Pork Loin

[DonBo]

Rainbow has whole boneless pork loins on sale this week for $2.99 lb. That's a good deal ain't it? Think I'd like to try one in the smoker.

[reinhard1]

you probably looked at their boneless center cut pork loin chops price [$2.99 ]right below the $1.99 correct price for the whole boneless pork loin [in the bag] which is a very exelent price. i will pick up some myself. canadian bacan will be on the agenda. great time to cut some into chops for freezing as well for grilling. good luck.

[hockeybc69]

Don

I have been tossing around the idea of smoking a pork loin too. My only question is regarding keeping it moist... its got zero fat....

Anyone have any tips?

[hockeybc69]

Reinhard,

Have you posted the canadian bacon method???

How thick do you slice it?? What uses do you like to do with it?

[reinhard1]

i was going to make some after Thanksgiving but been making sausage since then. finaly a great price on them. look on page 7 of the cooking and recipe forum for the "canadian bacon" thread. the master, Third Eye, gave an outstanding step by step on this. follow his directions and you cant go wrong.

Third Eye sent me some High Mountain "buckboard bacon" cure [canadian bacon]. i havent seen it around here. may have to order some on-line. i have been told by a local butcher that Maynards off hwy 10 in coon rapids has a better variety of High Mountain seasonings than anywhere else around here. dont know if they have the buckboard bacon cure though [this is for canadian bacon and even boneless pork butts, which we called cottage hams in the old days]. so check the thread out. i'm making mine starting this weekend. it's a dry cure. so i'm anxious to get started. good luck.

[Leaky]

I love when a GREAT deal comes out on meat. Like when Baby Backs go for 2.99, Chicken for .99, and 80/20 for 2.25 (Don't get me going this this - a year ago a deal on 80/20 Chuck was 1.99 and 2 years ago you could buy a Boneless Rib Roast on sale for $4.99).

I need to pick one of these up. The freezer is going to be p*ssed off at me cause I have hardly any room (Schwans guy showed up on Friday and I picked up a few gotta haves).

DonHo - Now I'm a Rookie, but I think I would take and cut some inch and a half chops. Brine them and smoke em for a few hours, finishing on the grill. Then cut out a roast big enough for however many people I need to feed and do the same thing. Smoke for a few hours @ 225, then finish in the oven or on the grill to whatever internal temp you deem fit (160?).

Better get to the store.

[reinhard1]

also cub's has 75% 3 pound tubes for $5.97 [1.99lb]. i will pick some up as an ingrediant for certain sausage batches to mix in with venison and pork. like Leaky said in remembering prices, i remember not to long ago when they had this grade of ground beef for 1.19 per pound on sale. good luck.

[reinhard1]

maby your second part of your post pertained to the whole boneless pork loin other than using it for canadian bacon.

the whole boneless porkloin can be used for a roast, chops, and boneless country ribs. myself i use the loin for boneless pork chops about 1 1/2 inches thick and some times 2 inches. the rib eye end i usualy use for boneless country ribs. that is the end that has two different colors of pork. it is very tender and also can be used for a roast.

i used to slice a portion of the boneless loin thin for breakfast also. thin as you would canadian bacon. well now that i have learned Third Eye's method of canadian bacon that will increase my amount for canadian bacon or back board bacon. i will do them in 5 pound pieces, and after smoking i will freeze some whole and some sliced in vacume bags.

i should explain how to cut boneless country ribs from the loin. since i use the rib eye end [you can use any part] i cut a foot long chunk off that end. i then take a knife and cut down the center of the piece half way through. i then butterfly the piece and cut the piece in inch wide strips. good luck.

[OnAFly]

I just wish I were in town to get in on that deal. I've been waiting for it to go on sale to make some canadian bacon. Lousy work travel.

[DonBo]

I picked one up this morning, like half price. Nice. Anyway, some ideas have been thrown around already, but what should I do with it? Still learning my new smoker and want to use that as much as possible.

[reinhard1]

well i'm going to use the dry cure from High Mountain called "backboard bacon". you can see how it's done on page 7 of the cooking forum titled "canadian bacon". cut pieces for roasts, cut them in 1 1/2 to 2 inch slices for chops for the smoker or grill. cut a 10 inch chunk and cut down the center half way and butterfly the piece and cut into one inch strips for boneless country style ribs. good luck.

[Gordie]

Don I did two fresh hams in my smoker for a Catfish Get together a couple of years ago and It was the best Ive done and Now thats the way I like to do most all my bigger cuts, Roasts and such.

