First cure attempt, Canadian Bacon, check my numbers!

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

WaterRat

Master of the Pit
Original poster
Feb 14, 2018
1,150
810
Hamden, CT
Hey All,

So I've been planning for a while and finally got around to doing a cure. First attempt is Canadian bacon made with a pork tenderloin (not loin) that I bought on sale. Cure is a wet cure using cure #1 and following disco disco 's method shown here: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/back-canadian-bacon-wet-vs-dry-cure-and-video.286059/

By the way, I already did it, I had a out-of-town wedding this past weekend and threw it together before I left but had no time to ask questions... ;P

So the math:
tenderloin 1.42 lbs
water 2.33 lbs (conveniently converts to 1.015L aka 1L 15mL)
meat + water = 3.75 lbs used in the rest of the calculations
light brown sugar (2.5tsp/lb) 9.38 tsp So is this packed? loose? heaping? I used slightly packed and level.
kosher salt (1.5tsp/lb) 5.63 tsp again heaping? level? I used level(ish)
Cure #1 (0.2tsp/lb) 0.75 tsp level I back calculated the water quantity so this number would come out easily measurable

Doing this in the future I plan on getting a balance to weigh things but I made do with what I had. How precise do the salt and sugar #s need to be?

Pretty sure it comes out correct but I'd like a double check from the Pro's :)

Lastly, how long to leave in? It's about 3" wide and 2" thick at the big end. It's been in ~4days so far.

Thanks much,
Aaron aka WR
 
Hey All,

So I've been planning for a while and finally got around to doing a cure. First attempt is Canadian bacon made with a pork tenderloin (not loin) that I bought on sale. Cure is a wet cure using cure #1 and following disco disco 's method shown here: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/back-canadian-bacon-wet-vs-dry-cure-and-video.286059/

By the way, I already did it, I had a out-of-town wedding this past weekend and threw it together before I left but had no time to ask questions... ;P

So the math:
tenderloin 1.42 lbs
water 2.33 lbs (conveniently converts to 1.015L aka 1L 15mL)
meat + water = 3.75 lbs used in the rest of the calculations
light brown sugar (2.5tsp/lb) 9.38 tsp So is this packed? loose? heaping? I used slightly packed and level.
kosher salt (1.5tsp/lb) 5.63 tsp again heaping? level? I used level(ish)
Cure #1 (0.2tsp/lb) 0.75 tsp level I back calculated the water quantity so this number would come out easily measurable

Doing this in the future I plan on getting a balance to weigh things but I made do with what I had. How precise do the salt and sugar #s need to be?

Pretty sure it comes out correct but I'd like a double check from the Pro's :)

Lastly, how long to leave in? It's about 3" wide and 2" thick at the big end. It's been in ~4days so far.

Thanks much,
Aaron aka WR
Sounds good for the ingredients but I am interested to hear how tenderloin turns out for a bacon. It is pretty soft meat but I wait the result with interest.
 
Needs to be in the brine, refrigerated at 38F, for at least 2 weeks...

Thanks Dave!

Sounds good for the ingredients but I am interested to hear how tenderloin turns out for a bacon. It is pretty soft meat but I wait the result with interest.

Thanks disco, I wanted to start small, I'll post an update when done ;)
 
Needs to be in the brine, refrigerated at 38F, for at least 2 weeks...
Wouldn't it be 3"÷1/2"=6 days
Then add 2 days for good measure to be 8 days?

Or is there something im missing? I'm starting my first cure tomorrow so any advice is appreciated.
 
Wouldn't it be 3"÷1/2"=6 days
Then add 2 days for good measure to be 8 days?

Or is there something im missing? I'm starting my first cure tomorrow so any advice is appreciated.
plus add 2 days for every inch....so that would be another 6 days. After that, few extra days...or 10...does not matter.
 
I agree - 10 is good. I didn't check the numbers - just a guess. Maybe as low as eight or nine days. I recently did a pork tenderloin that might have been 2.5 lbs. I went ten days which was a day or two more than suggested. No worries with the equilibrium method - I could have left it for three weeks without a problem. I used this calculator which factors in the shape of the meat:

https://genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/saltbrinecalculator.html

There is a tab for brine time that allows you to use your specific numbers.
 
Last edited:
I've cured a bit of meat and it seems 2 weeks gives the best flavor....
Right on, cant beat experience. Would 3 weeks too much? Say I put in a loin and they plans came up for the weekend I planned to smoke it and had to postpone...
 
I, as a rule, don't wet brine longer than 2 weeks... Just seems like there's too much of a chance for bacterial growth...
Bacteria can and will grow in a refer...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jcarter93
I, as a rule, don't wet brine longer than 2 weeks... Just seems like there's too much of a chance for bacterial growth...
Bacteria can and will grow in a refer...
On a whole muscle that will be hot smoked wouldn't rinsing and cooking make it safe?
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky