Pork (tender)Loin + Brine H2o x 24-36 hours + Smoke x 2-3 hours = Canadian Bacon

 Pork tenderloins in the brining solution -- brown sugar gave it the amber color

I started school today. Pre-requisite English & math classes at the community college so that I can be put on the wait list for the Specialty Desserts & Breads Program at Seattle Culinary Academy. In other words, I want to become a Pastry Chef; I think it will tie in nicely with what I am already doing.

I took placement tests before enrolling in school. I scored high on my readin' & writin'. Don't ask what I got on my 'rithmatic. The title of this blog post is about as complicated as I care to get in the mathematics department!

My very first "first day of school" was a while ago. The most popular song that day was either The Beatles "All You Need is Love" or The Doors "Light my Fire" depending on which search engine you use. Anyway, it was a long time ago. My point is, both of these songs sort of explain how to make Canadian Bacon. You need to cure the pork loin in a salt solution (also known as "brine") for a day or two, let it rest overnight to form a pellicle, then smoke it for two or three hours.

Truly though, I think for most passionate cooks to make cured meats all you really need -- to start with -- is love.

And at some point you'll need fire.

If only there had been a third song...about brining.

It's important to weight the meat so that it stays submerged...a plate works nicely. 

To be continued....

Monday April 12th, 2011

~ ONE WEEK LATER ~

Let's back up for a second. 

 I let the pork tenderloins sit in brine for 2 days, remember?

Then I let placed them on a baking sheet, on a wire rack, for 2 more days, although 12-24 hours would have been sufficient. Don't skip this step; letting the meat dry is an important part of the process!

 The meat needs to dry so a pellicle can form. A pellicle is when the meat becomes tacky when its proteins come to the surface; the proteins concentrate as the meat dries. You want this tackiness because it gives the smoke something to stick to!

I usually just put the meat in the fridge overnight, and the next morning the meat is perfect pellicle-d and ready for smoking. This time, however, the pork tenderloins sat on a rack in my fridge for 48 hours, waiting for the rain to stop.

 

 Finally the sun came out, after Seattle's wettest March on record.

Would you believe we endured 42 days in a row of rain?

As soon as the rains stopped, and the clouds cleared, I quickly built a charcoal fire in my Weber kettle-style BBQ, and waited for the coals to form. Once the coals were just right, I topped them with a foil packet of pure applewood pellets (with vents cut into it for the smoke to escape).

I placed the pork tenderloins on foil on the grill over indirect heat. 

The combination of sunshine, wisps of apple wood smoke in the air and the aroma of the pork cooking was exactly what I needed to chase away the rainy day blues. 

I periodically checked the coals, and the temperature of the meat. I smoked the pork for about 2 hours at about 225 degrees. I needed to replace the foil "apple wood pellet" packet one time during smoking, since the way I constructed them they only burned for about 45 minutes each.

When the interior temperature of the meat hit the magic number of 150 degrees, I removed the meat from the BBQ. Of course, I could have removed the meat a few degrees earlier, knowing it would continue to cook while it "rested" but I would rather cook it a few minutes too long, and err on the side of safety.

After letting it rest for about 10 minutes, I sliced some of the freshly-smoked Canadian Bacon for an impromptu homemade pizza. I already had a fresh pineapple, and I made up the pizza dough while the pork was smoking. It worked out perfect, time-wise.

I highly recommend making your own Canadian Bacon. It has a lot more flavor than I expected, and was so tender and moist I decided I wanted to eat as many ways as I could imagine. I think this Canadian Bacon would be appropriate in any dish where you would normally use ham, and of course, it made the most sublime Eggs Benedict the next day. It will last for 10 days in the fridge, or you can freeze it to store it longer.

Later that night, when I went to bed, I could still smell a hint of the apple wood smoke in my hair, and I smiled, knowing it meant sunny days are right around the corner. Even if the precipitation trend continues for a few more weeks in Seattle, I plan on spending a lot more time tending the smoker, rain OR shine.

At least I know I'll be warm.

Comments

[Helena Spensatelli]

I just discovered your website today and I love it! I'm going to continue to look around but I'm definitely going to make some Canadian Bacon!!! Yum. ;)