Thought I'd Make Some Bacon - Pron

[LM600]

Well, I got me some Supracure and a pork loin last Friday.

Come 09:00 the same day she was weighed, rinsed and dried off.
The cure was weighed out at 5% weight of cure to weight of meat.

Approx. half of this cure was rubbed into meat (forgot to grab some thin rubber gloves so raided Mrs LM's hair colour boxes....) - all over inc. any folds, flaps or loose bits (the meat not the hair box things)

This was then put into a lidded Tupperware with another lid placed underneath so it was slightly elevated in the fridge.

Next day, Saturday, I took the tupperware out of the fridge and drained a fair amount of liquid out and re rubbed the meat with a bit of cure then put it back it back in the fridge - I repeated this until the cure ran out.
(each day the liquid was less and less until nothing)

I then left the Tupperware in the fridge (just left it alone, no peeking, poking or other molestation) until midday today (23.06.11) where I removed the meat and gave it a good washing under the cold tap and then a good drying with a clean tea towel.

Then, it went onto a baking pan with a raised grill so air could circulate around the meat and it's back in the fridge until about 20:00 tomorrow (24.06.11) so it can dry out properly and the pellicle can form.

It will then go on the E20 overnight with a load of oak dust in the CSG.

I'd like to then leave it until Sunday (26.06.11) to allow the smoke flavour to develop and relax with the meat....but this won't happen for two reasons -

1) I'm a greedy S*d
2) I have to go into work and check some release processes in the AM

Anyhoo, here are some pics of it "As Is" ie; green - I'll post more once it's been smoked.....Enjoy!

 

[TedW]

What a great run-down. Very interesting. I've not seen a pork loin done this way. Hope you post the finished product.

 

[chad]

Ought to be good. I definitely want to know the results!!

 

[Ron_L]

Sounds good! Around here bacon made from a loin is called Canadian Bacon. I've done it several times and it come out great.

What temperature are you smoking it at and what internal temp are you looking for (or is the E20 a cold smoker? I'm not familiar with that model).

 

[chad]

I'm starting the cure on a pork butt this weekend for "Buckboard Bacon"...same process and could use loin. I've done some in the past and it's good stuff. Hi Mountain recommends 200 degrees until about 155 internal...I think!! :-D

 

[LM600]

Thanks for all the replies Guys.

The loin is what is mainly used here - it's known as 'back bacon' whilst the bacon most known in the US is called 'streaky' here and comes from the belly...two countries one language! : )

I'll definitely be posting the post smoked pics....along with a flavour test!

I'll be cold smoking this one on the E20 with oak dust, this is a bullet smoker similar to the WSM but made by the Pro Q company, the full title is Pro Q Excel 20......I think they're imported into the US by Napolean now but I *think* Pro Q were importing them a few years back.
The cold smoke generator is a mesh square in a labyrinth pattern (inward spiral) which I just load up with dust and light at one corner...it's good for 10hrs+ of smouldering smoke.

The bacon has to dry in the fridge for a day now, so tomorrow (24.06.11) it'll be going on the E20 say, 20:00 onwards and just left overnight.

 

[Big George's BBQ]

Looking forward to the results and how long you did it for

 

[KnucklHed BBQ]

looks great man! looking forward to some sliced pics! :thumb:

 

[cowgirl]

Looks great from here too!! :thumb:

 

[lionhrt]

That is some good stuff I did one in my Excell 20 a few weeks back and should have made way more since it was so good I couldn`t keep anyone out of it. That ProQ is a good unit once I sealed the doors temp control was a lot easier. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

 

[LM600]

I hear you Lionhrt....my doors have warped out pretty bad, I plan on getting a steel band - like a big circle clip to run round them.

Anyway, here are the pics of the finished article, removed from the E20 at 08:00 this morning, left for a couple of hours then hand sliced and roasted in the oven (this is how I cook all my bacon) on a rack.

If I am honest it's a little too salty and not enough smoke for my taste, so next time I will soak the loin for half an hour then dry before it goes into the fridge uncovered and maybe give it two runs (20hrs) of smoke, but saying that, last night it was blowing a gale and hammering down with rain so I guess that wouldn't have helped.










(Pics taken on a rubbish mobile phone camera...it turned out a nice, deep, dark pinky, golden red colour in real life)

 

[Diver]

Looks good to me. Nice work.