Turkey Bacon

[donr]

I am planning on making my first turkey bacon in the next few days.

Jenni-O 85/15 ground turkey in a tube.

Appropriate amount of Con Yeagers Quick Cure salts. (Sodium Nitrite, Salt, Sugar) Similar to Tender Quick without the Sodium Nitrate.

A little white pepper (My wife's not a big pepper fan)

Maybe a little water (chicken stock if I have some open) do disolve the cure.

Mix it all up, form and then let sit overnight.

My questions comes about cold smoking.  I will hot smoke the loaf to 160°f (I need to double check that #).  Should I cold smoke it first, like regular bacon? Or will hot smoking really slow like summer sausage give it enough smoke?  I may seperate into 2 pieces and try both ways.

What are everyone's thoughts and experiences.

Thanks

Don

 

[daveomak]

You can cold smoke the bacon, freeze and cook prior to eating...

 

[Bearcarver]

Or you can make Real Canadian Turkey Bacon.

Like This:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/98228/canadian-turkey-bacon-qview

Bear

 

[donr]

Didn't turn out well.

3 lb tube of 85/15 Jenni-O ground turkey

Con Yeagers Quick Cure Salt

3/4 cup of water

Dissolve cure salt in water.

Poured over meat in my Kitchen Aid Mixer with Paddle attachment

Mixed on low for a couple minutes.

Lined a mini sheet pan with plastic wrap.

POURED the almost emulsified blob into the pan.

Wrapped up with plastic wrap and into the fridge overnight (turned into 2 days)

The loaf was too soft to put onto smoker racks so I had to put it onto a pizza pan that fits into my smoker.

Smoked over apple like Summer sausage.  A FEW HOURS AT 110°, then raising the temp about 10° every hour.  Stopping at 180° until internal temp reached 165°.

It is a little dry, crumbly.  I need to slice about 3/8" thick to get it to stay as a slice.  I think I can use it up in scrambled eggs for jambalaya so it won't go to waste.

The Turkey was ground super fine.  I didn't think this would be a problem because store bought seems to be emulsified like a hot dog.  Maybe it was a problem.

I used the water at 1/4 cup per lb to 1) dissolve and distribute cure more evenly, 2) to help prevent shrinkage.  I think this may have been a mistake and loosened the mix up too much.  Will try next batch without it.

A guess is that it didn't have enough fat in it.  I may try mixing in some ground pork to up both the fat content and the flavor a little.

I guess I should go read up on Bear's beef loafs before I continue my journey