I have used this recipe for making what we call “Canadian Bacon” from pork loins. From the very first taste, I could not wait for deer season so I could try this with venison backstraps.

Canadian Bacon dry cure

Per Pond of meat

¼ tsp #1 cure (pink salt NOT Tenderquick)

2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Brown Sugar

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

1. Clean the backstrap of any sinew or silver skin.

2. Cut to length. I cut mine to about 11” or 12” so they fit nicely in a 1 gallon zip-lock bag.

3. Put each piece in a separate zip-lock bag.

4. Weigh each bag and mark the weight on the bag.

5. Do the math & figure out the dry ingredients for each piece of meat. Follow the instruction for the cure. (Mine says 1/8 to ¼ tsp per pound)

6. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. I use a spice mill.

7. Rub all dry ingredients onto the meat.

8. Place in zip-lock bag along with any dry ingredients that did not stick to the meat.

9. Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag.

10. Put bags in refrigerator for 6 – 7 days, turning each bag over each day.

11. After curing, remove from the bag and rinse in cold water to remove the excess salt. (At this point the original directions say to refrigerate uncovered overnight so a sticky layer forms on the meat. But, I have been married for over 30 years and I will not press my luck. So I go strait to the smoker.)

12. I rub each backstrap with onion and garlic powders or dry Cajun seasoning like Mrs. Dash.

13. Smoke at 180 – 200⁰ F for about 3 hours or until internal temperature reaches 145⁰ F.

14. I like to use hickory wood chunks and apply smoke the entire time, but that’s to my taste.

15. After smoking, let cool to room temperature, then put in a new zip-lock bag and refrigerate. (Cut a big chunk off and wrap & freeze or you will eat it all too soon.)

I have shared this with my deer hunting buddy and keep telling him to try slicing it and frying it to crisp the edges to make fried egg sandwiches.

He tells me he has tried, but every time he slices some, he can’t wait and eats it with cheese and crackers.

Submitted by Wiz Moore