My Pig Looks Sexy in Stockings...DONE

[PetersCreek]

...fishnet stockings, that is...and it just turned 21.

Here's about six pounds of pork loin about to be turned into Canadian bacon, that's been lounging in a brown sugar cure for the last 21 days.


Click for larger image

It's in the fridge drying a bit as I type and later this morning, it's off to the smoker for a date with some apple wood.

Can ya smell what the Creek is cookin'? :blob:

 

[JRL]

Looks great. How long do you smoke it?

 

[jrohrer]

damn bro...your making me freaking hungry!

 

[PetersCreek]

Looks great. How long do you smoke it?

I'll give it no more than four hours of smoke, plus whatever additional time it needs in the box with heat only until it comes to an internal temp of 150°F.

 

[JRL]

Nice. I thought it would have smoked longer. I have a bunch of people I work with who are from Bosnia and they smoke tons of stuff and it is always so good. I try to chip in some money for it and they take care of me.

 

[BrewMeister]

Nice looking PIG!

Couple quick questions:
So how long is the process from start to finish?

And what is the shelf life after completion?

Thanks

 

[PetersCreek]

I've never tallied it up before so let's see...

On the front end, there's just the time it takes to trim the loin of silver skin and excess fat, rub it with cure, and vacuum seal it. 'Bout an hour I guess. Then it sits in the fridge for three weeks. When it comes out, it gets throughly rinsed and soaked in cold water for an hour. Then they get netted and tossed into the fridge to dry for a couple of hours (or whatever) to form a bit of a pellicle. After all that, they finally find their way into the smoker for 4-6 hours or so. Once out, they rest, then get sealed.

I honestly have no idea what the actual shelf life is. I freeze whatever isn't on the menu in the near term...and whatever isn't frozen doesn't stay around long before getting eaten, being the ham fiends we are. We've even got a cat who hollers for it whenever he smells it. Tomorrow, I'm makin' The Wife® her favorite breakfast...Eggs Benedict.

 

[JRL]

Sounds great. What kind of smoker are you using? How big? I have been looking into purchasing or making one for a little while now. Do you smoke other stuff?

 

[PetersCreek]

I have a Bradley smoker that's about the size of a dorm fridge. Four racks. Uses proprietary "bisquettes" made of compressed wood chips in various flavors, that the smoker automatically feeds onto the burner.

I smoke ribs, pork butts, brisket, turkey breasts, pork chops, cheeses...

I want to try my hand at making lachs (cold-smoked salmon) and I'd like to throw a duck in there, too.

 

[Eric]

Damn, I'm starving now! Although, you could photograph something terrible and make it look delicious!

 

[texas_stang]

Damn that looks good!

 

[Rich K]

This entire thread makes me even hungrier than I usually am.

 

[TexaSmoke]

Wow, That looks nice and it is making me hungry as well.

 

[BradMc]

This entire thread makes me even hungrier than I usually am.

I hear ya, OMG this is killing, and I need to go eat

 

[Boppa-Wasch]

Looks delicious already!

 

[cvm4]

Man you're a master with that stuff :thumbsup:

 

[PetersCreek]

Okay...the smoke box finally spit 'em out...


Click for larger image

Sorry I didn't get around to making a shot of the sliced product but this afternoon was reeeeally busy. You can take my word for it, though...it looked and tasted dandy.

 

[rpb67]

Those look so good.

You are making me very hungry.

 

[AZsteelman]

wow...if you weren't so far away, I'd grab a couple of smokes and be right over!

 

[Boppa-Wasch]

Ohhh for tastey morsel...........Yum, Yum, Yum.............:widemouth :bigeyes: eace: :smile: