Homemade Canadian Bacon

Rating: 5.00
(1)
By Dave
July 11, 2022
Yum

There is a big difference between thick cut Canadian bacon that you make from scratch and anything that you can find in your local market. This is absolutely worth the effort.

Canadian bacon is made from a brine and smoked pork loin and is very lean, unlike tradition bacon which is made from pork belly. Homemade Canadian bacon is a huge step up from anything you can find in grocery store, The best part is that a 2 1/2 pound pork loin yields a LOT of Canadian bacon. Invite your friend over for breakfast.

Selecting a Pork Loin

This recipe calls for a 2 1/2 to 3 pound center cut pork loin. The smallest pork loin that I could find was more than 5 pounds. I cut it down the middle, used one half for Canadian bacon and the other half for a butterflied pork loin roast.

Brining the Pork Loin

Brining is an important step because it actually creates a finished product that that has more liquid than before it was brined. Take a look at my YouTube video on brined pork chops for more on that subject. In a large stockpot, toast the fennel seeds and black peppercorns for 2 minutes until aromatic, stirring constantly. Add the water, salt, sugar, curing salt, thyme, garlic and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the salt and sugar dissolve, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.

Once cool, add the brine and the pork loin to a dough tub with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for 4 days. Turn the pork loin over once each day.

Smoking the Pork Loin

After 4 days, remove the pork loin from the tub and discard the brine. Rinse the pork loin under cool running water and pat it dry. Let the pork loin rest and come up in temperature for 30 minutes. In the meantime, setup your smoker for indirect heat at 225F. Smoke the pork loin until the internal temperature reaches 160˚F, about 2.5 hours.

Remove the pork loin from the smoker and place it on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and allow it to cool to room temperature. Wrap the pork loin in 2 layers of plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. Slice the pork loin thin across the grain, preferably with a meat slicer. Pan fry until heated through and serve.

Some Other Great Dishes that Came Out of the Smoker

Watch How to Make Homemade Canadian Bacon on YouTube

Homemade Canadian Bacon

Homemade Canadian Bacon From a Smoked Pork Loin

5 from 1 vote
There is a big difference between thick cut Canadian bacon that you made from scratch and anything that you can find in your local market. This is absolutely worth the effort.
This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe by Steven Raichlen in his book Project Smoke. I modified his recipe a bit for my own preferences, but the basic recipe is from Steven. Thanks Steven!
Servings 18 servings
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs 30 mins
Brine time 4 d
Total Time 4 d 2 hrs 50 mins

Equipment

  • 1 Smoker

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1.5 tsp black peppercorns whole
  • 3 quarts water
  • 3/4 cup kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp pink curing salt Prague powder or Insta Cure #1
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 clove garlic peeled and smashed
  • 1 each bay leaf
  • 2.5 lbs center cut pork loin

Instructions
 

  • In a large stockpot, toast the fennel seeds and black peppercorns for 2 minutes until aromatic, stirring constantly. Add the water, salt, sugar, curing salt, thyme, garlic and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the salt and sugar dissolve, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.
    Make the Brine for the Canadian Bacon
  • Place the pork loin in a plastic dough tub with a tight fitting lid. Add the brine to the tub, cover with the lid and refrigerate for 4 days. Turn the pork loin over once each day.
    Pork Loin in the Brine
  • Remove the pork loin from the tub and discard the brine. Rinse the pork loin under cool running water and pat it dry. Let the pork loin rest and come up in temperature for 30 minutes. Setup your smoker for indirect heat at 225F. Smoke the pork loin until the internal temperature reaches 160˚F (about 2.5 hours).
    Brined Pork Loin in the Smoker
  • Place the smoked pork loin on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and allow it to cool to room temperature. Wrap the pork loin in 2 layers of plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. Slice the pork loin thin across the grain, preferably with a meat slicer. Pan fry until heated through and serve.
    Juicy Brined and Smoked Canadian Bacon

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 85kcalCarbohydrates: 0.5gProtein: 14gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 52mgPotassium: 245mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 0.03gVitamin A: 11IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 0.5mg
Calories: 85kcal
Cost: $14
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: applewood smoked bacon, Canadian bacon

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