (depending if you're on a lo-salt diet)

1 cup granulated sugar or Splenda®

1 cup brown sugar or Splenda® brown sugar mix

1 tbsp cure no. 1 pink salt

king kabanos · Post by **king kabanos** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 05:09

red zed i think my heating element was far enought from my loins. my used apple and cherry here is my smoke house

http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=6545

Post by **redzed** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 06:19

king kabanos wrote:red zed i think my heating element was far enought from my loins. my used apple and cherry here is my smoke house

http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=6545

You are right. I am therefore perplexed about your result if the temp in the smoker was 130 - 150.

Baconologist · Post by **Baconologist** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 06:58

king kabanos,

Have you checked the accuracy of your thermometer?

Is the thermometer sensor at the same level as the meat?

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 15:20

King, You may find it beneficial to place a fireproof deflector just above the smoke inlet pipe in your smoke house. If you look closely at the smoked loin the "burn" appears at one end. If it were in line with the inlet pipe it could receive direct heat from the fire. When you next have a fire in the box hold your hand above the smoke inlet pipe and also with the door open and a good supply of smoke watch the smoke as it leaves to pipe. I suspect that it is rising in a column and not diffusing as much as would be desireable.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 15:21

King, You may find it beneficial to place a fireproof deflector just above the smoke inlet pipe in your smoke house. If you look closely at the smoked loin the "burn" appears at one end. If it were in line with the inlet pipe it could receive direct heat from the fire. When you next have a fire in the box hold your hand above the smoke inlet pipe and also with the door open and a good supply of smoke watch the smoke as it leaves to pipe. I suspect that it is rising in a column and not diffusing as much as would be desireable.

king kabanos · Post by **king kabanos** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 18:56

i have a 12 inch thermometer right above the meat and when i was smoking it i double checked the temp with a digital thermometer and the reading was in the same temp. i had the loins right above the pipe so maybe that's why. do you thin if i put like a kitchen baffle over my pipe it will spread the smoke better in my smoke house or do you think i dont need one. when i made kielbasa it did not burn like that at all. i had a nice red kielbasa all the way around the casing.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 19:03

If you just place a piece of sheet metal six inches above the smoke pipe and about a foot square that will work. an old baking pan would serve.Did your sausage hang as low in the house as the loin did?