Make your own Bacon

[tightgrouper]

First of this is not a wild game recipe, sorry for that but I am sure some here will be interested for it is cheap and better for you.

I had pretty much quit eating bacon for a few year because I know it is bad for me and one day I decided that I wanted it. I always flinched at the price of back bacon and had no idea how it was made so I searched it on the internet and tried it. After a few small adjustments I have it down to how I like it and I control the salt.
This bacon cooks quick and does not have the greasy mess afterwards.



Canadian Bacon

Per 1 lbs of fresh never frozen pork loin: (i use loins from costco)


Dry Rub cure

1 tblsp morton tender quick (not heaping not level).
1tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp brown sugar

Curing
mix the dry rub cure then rub all over pork loins. I wear gloves for this. (I usually cut a full large loin(6 lbs or so) into 3 sections)

Rub dry cure on loins using all of the dry rub

Refrigerate Between 2 and 5 Celsius covered for 5 days turning/rotation every second day.

Smoking

Towel dry loins and place on oiled racks. Bring to room temperature before smoking.
Smoke cured loins with maple wood or chips slowly reaching an internal temp of 160 over 4 – 6 hours . (my smoker never gets quiet hot enough after 4 to 6 hours. I Just make sure I cook it before I eat it.)
Bacon is done when it has a nice tan color on the fat from the smoke and it has started to dry on the meat parts. (formed a good pellicule)


Cool, vacuum seal, and leave in the fridge for a couple days before you freeze it to cure it more.

Better for your heart and quick to make.


I usually do about 4 loins(6lbs each) in a batch which lasts me 6 or 7 months.

[Ddog]

gonna try it,,
also i think the word you are looking for is pellicle, and it is formed before the smoking process.

..The pellicle serves several functions: it provides an ideal surface for the smoke flavor to adhere, it helps seal in the remaining moisture through the smoking process, and it prevents the fats in the meats from rising to the surface and spoiling.

[Slee]

One question.... Why the liquid smoke if you are putting it in a smoker? Will it have a super strong smoke flavour?

[tightgrouper]

One question.... Why the liquid smoke if you are putting it in a smoker? Will it have a super strong smoke flavour?

The original recipe I used called for 1/2 teaspoon of the liquid smoke and that it could be finished in a smoker or the oven. It is not excessively smokey with the amount in my recipe even after smoking.

[tightgrouper]

I will eat bacon like this for all my remaining days!
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/aquapaloosa/IMG_0514.jpg

[tomahawk]

Looks great!!

[phoenix]

Where did you find the Tender-Quick? I can't find any up here in the hinterlands and getting it shipped in costs more than the product. I'd get a buddy to pick some up for me if it if it is available in the LM.
Kim

[tightgrouper]

Where did you find the Tender-Quick? I can't find any up here in the hinterlands and getting it shipped in costs more than the product. I'd get a buddy to pick some up for me if it if it is available in the LM.
Kim



I live in a tiny town and the grocery store there always has it in the salt section.

[The Dude]

That looks awesome! Now I know what to do when there's a sale on pork loins

http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss62/FrostyNuggz/Babes/do_want.jpg

[MuleyMadness]

Where did you find the Tender-Quick? I can't find any up here in the hinterlands and getting it shipped in costs more than the product. I'd get a buddy to pick some up for me if it if it is available in the LM.
Kim

Safeway generally has it on the shelf as well.

[The Dude]

Yikes, Tender Quick is Nitrates, Nitrites, salt, sugar, and (food-safe) Anti-Freeze:

http://www.bbq-fyi.com/morton-tender-quick.html

[The Dude]

I will eat bacon like this for all my remaining days!
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/aquapaloosa/IMG_0514.jpg


What's the diff between those two cuts? The one on the left looks like classic Back Bacon, but the one on the right looks super-yummy, like a BBQ pork loin from Hon's :D

[wildcatter]

Man that looks really good, but it's not what I call bacon.

[r106]

Man that looks really good, but it's not what I call bacon.

I would imagine you could use the same recipe and use pork belly. just alot more fat

[wildcatter]

I would imagine you could use the same recipe and use pork belly. just alot more fat

Guess you could do that, but I would smoke it longer and air dry/cure so you can eat it without cooking.

[tightgrouper]

What's the diff between those two cuts?

The one on the right is what some loins come like. The meat is darker and higher in fat. I prefer those ones but cant pick em out in the packages at the store.

[tightgrouper]

There are pork belly recipes. The cure times are much longer.

[tightgrouper]

Here is a very interesting article about nitrates in food. If you are aware of the new trend of making cured meats nitrate free you will be interested to see it is a bit of a cham-wow (scam-wow) so to speak.

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/seasoningflavoring/a/nitrates.htm

To cure properly without nitrates I hear requires perfect temperature and has a higher risk of food poisoning.
Regardless, bacon is processed meat and intake should be limited.