Dry vs Wet Brine?

  • Denny O
    Central IOWA
    Posts: 5821
    #1898200

    What are the pros and cons to dry brine versus wet brine especially for pork loin turned into Canadian bacon?
    Do the pros and cons change for other meats iyo?

    SuperDave1959
    Harrisville, UT
    Posts: 2816
    #1898210

    I consider brine and cure as different processes. I generally prefer wet cure for Canadian bacon. I believe that dry curing pulls more moisture out of the meat than wet curing. Have you ever done Canadian bacon before?

    Denny O
    Central IOWA
    Posts: 5821
    #1898276

    Yes Dave, you are absolutely correct, and I do agree.

    I miss spoke. I am refering to how to cure a pork loin to make Canadian bacon. The refferance is to which of the two styles of a brine I should use to do the cure, dry or wet.

    Which is your ( in the collective sence) preference?

    Tom Sawvell
    Inactive
    Posts: 9559
    #1898303

    I do Canadian bacon every once in a while. I inject the cure once as well as soak the meat in it for two days, then wrap the loin tightly in several layers cheese cloth to help hold its shape. Commercially Canadian bacon is put in forms to smoke. I always smoked to a moderate level, then stopped the smoke and brought the temperature up to 160 degrees. At 160 I pulled the meat and hung it to cool completely and to allow any excess brine to drip off. Done right the meat is fully cooked and has a nice moisture content, its not dry when cut. The cheese cloth keeps the acrid part of the smoke off the meat while allowing the smoke to penetrate the meat nicely.

    steve k
    buffalo co. wi.
    Posts: 219
    #1898306

    I do Canadian bacon every once in a while. I inject the cure once as well as soak the meat in it for two days, then wrap the loin tightly in several layers cheese cloth to help hold its shape. Commercially Canadian bacon is put in forms to smoke. I always smoked to a moderate level, then stopped the smoke and brought the temperature up to 160 degrees. At 160 I pulled the meat and hung it to cool completely and to allow any excess brine to drip off. Done right the meat is fully cooked and has a nice moisture content, its not dry when cut. The cheese cloth keeps the acrid part of the smoke off the meat while allowing the smoke to penetrate the meat nicely.

    this is exactly the way I do mine several times a year,
    I slice 1/4″ thick for frying for breakfast or thinner for sandwiches
    good stuff toast

    gunsmith89
    eyota, mn
    Posts: 599
    #1898310

    I have always had better luck with a wet brine but others may have different opinions. With that said I have never done a canadian bacon but think my maple I used for bacon and cottage bacon has the right flavor.

    If you dont have a recipe the LEM maple cure and I usually add about a 1/2 cup of homeade maple syrup and a 1/2 cup of brown sugar.

    I just got done with a batch saturday.

    Attachments:
    1. bacon.jpg

    2. acon1.jpg

    Scott Gergen
    Hastings, MN
    Posts: 123
    #1898320

    I prefer the dry brine for making canadian bacon out of a pork loin. I aggressively trim the fat from the exterior of the pork loin, cut the loin into sections that will fit in a gallon ziplock, apply the dry rub/brine to each section of pork loin, cure the pork loin sections in the fridge for 10 days (minimum). Each day, the ziplock bags are flipped as the pork loin sections will create their own “liquid” as they brine. On about day 7 or 8, the liquid starts being absorbed back into the pork loin sections. By day 10, the loin is cured and the liquid (save for about a tablespoon) is fully absorbed back into the pork loin sections.

    The pork loin sections go onto the smoker at 170F for 5-6 hours, then into the sous vide to get them to a finish temp of 160F internal. I let them cool and rest for 2 days in the fridge, then slice and vacuum seal. Turns out delicious!

    Good luck –

    Scott

    SuperDave1959
    Harrisville, UT
    Posts: 2816
    #1898482

    My step by step with the wet cure method:

    Attachments:
    1. CB1.jpg

    2. CB2.jpg

    3. CB4.jpg

    4. CB3.jpg

    5. CB5.jpg

    6. CB7.jpg

    7. CB6.jpg

    SuperDave1959
    Harrisville, UT
    Posts: 2816
    #1898492

    If Scott is correct about the dry cure taking 10 day, a wet cure can be done in approximately 1/2 that amount of time. The liquid cure penetrates about a 1/4″ per day or 1/2″ of the total cross section of the meat. I quarter my pork loin which results in approximately 2″ to 2 1/2″ diameter sections of meat as seen in picture 6 above.

    On the smoking side, I only smoke to 140 – 145 like I would a uncured pork loin.

    Denny O
    Central IOWA
    Posts: 5821
    #1898556

    Thanks gentlemen!
    The source of my question is for those of you that have done it both ways.
    I’m wondering if there is a flavor difference between the two methods?

    Seems to me one is setting in a liquid for the duration and the other is sealed in the bag with its own juices then they get reabsorbed.

    riverruns
    Inactive
    Posts: 2218
    #1901837

    If Scott is correct about the dry cure taking 10 day, a wet cure can be done in approximately 1/2 that amount of time. The liquid cure penetrates about a 1/4″ per day or 1/2″ of the total cross section of the meat. I quarter my pork loin which results in approximately 2″ to 2 1/2″ diameter sections of meat as seen in picture 6 above.

    On the smoking side, I only smoke to 140 – 145 like I would a uncured pork loin.

    Pictures 1, 2 and 4 look like a pork bellie. Is that the same meat in the rest of the pictures?

    I’ve done pork loins and have cured, smoked and brought up to finished temp in the smoke house. Is what I do considered different than Canadian bacon? Guess I called it a smoked pork loin?

    Oh and I dry brined it along with injecting it with cure solution. 7 days. Then soaked and smoked and finished.

    Denny O
    Central IOWA
    Posts: 5821
    #1901856

    Riv, as you are referring to Daves pics of CB1.jpg, CB2.jpg & CB4.jpg they are all a loin, not bellies! If you can buy pork bellies this lean and pay for then in loin dollars I want a few cases of these! Wait, Give me the fattie loins at a buck or two a pound! Bellies are dancing on $4/pound, Loins are $1.00 to $2.75/pound.

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