Traditional homemade Canadian bacon smoked with mild wood

Ingredients

• 1 kg boneless pork loin chops
• 1.5 l mineral water
• 60 g unrefined coarse gray sea salt
• 4 g curing salt (Prague powder #1)
• 4 tbsp pure Canadian amber maple syrup
• 30 g light brown cane sugar
• 4 cloves purple garlic cloves
• 1 piece yellow onion
• 1 tbsp whole Kampot black peppercorns
• 3 leaves dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp whole juniper berries

Method

1. Lightly crush the purple garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and cut the yellow onion into even wedges.
2. In a large pot, combine the mineral water, unrefined coarse gray sea salt, curing salt (Prague powder #1), pure amber maple syrup, light brown cane sugar, yellow onion, purple garlic cloves, whole black peppercorns, dried bay leaves, and whole juniper berries.
3. Heat over medium heat until it just begins to simmer, then stir gently for 3 minutes to completely dissolve the sugars and salts. Turn off the heat as soon as the liquid turns completely clear.
4. Let the brine cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate until it drops below 4 °C (40 °F).
5. Place the pork loin chops in a deep glass container or a leakproof bag, then pour the chilled aromatic brine over them so they are fully submerged.
6. Seal the container and cure in the refrigerator for 4 full days. Turn the meat once a day to ensure the brine penetrates evenly throughout.
7. Remove the pork loin from the brine, discard the liquid, and rinse the meat thoroughly under cold running water to remove excess surface salt. Pat dry meticulously with paper towels.
8. Set the pork loin on a wire rack over a baking sheet and return it to the refrigerator, uncovered, for 12 to 24 hours to form a thin, tacky surface pellicle.
9. Set up your smoker or grill for indirect low-and-slow cooking, stabilizing the temperature at 105 °C (225 °F).
10. Place the pork loin on the grate, insert a meat probe into the thickest part, and cook covered for about 150 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 65 °C (149 °F).
11. Remove the smoked loin, let it cool slightly on a cutting board, then wrap it tightly and refrigerate for 12 hours to set the juices and firm up the texture.
12. Slice the well-chilled meat into clean rounds, then sear the slices in a hot skillet for 2 to 3 minutes per side until lightly browned.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

427.2 kcal

Protein

36.5 g

Carbohydrate

7.53 g

Fat

28.13 g

Fibre

0.87 g

Calcium

94.76 mg

Iron

0.57 mg

Magnesium

32.19 mg