I used cherrywood for the smoke and only a bout 1 1/2 to 2 hours on smoke then it was slow cook.

I seasoned the pork with pepper and lowerys Then tied the hamms up with string and smoked them or I called it slow cook for almost 9 hours.

Simple way to do it.

I have also tried merinades as well I think my favorite is with thinned down homade salsa and a cup of vinegar.

[DonBo]

Well, I cut up the loin tonight. Got 10 nice thick chops (ave. just under 1/2 lb each) and kept about a 2 lb roast off each end. Still looking for good ideas on what to do with them. Leaky mentioned a brine, what would you use for that? Any other marinade ideas?

[ducker]

R1 I was looking for the Canadian Bacon thread and just found the venison bacon thread on page 7. Is it in there and i missed it?

Ducker

Did another search R1 and found Third Eyes recipe. Looks great.

[BLACKJACK]

Well, I cut up the loin tonight. Got 10 nice thick chops (ave. just under 1/2 lb each) and kept about a 2 lb roast off each end. Still looking for good ideas on what to do with them. Leaky mentioned a brine, what would you use for that? Any other marinade ideas?

I basically do what you did, cut a roast off each end and chops from the middle portion. The chops make a nice quick meal on the grill or broiler, I just hit them with some McCormick seasoning, I like the Garlic and Herb. For the roasts, in a roaster with a cup of water, a chopped up onion, and you're good to go. Key is not to overcook, these loins are very lean!! One hour in the oven at 350 is enough. Same with the chops, don't overcook!!

[SkunkedAgain]

I picked one of these up today as well. My wife had a horrified look as it was slung over my shoulder as I walked through the door. I had no idea how to use this until reading this thread. Thanks! I thought that I had to cook the whole thing. It's great to know that I can just slice it up for normal chops and roasts.

[jmd1]

I just wish i could buy any meat for the prices you all are talking about. I paid 5.99 for 90/10 last week and felt good about it. I think 80/20 is still 4.99 lb. I use to buy buffalo but it is 10 bucks a lb has gone up 3 bucks in last 18 months. maybe someday i will move to MN and find the good life.

[Moose]

Don I do the same with those lions. I love the chops on the grill. I bring them up to 160 degrees with the meat thermometer and take them off sometime I use steak seasoning and sometime I use a thicker Asian wok sauce at the end of the cooking process that acts like a glaze. Also some of the vinegar based salad dressing at the end of the cooking process adds some great flavor to the chops.

[DonBo]

Did up a couple of the chops tonight. Just put them in the smoker for an hour at 160 degrees, with cherrywood, then finished them on the grill. Didn't add anything else, didn't need too. They were very good, very moist and tender. Even my wife who is not a big fan of smoked meat really enjoyed them.

I'll be putting one of the roasts in a marinade later this week.

[OnAFly]

I stopped by rainbow this evening just in case this sale was still going. Luckily, it was. I picked up two of them and the guy at the counter was nice enough to give me the sale price on both even though it was supposed to be one per. Rainbow has the best sales on meat I've seen.

I'll have to figure try doing some chops, cause I just can't eat 15lbs of canandian bacon!

[delcecchi]

I stopped by rainbow this evening just in case this sale was still going. Luckily, it was. I picked up two of them and the guy at the counter was nice enough to give me the sale price on both even though it was supposed to be one per. Rainbow has the best sales on meat I've seen.

I'll have to figure try doing some chops, cause I just can't eat 15lbs of canandian bacon!

I checked Sam's club web site to see what they get for them. Looks like 1.98 per pound whole boneless pork loin.

[OnAFly]

hmmmm...I wonder what Costco gets? I'm not a Sams member. Anyone know off hand? Their HSOforum isn't of much help.

[delcecchi]

Yeah, apparently the HSOforum is only for online ordering. Not much on stuff in the stores. Sam's club does have the stuff in the stores on the web site.

I would think costco and sams should be close in price.

[reinhard1]

the last time i was a sam's the boneless pork loin was 1.98. had a big sign by the display and may not be the regular price normaly. i have never seen the price over 3 dollars there. one thing to remember is if your going to "cure" the loin for canadian bacon or putting it in a brine remember to use a loin that is not "enhanced". that would mess up your cure measurements since it has already been enhanced with a sodium product. buy a loin that is not enhanced for curing or brining. good luck.

[OnAFly]

Hmmm. The stuff I bought definitely has a solution in it as it's Hormel. Why do companies put that carp in meat? I might soak it overnight to pull some salt out.