O Canadian bacon or Canadian bacon it is previously cured with a salt, curing salt, herbs, sugar and liquid smoke or smoke from burning wood, then it is roasted or slowly smoked until the interior reaches food safety temperature. The curing salt adds a layer of cured flavor that, for me, is essential in this type of product. The liquid smoke or smoking adds a second layer of flavor and the herbs, pepper and garlic a third layer that combined make this product unique and very tasty. The loin is usually dry, but with this preparation technique the meat will be juicy and tender.
The term "Canadian bacon” or “Canadian bacon” is only used in the United States, in Canada bacon made with the loin is called “back bacon“, and, in addition to Canada and the United States, Canadian bacon or “back bacon” is also widely consumed in Ireland and England. In Brazil it was called Canadian bacon or Canadian tenderloin, but it is the same product that was introduced on the national market. O bacon is traditionally made with pork belly, but the definition of bacon refers to the process and not the cutting of meat, so it is possible to make bacon with any pork cut.
O Canadian bacon It's a great option for those who want the flavor of bacon but don't want to eat the excessive fat of the traditional cut, which is pork belly. It is an excellent option to accompany salads, farofas and use as an ingredient or complement in the preparation of other dishes.
Canadian sirloin ingredients
- Pork loin – 1.6kg;
- Salt – 3% – 48g;
- Brown Sugar – 2% – 32g;
- Ground white pepper – 6g;
- Crushed garlic – 3 cloves;
- Bay leaves – 2 units;
- Curing salt 1 (6.25% of nitrite and 93.75% of salt) – 0.24% – 3.8g;
- Antioxidant (with sodium erythorbate) – 0.24% – 3.8g;
- Liquid smoke – 2 tablespoons.
Liquid smoke should only be used if you are not going to smoke the bacon. You can replace it with powdered smoke.
It is recommended to use the antioxidant/fixer together with the curing salt as they are complementary ingredients. The curing salt will help with the red color, cured flavor and protect against contamination and rancidity. The fixative/antioxidant enhances the effect.
Doubts? Read too Curing salt what it is and how much to use It is Additives for sausages.
Canadian sirloin preparation
Do not remove the fat from the loin, give preference to cuts that come with a good layer of fat as this will help maintain moisture when roasting or smoking. Place the pork loin in a plastic pot with a lid and mix all the ingredients throughout the meat, spreading it well so that the distribution is perfect. Cover the pot tightly and place it in the refrigerator. Turn daily so that all ingredients are evenly distributed during curing. Do this for 5 days, that is, leave it to cure in the refrigerator for at least 5 days.
After 5 days, remove from the refrigerator, drain the broth well and place the meat in a roasting pan, preferably with a grill at the bottom. Bake in a gas, electric oven, smoker or barbecue adapted for smoking at a temperature of 90ºC for 3 hours or until the inside of the meat reaches a safe temperature of 65ºC.
English 
Português do Brasil
Hello. Congratulations on the work. Questions: 1: Does sugar have a role in curing or preserving or is it just for flavor? 2: Can I use powdered smoke replacing part of the salt percentage? (The weight called for 60 grams of salt. I used 20 grams of smoke and 40 grams of salt) – My smoke is very salty.
Hi, Erico.
1) In this recipe, the sugar is just for the flavor. It is only in fermented products, such as some salamis, that the sugar has the function of providing food for the action of the bacteria in the starter culture.
2) Yes, you can replace part of the salt with smoke powder, which generally contains a lot of salt.
Hello . Considering that bacon with pork belly usually contains 2% of salt, is there any reason to adopt 3% in this recipe?
Using only salt and seasonings, what are the possible negative points or points to watch out for?
Thanks.
Hello, the recipes on the website generally have less salt than this, but this one was taken from a book, so I preferred to follow the recipe exactly. You can do it with 2% and it will also work. Without the curing salt and antioxidant, it may have a different color, lighter, without the typical reddish color.
Good morning. I would like to know if the healing time can be longer than 5 days.
For example 9 or 10 days.
Thanks.
Yes, you can, no problem.
I smoked the loin in the pitsmoker with Jaboticaba wood, it was wonderful.
Replacing liquid smoke with powdered smoke remains the same measure. I'm going to make 1.4g of loin.
Thanks
Powdered smoke usually comes with the suggested usage ratio. The ideal is to follow the recommendation as each type of product has a concentration.
Hello, how can I store it after it is ready? What is the validity? Thanks
Ideal to store under vacuum in the refrigerator. This way it will last 45 days or more. Once opened, consume within 15 days.
Good afternoon,
Eduardo I made my first Canadian sirloin last weekend, it was amazing, I followed the recipe and the biggest difficulty was keeping the gas oven at 90° with the door ajar… but I ended up doing it and it was divine! Thank you very much for the recipe and the process!!!
Hi João, I'm glad you liked the result. Actually keeping the gas oven at a stable temperature is a little complicated. A big hug!
Goodnight!
I'm going to do it in a gas oven, I saw that you put aluminum foil on the bottom, how do you prepare the stove?!
Hi Percy, the aluminum has no role in this recipe, it's just there to catch any drips that might fall and burn on the tray.
Good morning, any tips on how to adhere the spice crust to the finished product?
Hi Rodrigo, you can try how it was done in this recipe: https://charcutaria.org/receitas/salame-cotto-com-crosta/
Goodnight! Is it possible for me not to roast the Canadian sirloin and leave it to cure in the cellar for 2 months?
Hi Ana. I've never seen a product made this way, generally it cures/matures without going through the cooking process. I believe that when roasting, the protein loses some properties necessary for the process of losing water and gaining complex flavors and aromas. But I'll research this, if I find something, I'll add the answer.
