Canadian Bacon 7-10-12

Nice. How long did you brine?

Wow, just read the recipe - I've got to try this!

http://ruhlman.com/2011/02/canadian-bacon-brining-basics/

That just went on my list of things to do. Thanks for the link NOLA. >-

If you like this, I would really recommend getting his book, Charcuterie. It's loaded with a bunch of good recipes. I really liked the whiskey glazed chicken. You brine a chicken using #1 curing salt. It really adds something to the chicken. Not quite like ham though. I would like to try it with a duck one of these days.

I plan on ordering his lastest book, Salumi....should be out next month.

And it does freeze very well. I slice mine while it's warm, and then freeze smaller portions in foodsaver bags.

Nice job on the bacon!

Unless you’re free lancing take another look at the recipe.   I believe it is brine for 48 hours, then refrigerate for 12 hours, uncovered.

 

I am not sure how the late introduction of pink salt will fare either, the brine needs to be heated for the salts to go into solution.

I'm reading three days: "Submerge the pork loin in the brine (or put it all in a large zip top
bag) and refrigerate for 72 hours (give or take a few hours depending on
your schedule)."

I made the brine with half the water on the stove, then added the other half of the water as ice to cool it down.  Everything dissolved. Then I poured it into a freezer bag and added the pork.  When I get the pink salt, I'll take a cup or so of the brine and dissolve it.  If I have to heat, I will, but it's only 9 grams (according to the directions of the pink salt) for 1/2 gallon water.  The majority of the sodium chloride (70 grams) is already in the brine.  I've seen cured bacon without the nitrate/nitrites before.  So I'm not so worried about the taste, I just would like to get the nice pink color.

the pink salts change the texture too, and introduce a piquancy you can't get from salt alone.

short timing nitrite will lead to a pink ring surrounding a middle of white pork.  i brine (it's really a pickle, at this point) loin for 3 days, and a day of that time is maybe not entirely needed.  meaning, most of the pickle might be effected in 2 days. 

if you go a day extra, you might have better luck.  i don't see the nitrite making it's way in to the middle in a day.  extra day won;t make it too salty, it will have already reached equilibrium.  pork is stored in a brine for weeks on end (or used to be) in france.  pre-fridges. 

problem i see is that the pickle is drawn into the meat given the lower concentration of salts in the muscle.  at a certain point this stops though, when there's a relative amount of equilibrium.  if the nitrite is in the brine from day one, it will be drawn in fully, eventually, along with the salt. 

if adding nitrite toward the end of this process, i am not sure it will be drawn in at the same rate.  its absorption may be complicated by the brine having nearly equalized.  party is already over, salt everywhere, and nitrite is knocking at the door "hey dudes, let me in". 

i know from first hand experience that short-timing the nitrite will produce a roast stuffed inside a ham (pink ham surrounding regular pork).  loins are small though, and you may luck out

@doc.  you want different salts for dry curing.  just don't want you subbing pink salts, if that's what you meant.  nitrates, not nitrite. look for the  #2 cure.

Yes....the pink salt really changes the texture of the loin.....firms it up quite a bit. It also gives it the hammy taste that salt alone will not do.

I usually do a dry brine on my canadian bacon. I let it brine, depending on weight and thickness of the meat, for almost a week before smoking. I will also rub some real maple syrup on the loins right before they hit the smoker.

One other thing I do before smoking is to cut one slice and fry it up and check for saltiness. If it's too salty, you can soak in cold water for a few hours, changing the water every half hour or so. It will pull some of the salt out.

dry cure is patience rewarded.  that also firms things a good bit. @alebrewer: i never did the canadian bacon (loin) as a dry cure.  i might give it a shot.  what i like about the pickle is that it preserves a good bit of moisture and as that stuff can easily be overcooked, i appreciate the cheat i get with the brine of sorts.

it's like store bought bacon (belly bacon).  that stuff is injected with brine and cures quickly, on the way to the store.  but the dry-cured bacon in 'Charcuterie' is a nice firmer contrast.  when you dry cure, you remove some water. i like that in belly bacon (it doesn't shrink or spit in the pan, when frying like store-bought/pickled belly does).  but haven't tried it in loin bacon.

will give it a shot.

that said, if i had only one thing, ok, two, to make from ruhlman;'s book. it'd be the pancetta and bresaola.  and the bratwurst.  and the country ham.  and i guess the prosciutto. duck i mean.  ok, the pork prosciutto too. and the city ham.  damn, it's a great book.  i know they didn't invent curing, but ruhlman and polcyn made it easy for idiots like me.

loin bacon is a great start.  the meat is CHEAP, the time is short, the flavor pronounced (i doubl up on garlic), and the reward is high. it's an excellent intro to curing

i buy a whole loin, and cut it in three after trimming. they fit in a large pot (like for boiling pasta) along with the brine.  not too much room is taken up, but i'll admit it is in my basement fridge.

I usually cut a whole loin in half, and do the dry cure in a zip-lock bag, turning it once/day. If it only takes three days for the wet, I'll see if I cant make something work. I need to make some soon....the wife was just bugging me about it.

That is cheap.  I'll have to keep them in mind when I need some supplies to dilute down the shipping.

dry cure is patience rewarded.  that also firms things a good bit. @alebrewer: i never did the canadian bacon (loin) as a dry cure.  i might give it a shot.  what i like about the pickle is that it preserves a good bit of moisture and as that stuff can easily be overcooked, i appreciate the cheat i get with the brine of sorts.

it's like store bought bacon (belly bacon).  that stuff is injected with brine and cures quickly, on the way to the store.  but the dry-cured bacon in 'Charcuterie' is a nice firmer contrast.  when you dry cure, you remove some water. i like that in belly bacon (it doesn't shrink or spit in the pan, when frying like store-bought/pickled belly does).  but haven't tried it in loin bacon.

will give it a shot.

that said, if i had only one thing, ok, two, to make from ruhlman;'s book. it'd be the pancetta and bresaola.  and the bratwurst.  and the country ham.  and i guess the prosciutto. duck i mean.  ok, the pork prosciutto too. and the city ham.  damn, it's a great book.  i know they didn't invent curing, but ruhlman and polcyn made it easy for idiots like me.

loin bacon is a great start.  the meat is CHEAP, the time is short, the flavor pronounced (i doubl up on garlic), and the reward is high. it's an excellent intro to curing

And the pig face! That was the shizznet

That was so good. Everyone should have an Italian