Looking to make homemade pea meal bacon, since I can't get it in Florida. Is this a safe amount of prague powder? It seems to be way more than other recipes call for. I made the brine and was just about to put my 2.17 lb pork loin it but then got cold feet reading about prague powder and it can be dangerous to use too much. Please help! Read in another post about prague powder that I could post the recipe here and know if it is safe or not. Thank you for all your help!
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Canadian Peameal Bacon
PG tested
Once you find how easy it is to make at home, you’ll never buy stateside-supermarket Canadian bacon again. Some of the brine can be injected into the meat at 4 or 5 places, if desired. Enjoy slices cooked on the grill (that’s the traditional Canadian way), griddled or cooked in a frying pan.
2- to 4-pound pork loin, preferably organic, trimmed but leaving 1/8-inch fat cap
For the Brine:
4 cups water
1 cup real maple syrup
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons Prague Powder No. 1 Cure or pink salt
3 teaspoons slightly crushed peppercorns
5 cloves garlic, crushed slightly
4 bay leaves (optional)
For the coating:
Coarse ground cornmeal
Have the butcher trim any visible silverskin off the pork loin, and trim any excess fat on it down to about a 1/8- to 1/4-inch layer. If the pork loin is really long, cut it in half.
Make the brine by combining the water and remaining ingredients (except for the cornmeal) together in a medium pot. Place over medium heat and whisk until salts and brown sugar are dissolved. Allow to cool.
Place a resealable plastic bag in a tall container (I use a 5-quart, 8-inch diameter stock pot). Place the loin pieces in the bag, standing them on end, if you can. Pour the cold brine over the meat to cover. If needed, add cold water to the brine to ensure the pork loin is immersed. Pressing out as much air as possible, zip-seal the bag. If the meat wants to rise, weight it down. I place a pint jar filled with water, which sinks them. The meat must be fully immersed in the brine.
Refrigerate, pot and all, for 3½ to 5 days, depending on the thickness of the loin. Remove the pork loin from the brine and rinse, then pat dry. Roll the meat in a dish of cornmeal, pressing it in until a nice, even layer sticks.
To make slicing easiest, wrap the peameal bacon in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then put it in the freezer until firm, but not frozen, about 1 hour. Return the bacon to a board and slice to whatever thickness you prefer. Aim for thickish slices, about 1/4-inch each.
Refrigerate the bacon until ready to cut and serve, or freeze as follows: Fan 4 or 5 slices on a piece of plastic wrap and make a tight package. Put several packages in a plastic bag and freeze. Take out a pack at a time as needed.
To cook: Snip the fat in a few places so the bacon doesn’t curl, then pan-fry in a heated skillet along with a little oil, just a few minutes a side. You know when it’s ready when the fat is brown and sizzling, and the meat is pink.
-- Raj Sabharwal
First Published April 15, 2015, 12:00am
Make your own Canadian Peameal Bacon
The iconic Toronto-area food is a perfect project for the home cook.
www.post-gazette.com
Canadian Peameal Bacon
PG tested
Once you find how easy it is to make at home, you’ll never buy stateside-supermarket Canadian bacon again. Some of the brine can be injected into the meat at 4 or 5 places, if desired. Enjoy slices cooked on the grill (that’s the traditional Canadian way), griddled or cooked in a frying pan.
2- to 4-pound pork loin, preferably organic, trimmed but leaving 1/8-inch fat cap
For the Brine:
4 cups water
1 cup real maple syrup
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons Prague Powder No. 1 Cure or pink salt
3 teaspoons slightly crushed peppercorns
5 cloves garlic, crushed slightly
4 bay leaves (optional)
For the coating:
Coarse ground cornmeal
Have the butcher trim any visible silverskin off the pork loin, and trim any excess fat on it down to about a 1/8- to 1/4-inch layer. If the pork loin is really long, cut it in half.
Make the brine by combining the water and remaining ingredients (except for the cornmeal) together in a medium pot. Place over medium heat and whisk until salts and brown sugar are dissolved. Allow to cool.
Place a resealable plastic bag in a tall container (I use a 5-quart, 8-inch diameter stock pot). Place the loin pieces in the bag, standing them on end, if you can. Pour the cold brine over the meat to cover. If needed, add cold water to the brine to ensure the pork loin is immersed. Pressing out as much air as possible, zip-seal the bag. If the meat wants to rise, weight it down. I place a pint jar filled with water, which sinks them. The meat must be fully immersed in the brine.
Refrigerate, pot and all, for 3½ to 5 days, depending on the thickness of the loin. Remove the pork loin from the brine and rinse, then pat dry. Roll the meat in a dish of cornmeal, pressing it in until a nice, even layer sticks.
To make slicing easiest, wrap the peameal bacon in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then put it in the freezer until firm, but not frozen, about 1 hour. Return the bacon to a board and slice to whatever thickness you prefer. Aim for thickish slices, about 1/4-inch each.
Refrigerate the bacon until ready to cut and serve, or freeze as follows: Fan 4 or 5 slices on a piece of plastic wrap and make a tight package. Put several packages in a plastic bag and freeze. Take out a pack at a time as needed.
To cook: Snip the fat in a few places so the bacon doesn’t curl, then pan-fry in a heated skillet along with a little oil, just a few minutes a side. You know when it’s ready when the fat is brown and sizzling, and the meat is pink.
-- Raj Sabharwal
First Published April 15, 2015, 12:00am