Good morning, I have studied a lot on the subject and I was very interested in the loin and pancetta, I think the loin in the short cure and the pancetta in the long cure will be my first two attempts, I would like to know if there is a WhatsApp group on the subject to answer quick questions with those who are already used to the process, if it exists and you can add me, thank you (32) 988794532 Guilherme
Hi Guilherme, we don't participate in WhatsApp groups, but you can contact us and we'll try to help with any questions you may have. 49 98802-439
Good evening, if you can provide the number again, I tried to save it here and it didn't exist. Grateful!
Congratulations, wonderful recipe. I want to take advantage of this step by step, using the same seasonings and preparing a palette. However, the question remains about the cooking time. Would it be possible to give a tip on how to calculate it?
Hi Reinaldo. It will look excellent with the palette! The best way to set the exact time is to use a thermometer with a “skewer” probe to measure the internal temperature of the meat. When it reaches 72ºC it will be ready. The pieces vary greatly in thickness, especially the palette, which has very different dimensions depending on the type and age of the animal that was slaughtered. The temperature/stove can also vary a lot depending on the equipment. So it's difficult to specify, the best thing is to measure.
Good afternoon
I'm curing a loin, I got a recipe that doesn't go in the oven, it just cures in the fridge. I bought a salt that is 95% salt 5% nitrite, it says curing salt 2. Is it correct to use this salt to make this product.?? Thank you very much.
Gloria, this curing salt is number 1 and not number 2. How long will this tenderloin be curing in the refrigerator? For products that spend more than 15 days curing, the ideal is to use curing salt 2. You can even use this curing salt, but it is not ideal.
Can I smoke on the barbecue instead of roasting in the oven?
Yes you can, it will be very good. In this case, do not use liquid or powdered smoke.
I made it and it worked really well, I used a char broil... I didn't use liquid smoke but I made a lunchbox with jabuticabeira chips, it was very good... I just don't think it was as pink as yours (photo)... I want to try it with salmon, trout and so on. chicken fillet... but I'm having difficulty finding articles with information about time and temperature... could you tell me?
Hi Gouveia. I'm glad you got a good product. Fish are more delicate so they need less heat. The chicken can follow the same pattern as the loin. There is a free Embrapa manual on smoked foods, with smoker assembly and some recipes. Download at https://charcutaria.org/categoria-produto/manuais/
Good evening, I added 3% of curing salt, what should I do?
Hi Paulo. What is the composition of curing salt? I believe it is best to discard the product due to the excess sodium nitrite added.
good morning, and 95% of salt and 5% of sodium nitrite
With 3%, add 30g of curing salt per kg of meat. The curing salt has 5% of sodium nitrite, so add 1.5g of sodium nitrite per kg of meat. It is very dangerous to consume more than 1g of sodium nitrite. There is conversion and the curing salt will be distributed throughout the product but in any case it is better to discard it than take an unnecessary risk.
thanks for the guidance,
another question with this same loin possessed can I apply it to make pastrami
Maybe yes. Pastrami is generally smoked, but you can make it with liquid or powdered smoke and follow this process with the loin.
Instead of the loin piece, can I use a piece of the loin top???…The process is the same as for the Canadian loin…???… I like it better because it has the “fat” in the middle of the meat. Thanks. Armando Leopoldo
Hi Armando, yes you can, I believe it is even better because it is a piece with more fat! The process is the same.
Good morning Eduardo
If I'm going to smoke it after 5 days of curing, do I need to add 2 tablespoons of liquid smoke at the beginning of the process (before going to the fridge) along with the seasonings?
Rodolfo, if you are going to smoke there is no need for liquid smoke (or powder).
friend this emulsifier r\s 250 works in place of this antioxidant
Hi Wagner, the emulsifier generally only helps with water retention. The antioxidant has another function, which is to enhance the action of the curing salt and prevent the fat from going rancid. Hugs!
If you don't use the fixative oxidant on the loin, what happens? Would it be good too?
The antioxidant is a healing aid, enhancing its effect and reducing the residual additive that may exist in the final product. It also prevents fat from going rancid. It is an optional product, you can do without it. I use it frequently because it is an ingredient that only brings benefits.
I would like to know how long it takes in a smoker.
Hi Evian, it depends on the thickness of the meat and the temperature of the smoker. The ideal is to use a thermometer with a skewer to measure the internal temperature of the meat. When it reaches 72ºC the product will be ready for consumption.
Good evening, after preparation, is the loin ready to eat, in salads and sandwiches? Or does it need to go through some cooking process?
Hi Mateus. After preparation, it will be ready for consumption. You can add a little oil to the pan if you want to caramelize it, but it's not necessary.
Hello good evening, I would like to know where and how to buy smoked products such as salt, tripe etc. Thank you
Hi Sidney, You can buy here.
Good afternoon everyone, I've already made five pieces of Canadian sirloin, the family loves this sirloin recipe, but one question I didn't see in the comments, what kind of sauce can accompany the sirloin to eat as a snack? If you have any recipes, please post them, I would be grateful!
Hi Edson, I'm glad you're approving!! We don't have a sauce recipe but I believe it would be good with mustard-based and sweet sauces, perhaps pepper jelly. Hugs!
Good morning, about the Canadian sirloin, after it cools, I vacuum-packed it, can you tell me how long it lasts in the refrigerator?
thanks
Hi Marcos, it really depends on the recipe, amount of salt, use of additives and the process. Using curing salt, an antioxidant, a reasonable amount of salt, close to 2% and packaging it still hot right after preparation, I believe it will last well refrigerated for 60 days. Once opened from the vacuum, it is best to consume within a week, two at the most. Hot smoking will also help with protection and, consequently, longer shelf life. But these are just estimates, to be sure you can only go through laboratory analysis. Hugs!