Dry-Cured Smoked Pork Loin

Course: Appetizer, dinner, lunch

Cuisine: Polish

Keyword: smoked pork loin

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 4

Curing and drying time: 14

Total Time: 14 4 45

Servings: servings

Calories: 59kcal

Author: Victor

Print Recipe

Metric - US Customary

Ingredients

1000 g pork loin boneless

For the wet cure

22.5 g kosher salt
2.5 g Cure #1
3 g black pepper medium grind
1 clove garlic pressed or sliced
25 g maple syrup
1 g ground sage
1 g ground coriander

Instructions

Trim the pork loin(s) of fat and silverskin. Cut in half.
Weigh each piece in grams. Divide by 1000, then multiply each ingredient by that number. For example, if the meat weighs 1700 g, you need to multiply the ingredients specified above by 1.7. Use the US Customary measurements if you want but it may be a little more challenging.
Combine the salt, Cure #1, black pepper, sage, and coriander in a small bowl.
Rub the dry cure mix evenly on all sides of the pork loin. Evenly apply pressed garlic.
Place the meat into a Ziploc or vacuum-sealer bag and drizzle maple syrup spreading it evenly over the meat. Seal and refrigerate for 14 days, flipping and massaging occasionally. If using a Ziploc bag, expel as much air as possible before sealing the bag.
Two weeks later, remove the meat from the bags, pat dry with paper towels, and scrape off excess seasonings. Let the meat rest on a cooling rack for an hour at room temperature.
Move the meat to the smokehouse, hang on S-hooks, and dry it without smoke at about 115F (45C) for another 30-45 minutes.
When the surface is dry to touch, increase the temperature to 140F (60C) and smoke until the desired color is attained, at least 2 hours adn up to 4-6 hours.
When the smoking is just about done, fill a large pot with water, heat it up to 176F. Transfer the meat to the pot, as is or packed in vacuum-sealed plastic bags or Ziploc bags, and poach, maintaining the water temperature between 167F and 176F, until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 154F, about 40-50 minutes. (See notes).
Remove the pork loins from the pot and shower with cold water then hang at room temperature to cool down.
Refrigerate overnight before slicing and enjoying. Store in a fridge, wrapped in butcher paper, for up to 1-2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. Serve sliced as thinly as you can.

Notes

The new USDA guidelines recommend cooking solid pork meat to 145F internal. Marianski in his Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages book mentions that pork loins are smoked to 142F - 152F. While many traditional Polish recipes specify 154F - 158F as the target temperature for solid pork meat.

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