Need help! First timer with cured canadian bacon.

[chaostheory]

Hey everyone,
I am a rookie when it comes to curing and smoking meet. I have done a lot of reading and finally decided to take the plunge. I have done 10 lb slabs of bacon 7 day cure TQ curing salt 1 TBS per LB. However I'v always did a hot smoke. 150 degrees until internal temp hits 130 then crank it up to 200 until the IT hits 150 degrees. Its been very good! So I thought Id try my hand at Canadian Bacon and I would do a cold smoke.85 degrees. I got a pork tenderloin 10.33 lbs made up the curing rub and put in a bag and put it in the fridge for 8 days. Im doing more reading as it cures and Cowgirl suggested not to use tenderloin and just use a pork loin. Why is that? Or is that just personal preference. I just don't know..... Do you guys think 8 days is enough for that big of a pork tenderloin? I now have it on the cold smoker for 18 hours now. I just cut a piece off and tasted it. It was very good. However Im not as confident now that its time to cut it up and eat. I just don't want to get anyone sick including my wife a daughter. Is there anyway that you can tell if you have correctly cured your meat and smoked it long enough? There was a great article I remember reading on cured and smoked meats and it was very educational. I can't find it for reference anymore so if someone knows the link could you post it for me. Thanks for you help Guys and Gals!

[BluDawg]

I use Pork Loin not tenderloin, two separate cuts from opposite sides of the spine. Tender loin is essentially the back strap, the loin is under the Back ribs.
I always do a Wet cure on Canadian bacon 4-5 days does the trick. I soak it for an hour in fresh water whit a change every 20 min. Then a day uncovered in the fridge, followed by hot smoking at 200 -225 to an IT of 140.

[chaostheory]

Ok here is the steps I took to get where I'm at. 10.33# pork tenderloin cured in 1TBS per pound of Morton's curing salt, 1 TBS of sugar per #, pepper, onion, garlic, and maple syrup. I put it in a freezer bag and put in fridge for 8 days flipping everyday. Then I took it out of the fridge and let it dry for about an hour. Cold smoked it in my UDS for 20 hours under 100 degrees mostly around 85-95 with hickory. What I need to know is are we safe to eat. Did it cure long enough, did it smoke long enough. This is my first cold smoke so I just a little unsure. What do you guys think? ANY suggestions on the safety would help out greatly!! I have sampled two slices 2 hours ago and I'm not sick yet......lol Oh not sure about this step either. after the 8 days of cure I just washed the tenderloin really good with cold water. I did not "soak it" changing the water. Should you soak it rather then just wash it? If so, why? Once again thanks for all the input.

[chaostheory]

Dawg, my next one will be a pork loin. I thought everyone used the tenderloin for CB.

[egghead]

If it's a single piece or even two pieces, at 10.33 lbs it sure sounds like you have a loin instead of tenderloin unless you have several tenderloins or it's a tenderloin from hogzilla. If it's no more than 2-1/2" in diameter, it's tenderloin. If it's closer to 3-1/2 to 4", it's loin.

I use a dry cure, soak for a few hours, then slow smoke until internal temp is 140.

I'm not familiar with cold smoking but if you are concerned, take it to 140 minimum and all the bad guys are history.

[egghead]

We were posting simultaneously at the same time

Sure looks pretty.

Nice lookin bacon Dawg

Been a while since I made some. Last batch:

[BluDawg]

JM2C 20 hrs at 90 deg it should be a Science project feed it to folks you don't like much or play taps over it that is to long in the danger zone.

That looks good EH

[chaostheory]

Dawg, if it's been cured correctly there should be no issue right? I have read many posts and blogs of folks including cowgirl who have smoked for days at a time at 90 degrees. Maybe cowgirl or papa Tom or jmcrig or anyone who does this regularly can chim in.

[chaostheory]

Here is a pic of the middle cut.

[Papa Tom]

You should be good CT but understand the meat is still uncooked, cook before consuming and keep refrigerated.

[chaostheory]

Papa TOM is there anything that I could do differently or better? will do.

[jmcrig]

First off, Egghead hit one nail on the head. What you have is a pork loin. I have been doing a dry cure on mine, 5-7 days in a vacuum sealed bag in the refrigerator to cure. I check my curing by fell, how it firms up. Also, after it has cured, if you cut it open and see that the nice reddish color has not permeated all the through the meat, it's not finished curing. Did that once in the beginning and had a dime sized spot in the center of the loin that was a different color. All of that being said, I'm revisiting my Canadian Bacon process, and am going to the wet brine with a 12% pump.

[jmcrig]

Here is a pic of the middle cut.

It's hard to tell from a picture, but it appears the loin is cured, but I can't tell for sure that it's completely cured. Possibly the rub you used has caused a deeper coloring than the rest of the loin. And the bottom line to it, if it isn't completely cured, just made sure it is cooked at a temperature of more than 180 degrees to an internal temperature of 154 degrees. That's the official response. Before you eat it, fry it, put it on an English muffin, put an egg on that, and send it swimming in Hollandaise sauce. Enjoy.

[chaostheory]

How does mine look. This is after smoking 20 hours.

[Papa Tom]

CT to me yours looks like there was a fair amount of drying going on as you were smoking it.
This is OK but will hamper the the preservation of the meat as the darker dry outside of the meat will hold (seal) moisture to the inside that can accelerate spoilage. This isn't a big deal unless you intended to keep it a long time. Just cook, eat and enjoy. That's a big guy it's going to require a lot of hollandaise sauce......