Let's Talk BBQ
Cured Meats & Food Preservation => Cured meats & Food Preservation => Charcuterie: Ham, Bacon, Sausage, etc. => Topic started by: TentHunteR on March 29, 2012, 04:52:49 PM
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Loin ham (AKA Canadian Bacon) for slicing.
Sam's had, fresh - all natural - boneless pork loins for $2.28/lb. This was a 7.6 pounder.
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Most of the fat trimmed off & cut into three sections.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AWfS01kJuVc/UnsMYpPs5SI/AAAAAAAAFj8/Omb4twolb5U/s500/LH02.JPG)
Brown sugar brine-cure.
1.5 gallons filtered Water
1 1/4 cup Pickling/Canning Salt
2 cups Brown Sugar
6 tsp. Cure #1 (6.25% Sodium Nitrite)
► Inject at a 30% rate (that equals: inject 4.8 liquid oz per each lb of meat)
To avoid boiling, use distilled or purified water and just mix vigorously in a tall stock pot for a couple minutes until all is dissolved (no waiting for it to cool).
Remember: if you do boil - DO NOT add the Nitrite Cure until AFTER the brine has cooled!
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UlVYB5_eytk/UnsMY7qzkKI/AAAAAAAAFj0/t-SAlg_Unig/s800/LH03.JPG)
I love Maple ham, but the wife doesn't, so two sections were injected with the brown sugar brine. The third section also had 2 TBS. of Ohio Maple syrup mixed in the injection.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-UfrE82VPG-Y/UnsMZLukLcI/AAAAAAAAFkk/baBtcP5eioY/s800/LH04.JPG)
The remaining brine was poured into the container and it went into the fridge for 5-6 days (flipped/rotated once per day).
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Ny9QnM72IRg/UnsMZAMi1nI/AAAAAAAAFkM/1OMq2rPQ4ro/s400/LH05.JPG)
Catching some Apple & Hickory smoke on the MAK smoke mode (170°) until an Internal temp of 120° then the pit temp was bumped to 225 until the hams reached an I.T. of 150°
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4unWMey723o/UnsMZc1--RI/AAAAAAAAFkE/llpFEz5UZHk/s500/LH06.JPG)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1MI3DLhNY6Q/UnsMZzGkhGI/AAAAAAAAFkY/E4TOmEZQZ-s/s512/LH07.JPG)
Vac-pack & put in the fridge to rest for 48 hours to let the smoke permeate.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oAqeYVKYVzI/UnsMaXYEAVI/AAAAAAAAFlA/PEwiQANolnc/s500/LH09.JPG)
After the 2-day rest - ready for slicing.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fHNpeMDCaZA/UnsMaRyg5bI/AAAAAAAAFks/k2keEdDeFfg/s500/LH10.JPG)
We ended up with roughly 7 1/2 pounds of sliced ham, most of which got vac-packed & tossed in the freezer to pull out as needed.
The Best Part - The Final Cost:
Whole Boneless Pork Loin (7.6 lbs) - $17.33
Salt/Sugar/Cure - approx. $2.00
Approx. 5 lb. Pellets - $5.00
Total cost - $24.33
That works out to a meager $3.20/lb. Well worth the time & effort considering I'd spend twice that amount or more at the Deli for ham this good!
This was so worth doing!