How to Cure Canadian Bacon

Canadian bacon is cured using salt, sugar and pickling spices.

Canadian bacon is made from pork loin. It is different from American bacon only in that the meat of American bacon is cut from the pork belly. Because Canadian bacon comes from the loin, it is leaner than American bacon, but the processes for making both are the same. Curing, which means preserving, can be done to most meats either by drying, smoking or salting. Canadian bacon is cured by salting.

Things You'll Need

• 2 lbs. pork loin
• 2 Bay leaves
• ½ cup salt
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tsp. peppercorns
• ½ tsp. allspice
• 3 peeled garlic cloves
• Scissors
• Large container with lid
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Wash the pork loin in cold water. Trim the fat using scissors. Dry the pork loin completely, using a paper towel. Place the pork loin in a large container.

2. Pour enough water into the container to completely cover the pork loin. Add salt, sugar, peppercorns and allspice.

3. Stir the mixture. Turn the pork loin over so that the brine covers all sides. Put the garlic cloves and the bay leaves in the brine and cover.

4. Refrigerate the brined pork loin for at least five days. Every other day, turn the pork loin over so that the entire cut of meat is cured.

5. Remove the brined pork loin from the brine. Rinse off in cold water and pat dry. Your Canadian bacon is now ready to be cooked.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also add the following spices: thyme, juniper seed, mustard seed, dill, clove or mace.

• Only use cuts of meat that have not been frozen. Defrosted meat does not absorb brine well.

References

• The Splendid Table: Brine Cured Pork
• Schmidling Productions: Making Ham at Home

Resources

• The University of Georgia: Smoking and Curing