Canadian Bacon or Back Bacon

Our local Supermercado Coopeatenas has just started to carry Hormel Canadian Bacon. It has been reported to be selling for around $15 USD per pound, or ¢16,500 CRC per kilo. Now we love Canadian Bacon and we haven’t had it in years, but $15 per pound it just a little beyond our normal budget.

This got me thinking, that if we could brine a ham, we should be able to cure bacon. How hard can it be? I started searching the internet and found a couple of similar recipes that would work with the ingredients in my pantry.

So here you have it… A lean pork tenderloin is soaked in a salty sweet maple cure then smoked, sliced, and pan fried. The end result is better than we imagined and so much better than imported store bought. We will be making this frequently.

Ingredients:
1 gallon water, divided into 1 quart & 3 quarts
1 cup kosher or Himalayan pink salt, coarse grind
1 cup maple syrup (imitation maple will also work)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons pink curing salt (aka InstaCure or Prague Powder. This is called "Sal de Cura" in Costa Rica and I have found it at the Alajuela Central Market at vendor booth #34)
4 bay leaves
4 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon of peppercorns
1 boneless pork tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat (about 4 to 5 pounds)
1 to 2 large chunks of light smoking wood, such as lemon or coffee wood

Directions:
Make the brine by combining 1 quart of water, salt, maple syrup, brown sugar, pink salt, bay leaves, garlic, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve all the salt and sugar. Boil for about a minute.

Pour 3 quarts of very cold water into a large container (I use an inverted plastic cake safe). Add the brine mixture and when it is completely chilled, submerge the pork into the cure. If the meat tries to float, place a heavy weight on top of it to keep it in the brining solution. Place the container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Turn the pork over every day to make sure it cures evenly.

Remove the pork from the cure and dispose of the brining solution. Fill the container with fresh cold water and submerge the pork again for a minimum of 30 minutes. Remove pork from the water and pat it dry with paper towels.

Heat your smoker or grill to about 225°F and when it's at temperature, add the wood chunks for smoke. When the wood starts smoking, you ready to add the pork. It is best to use indirect heat for this process. When the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat reaches 140-145°F, it’s done. This should take about 2 or 3 hours.

Let the bacon rest for about 30 minutes before slicing. Pan fry and enjoy!

We had Eggs Benedict for breakfast this morning. What a treat!!