Author Topic: Maple Loins and Irish Bacon  (Read 5186 times)

Pork Belly

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Maple Loins and Irish Bacon
« on: October 02, 2014, 01:52:50 PM »
You will need:

Sections of Pork Loin, the more fat cap the better the finished product.

Basic Dry Cure
1Pound or 450 grams Kosher Salt
8 oz. or 225 Grams Sugar
2 oz. or 50 grams or 10 teaspoons Pink Salt Curing Salt #2

Brown Sugar
Maple Syrup
Pickling Spice
Juniper Berries

Pour about one cup of the Dry Cure into a shallow baking dish. Roll the sections of loin in the dry cure until fully coated. Add more cure if necessary to ensure even coverage.

Place each section of loin into individual zip top bags.

For Maple Loins: Add 1/4 cup brown sugar & 1/4 cup maple syrup to each bag.

For Irish bacon: Add six juniper berries crushed and 1&1/2 Tablespoons Pickling spice to each bag.

Rub the bags with the meat in them to insure even coverage.

Cure in the fridge for seven days flipping each day. Moisture will be released from the meat, less from the Irish Bacon compared to the others. After seven days rinse with cool water and pat dry. Return loin section to the fridge on a rack uncovered for 12 to 24 hours.

Remove the maple loins from the fridge and smoke with your favorite wood at 200 to an IT of 150. Serve cold sliced thin with the Hot Stuff Mustard I posted in the sauce section, or slice a thick and brown like Canadian Bacon.

Irish bacon remains in the fridge uncovered on a rack for one week. You will have to work a bit to get the herbs off but if little bits stick it's OK. Slice it like thick cut bacon and cook on medium high heat until done not crisp. Yea I know it's not smoked....
It is pretty good and something I make a few times a year. It is a good breakfast meat for my diabetic wife as it is pretty lean and has no added sugar. You can change the herbs or spices to suit your personal tastes. I will post some more pics after I smoke tomorrow. The Irish bacon is the loin on the left in the post-rinse pictures. I cheated and cooked a taste of the IB without waiting a week it's pretty good. 
« Last Edit: November 24, 2014, 02:15:54 AM by Pork Belly »
Brian - Michigan-NRA Life Member
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DivotMaker

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Re: Maple Loins and Irish Bacon
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2014, 08:20:32 PM »
Wow!  Both of those sound fantastic!  Sure wish I could find loins with fat caps like the one in your pics!  Might have to go to the butcher...  The loins I buy from Sam's are trimmed. 
Tony from NW Arkansas
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Pork Belly

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Re: Maple Loins and Irish Bacon
« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2014, 10:42:28 PM »
Thanks those three chunks off are the last years hog. I am picking up 1.5 hogs tomorrow and another on Tuesday. I'm on a mission to purge the freezer or leftover meat from last season.
Brian - Michigan-NRA Life Member
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity."
- Sigmund Freud

DivotMaker

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Re: Maple Loins and Irish Bacon
« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2014, 10:57:09 PM »
Good way to do it, Brian! ;D
Tony from NW Arkansas
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Pork Belly

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Re: Maple Loins and Irish Bacon
« Reply #4 on: October 08, 2014, 03:21:03 PM »
Not the greatest pictures but here they are. The mpale loins turned out great. Good flavor of sweet and smoke. Cut thick and seared in a hot pan or eaten cold either way it is  tasty stuff.
« Last Edit: October 22, 2014, 02:51:35 AM by Pork Belly »
Brian - Michigan-NRA Life Member
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity."
- Sigmund Freud

DivotMaker

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Re: Maple Loins and Irish Bacon
« Reply #5 on: October 08, 2014, 08:18:32 PM »
Wow... that looks fantastic!
Tony from NW Arkansas
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Pork Belly

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Re: Maple Loins and Irish Bacon
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2014, 09:59:43 AM »
Thanks Tony.
Brian - Michigan-NRA Life Member
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity."
- Sigmund Freud

BedouinBob

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Re: Maple Loins and Irish Bacon
« Reply #7 on: October 09, 2014, 04:51:24 PM »
Nice job Brian! Makes me hungry! I am with Tony though and think it might be a challenge to get untrimmed loins. I will have to check with my meat guy! Thanks for the fine pics!
Bob - Colorado Springs
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DivotMaker

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Re: Maple Loins and Irish Bacon
« Reply #8 on: October 09, 2014, 08:23:10 PM »
Man, those fried pictures just made me drool on my keyboard!! :P
Tony from NW Arkansas
"Official Smokin-It Test Pilot"
Smokin-It Model 1, 2D conversion, and 3D
Auber PID, NexGrill 896 6-burner, CharBroil Big Easy, Anova Precision Cooker w/WiFi
Wife, Son and One REALLY Big Dog!