Homemade Canadian Bacon Recipes

MAPLE-CURED CANADIAN BACON

Steps:

• Stir together water, salt, brown sugar, Instacure, and vanilla in storage tub until solids are dissolved, about 3 minutes, then add maple syrup and stir until dissolved. Add ice and stir until cure is cold (ice may not be completely melted; keeping liquid cold slows salt absorption).
• Add pork to cure, then weight with a large plate to keep submerged. Chill, tub covered with a lid or plastic wrap, 36 hours.
• Rinse pork and pat dry, then discard brine.
• Prepare grill and smoke bacon:
• Open vents on bottom of grill and on lid. Remove lid and top rack from grill, then center disposable roasting pan on lower rack. Add 6 cups hardwood sawdust to pan.
• Light 5 briquettes in chimney starter. When briquettes are fully lit (covered completely with gray ash and glowing), transfer with tongs to sawdust, spacing evenly.
• When sawdust begins to smolder, replace top rack and arrange pork pieces on rack about 1 inch apart. Cover grill with lid, then insert thermometer into a vent hole in lid to monitor air temperature, which should be 80 to 120°F. (If temperature rises above 120°F, remove 1 or more briquettes or uncover grill slightly until temperature falls. If temperature falls below 80°F, light 1briquette and add to sawdust.)
• Smoke pork, adding 1 cup sawdust to roasting pan and stirring with tongs every 11/2 hours to ignite unburned sawdust, 8 hours. Cool completely, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until ready to use.
• Cut finished bacon crosswise into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices (or roast whole; see cooks' note, below) and fry in a nonstick skillet over moderate heat, turning, until browned. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Available at The Sausage Maker (888-490-8525).

BAKED CANADIAN-STYLE BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place bacon in a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, pineapple juice and mustard. Pour over the bacon. Cover and bake 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

HOMEMADE CANADIAN BACON

Steps:

• Bring all ingredients except loin to a boil for 10 minutes.
• Trim fat from loin.
• Cool the brine to 38 degrees F and strain if desired.
• Add loin and put a plate on top to keep submerged.
• Cover,Put in fridge and let sit 7 days turning once at 4 days.
• Remove and rinse in cold water. Soak for 45 minutes in cool water.
• Get smoker to 225 Degrees F. Use a good hardwood of choice.
• For breakfast bacon cook to 145 degrees F.
• For finished bacon cook to 155-160 degrees F.
• Cut to desired thickness. 1/4" for me.
• Keeps in fridge same as commercial bacon.
• Keeps in freezer longer if left unsliced.