Canadian Bacon.... Again...

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pushok2018

Master of the Pit
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
Oct 12, 2017
2,517
1,202
San Francisco East Bay area, CA
About two month ago, when I tried to find a piece of CB in my freezer I realized that I am out of it... What the.... I had to wait for almost two month till pork loin was on sale - $.99 a pound.
I bought 22# - 4 chubs, calculated the cure and spices, vac packed them and in the fridge for 14 days. Previously, I have done CB both ways: SV first and then smoke or smoke first and then SV. To be honest with you - I can't say which way is better. CB tested about the same, was equally moist and smoke flavor was just right in both cases.... This time I decided to go with SV first and then smoke.
After 14 days I removed chubs from the fridge
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out of vacuum bags, rinsed them with cold water, pated dry then netted them...

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In vacuum bags again and in the water bath at 151F till IM is 145F. This took approximately 3 hours....
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Next step was to take them from water bath, out of vacuum bags, pat dry very well and in the smoker for about 5 hours: 1 hours with no smoke (just to dry surface) at 160F. Smoke introduced: 1 hour at 225F and 3 hours at temperature 160F.. Out of smoker:
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Let them cool completely and in the fridge overnight.... Next morning sliced portion of a chub and test taste... I don't have a single complaint about it... Very-very tasty...
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Thank you for watching....
 
Real nice . I went today . $2.99 at GFS . I have 3 in the freezer so I can wait it out .
That came out really nice . Looks great . I always suggest keeping a section un-sliced and double smoking . Comes out really good for a knife and fork meal .
Nice work bud .
 
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Looks Great, Pushok!!
Nice Color.----Like!
When I used to take my CB to 160°, it was too dry to my liking.
Since the FDA dropped the safe temp to 145° I've been taking mine to 145° to 150°.
We enjoy that much more.
However if You're happy with 160° IT, I'd keep doing that.

Bear
 
Thank you, chopsaw! Thank you for the like!
I always suggest keeping a section un-sliced and double smoking . Comes out really good for a knife and fork meal .
100 perccent agrred!
P2018, Nice job on your CB and nice tutorial! Lucky to find loin for that price ,best around here is 2.99!
Thank you, crazymoon! I appreciate your like!
I don't see this price too often in my local stores - maybe three times for last two and a half years... Honestly, when I was loading my shopping cart with the loin chubs, I was going to grab four more (total 8 chubs) but suddenly someone from up there whispered on my ear: "Don't be that greedy!!!" so.... I left four chubs in the cart... but it was so tempting to get more for the price.... :emoji_laughing:
Thank you, Bear! Appreciate your like!
When I used to take my CB to 160°, it was too dry to my liking.
Since the FDA dropped the safe temp to 145° I've been taking mine to 145° to 150°.
We enjoy that much more.
However if You're happy with 160° IT, I'd keep doing that.
Nice point and I completely agree with you on that. The IM temp never got higher then 148F. Even with keeping temp at 225F for one hour.... A few years ago when I smoked my first CB, I kept it in the smoker till IM got to 154F - yes, that was little to dry... Since then never exceeded IM of 149F for CB...
 
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Sure looks pretty. Oh and smells amazing, btw.
Oh, yeahhh... It smells so nice... My wife, (who is very critical of whatever I cook just because she doesn't belong to the world of smoked meats) got into the kitchen this morning right after a cut all the chubs for vac bugging them later and asked me: "what smells so good?" I pointed on the plate with a few cilices of CB on countertop and she deiced to try.... She finished that plate in a minute... :emoji_laughing:
 
Curios about the netting.. did you use it because you thought it would come apart?
 
Curios about the netting.. did you use it because you thought it would come apart?
Charlie, the chubs got flat while were seating in the fridge for 14 days. Sure, I could keep them as is while SV-ing and smoking them but I wanted to have more traditionally formed CB - oval shaped. Not very important but... I like it that way. This was only the reason for netting....
 
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Charlie, the chubs got flat while were seating in the fridge for 14 days. Sure, I could keep them as is while SV-ing and smoking them but I wanted to have more traditionally formed CB - oval shaped. Not very important but... I like it that way. This was only the reason for netting....
Thank you for the answer.. I guess I never thought about it when I make Canadian Bacon.. but now that you've pointed it out ill be searching for netting!
 
Nice job on the backbacon. I have not seen it done using SV method before and will give it a try. Thanks for the lightbulb.
 
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Beautiful looking back bacon. So why do you sv the bacon, when you're going to cook it in the smoker anyway?
Thank you Gary and I appreciate y our like!
You are correct: CB is completely cooked while seating in water bath (SV). I placed it in the smoker for two reasons only: to smoke a little for that, you know, smoky flavor and to get some color on... Hope I answered your question.
 
Nice job on the backbacon. I have not seen it done using SV method before and will give it a try. Thanks for the lightbulb.
Thank you, Robert! Thank you for the like!
I smoked my first CB about 3 (4 ?) years ago and it was nice. Then I bought SV circulator but mainly to cook stakes... and based on experience of many members of this forum I decided to try it to cook a whole muscle: beef chuck, Tri-Tip, CB, etc. I liked this method a lot! The method (SV plus sear or SV plus smoking) depends on what you are cooking. For example: stake - SV plus sear only. For Canadian Bacon - SV plus smoking.... And yes, I am talking for myself: I like it!!
 
They look great.
Did you vac them tight right away when cure/spices added and into fridge, or just get most of the air out of them to leave room for massaging juices into meat while flipping? Does make sense to do in the order you did so don't have to re-vac from fridge to smoker to SV.
 
ill be searching for netting!
I'm also a fan of the netting . If you don't know , it goes by a size number . I have #14 for loins , and #28 for hams and chickens .
Size 14 means there are 14 squares around the outside of the net . Size 28 , 28 squares .
I use the number of squares x's .45 to give me a rough idea of how big it will stretch .
Just some FYI .
 
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