Canadian Bacon

Now that I have chickens, I’ve been thinking how good Eggs Benedict would taste with hollandaise made using really fresh eggs. Eggs Benedict requires Canadian bacon, of course, which means I needed to refer to Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn. Eventually I’ll do Eggs Benedict from scratch. But first, the Canadian Bacon, slightly altered from the recipe by Ruhlman & Polcyn.

Canadian Bacon

1-4 lb. boneless pork loin, fat and sinew removed
1 gallon water
1½ cups kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1½ ounces (8 teaspoons) Instacure #1 (“pink” salt)
2 bunches fresh sage
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 spear fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

Add everything except the loin to a pot and bring to a simmer. Let simmer a few minutes to ensure the salts are completely dissolved, then chill for at least 2 hours. Submerge the  loin in the brine and refrigerate 48 hours. Remove the loin from the brine (dispose of the brine), rinse it under cold water, pat dry, then rest it on a rack over a platter or sheet pan in the refrigerator 12-24 hours until the surface feels tacky. Hot smoke 2-3 hours (or roast it in an oven at 200°F) until it reaches an internal temperature of 150°F; I used apple wood to smoke it. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Canadian bacon keeps 10 days  refrigerated.