Made with Pork Loin and Cured for Two Weeks until it is ready to cook and slice thinly. After that, fry them up just like Bacon. I make sandwiches out of this alone or include it with sandwiches. I make breakfast platters that include Canadian Bacon. Add it to anything in place of Bacon.
I am still fairly new at this but have made it a few times with success. I am still tinkering with the spices to try to find the best possible combination. The Below recipe is what I think is my best at this point.
What is Canadian Bacon?
Canadian Bacon also known as Back Bacon is made from the Pork Loin and is a lot leaner than regular Bacon. Very similar to Ham, but is of a different cut. It is also different from Bacon, since Bacon or Streaky Bacon is made from Pork Belly.
Canadian Bacon
Typically, Canadian Bacon is a round slice using up the whole pork loin and much leaner than Bacon which is made from Pork Belly.
It is brined and cured with Prague Powder #1 for about 2 weeks, washed and then either cooked or smoked until an internal temperature of about 145 F.
Canadian Bacon Brine
It is very important to ensure that the ratio of Salt & Sugar in the Brine are correct, as well as the amount of Curing Salt (Prague Powder #1). If there is not enough, you risk contamination and can get very sick or worse.
The main components of a Brine are Distilled Water as the carrier, Salt & Sugar. For Wet Curing, Prague Powder #1 is used and is dispersed through the water at no more than 200 ppm.
A good place to start is the recipe below, where 3/4 C of both Salt & Sugar is used with 16 Cups (1 Gallon) of Water. After that, you can add in any combination of Herbs & Spices for Flavor.
Prague Powder 1
Prague powder #1 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% sodium chloride. It is used to cure meat that will be finished by cooking or smoking.
It is the Curing Salt that is used for Brine Solution to make a variety of Cured Meats. You should be able to find some at your Local Butcher Shop or Local Sausage Supply Store.
It is Toxic by itself and should not be directly ingested. This is why it is usually colored pink so that it can not be mistaken for table salt. The amount used in curing is negligible and does no harm to the body. It is a safe and effective curing agent if used properly.
Canadian Bacon Brine Time
It takes about 14 days to brine the 3–5 lbs. of Pork Loin.
Wash the Pork Loin really well and place it in the brine solution. Ensure that the meat is completely submerged. You can use a plate or something else to place on top to make sure the meat stays submerged. Cover the Pot with a plastic bag or if you have a lid, place that on top.
Place it in the fridge for 14 days. It is really useful to have a small mini-fridge dedicated to things like this. After 7 Days. Flip the meat over and leave for another 7 Days.
Brined Canadian Bacon
Brine 3-5 lbs. of Pork Loin for 14 days fully submerged. Flip it over after 7 days.
Drain the Brine out and wash the Pork Loin and then fill the pot up with fresh cold water to allow the Pork Loin to sit there for about 10 – 15 minutes to get rid of any excess salt.
When ready to cook. Strain the Brine out and fill the pot up with cold running water and leave for 10–15 minutes. Then, under running water, rinse the pork really well to remove excess salt.
Cooking Canadian Bacon
Canadian Bacon goes through two Cook stages. The first stage is to cook the meat through. Place into the Oven at 325 F. Use a Thermometer to accurately measure the internal temperature. Cook until an internal temperature of 145 F. Let it cool, then slice into thin slices. Portion out and freeze. Use it the same as Bacon for a second cook. Fry it up in a frying pan or cook in the oven and serve.
Thinly Sliced Canadian Bacon
The Canadian needs to be cooked until an internal temp of 145 F and then thinly sliced and portioned to later be cooked the same as Bacon.
Pan Frying Canadian Bacon
Once the Canadian Bacon has gone through the first cook and is portioned out. Thaw some out and pan fry or oven bake to serve.
It is perfectly fine to eat after the first cook. Cooking a second time enhances the Flavors and deepens the color.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot
- 1 Thermometer
Ingredients
- 3-5 lbs Pork Loin
- 16 C Distilled Water
- 3/4 C Kosher Salt
- 3/4 C Sugar
- 3 Tbl Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 1 Tbl Coriander
- 1 Tbl Black Pepper
- 1 Tbl Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbl Molasses
- 1 Tbl Liquid Smoke
- 1 Tbl Pork Broth Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Bay leaves
- 2 tsp Prague Powder #1
Instructions
- Combine everything except Pork and bring to boil all ingredients mixing well to make sure everything is dissolved. Let the Brine Solution cool to room temperature.
- Trim the Excess Fat off the Pork Loin and rinse under cold water extremely well. Place the Pork In the Brine Solution. Ensuring that it is completely submerged. Place in the fridge for 14 days. Flip the meat over after 7 Days.
- When ready to cook. Empty the Pot of the Brine Solution and fill with Cold Water. Let it overflow to get rid of any extra brine. Let the Pork sit in just the water for 10 minutes.
- Rinse the Pork really well and then either Smoke or place in the Oven at 325 F for 2–3 hours or until internal temp reads 145 F. Remove and let cool. Use an oven safe thermometer to accurately measure the internal temperature.