Recipes

Recipes using Maple Cure

Maple Cured Bacon
Chicken Ham
Whole Smoked Chicken
Smoked Maple Tuna
Maple Cured Smoked Marlin
Maple Cured Smoked Hapuka
Marlin Salami
Maple Cured Smoked Kingfish

 

Maple Cured Bacon

Bacon made with your favorite flavor of Bradley Cure Mix will have the same delightful pink color of the commercially produced products, and it will taste better than the bacon available at the grocery store.  You may even find that it tastes better than that available at custom smoked food shops.

For the most popular bacon, use pork belly.  If you wish to make the British-style back bacon, use the same cut of meat that is used for ham, or use sirloin or loin.  In all cases, however, the meat should not be more than about 2 inches (5 cm) thick.  The width and length are not important, but the hunks or slabs of pork need to be small enough to fit in the curing containers and smoker.  If the meat is more than about 2 inches (5 cm) thick, the curing time will be excessive.

CURE MIX FOR 5 LBS. (2.25 KG) OF BACON

• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) Bradley Maple Cure
  (Do not use more than this amount.)
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) onion granules or onion powder
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) garlic granules or garlic powder
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) white pepper
• maple syrup (optional) 1 to 3 Tbsp.
• imitation maple flavor (optional) 1/2 to 1 tsp.

Note: If the meat weighs either more or less than 5 pounds (2.25 kg), the amount of cure mix applied must be proportional to that weight.  For example, if the weight of the meat is 2 1/2 pounds (1.25 kg), then each ingredient, including the Bradley Cure, needs to be cut in half.

Blending and applying the curing blend

1. Weigh the pork.  If more than one curing container will be used, calculate separately the total weight of the meat that will be placed in each container.  Refrigerate the meat while the cure mix is being prepared.  (Any plastic food container with a tight-fitting lid -- or a strong plastic bag -- can be used as a curing container.) 
2. Prepare, calculate, and measure the required amount of curing mixture for each container.  Mix this curing blend until it is uniform. 
3. Place the meat in the curing container(s).  Rub the cure mix on all surfaces evenly.  Cover, and refrigerate.  The refrigerator temperature should be set between 34º and 40º F (2.2º to 4.4º C).
4. Overhaul the pieces of meat after about 12 hours of curing.  (Overhaul means to rub the surfaces of the meat to redistribute the cure.)  Be sure to wet the meat with any liquid that may have accumulated in the bottom of the curing container.
5. Overhaul the meat about every other day until the required curing time has elapsed.  (Cure one week per inch: If the thickest piece is 1 inch, cure 1 week; if the thickest piece is two inches, cure the whole batch 2 weeks.)
6. When the curing is finished, rinse each piece of pork very well in lukewarm water.  Drain in a colander, and blot with a paper towel.
7. Refrigerate overnight.

Smoking the bacon

1. The next morning, remove the paper and dry the surface of the meat in front of an electric fan, or inside of a smoker heated to about 140º F (60º C) If a smoker is used, make sure that the damper is fully open.  Do not use smoke.  Drying the surface will require one or two hours. 
2. When the surface is dry, cold smoke the pork for 3 hours.  If your smoke chamber temperature is higher than 85º F (about 30º C), the smoking time might have to shortened to prevent excessive drying.
3. Raise the smoke chamber temperature to about 150º F (65º C).  Smoke about 2 or 3 hours more until the surface of the bacon takes on an attractive reddish-brown color.  Remove the meat from the smoke chamber.
4. Let the meat cool at room temperature for about one hour.  After cooling at room temperature, place the hunks of bacon in a container – uncovered – and chill overnight.  The bacon may be sliced the following morning.  Bacon that will not be consumed within about a week may be frozen.

Note: If the salt taste is too mild, the next time you make this product, add about 1 teaspoon of salt to the ingredients list.  If the salt taste is too strong, reduce the amount of Bradley Cure by about 1 teaspoon.

Varieties of bacon
Irish bacon

Irish bacon is made from the same cut of meat used to make boneless pork chops: the boneless pork loin.  Consequently, when Irish bacon is cured, smoked, and thinly sliced, it will have the same fat content and the same shape as a pork chop.  Some people have been known to use a little Irish whisky in the curing blend.

Canadian bacon

A product called Canadian bacon is very popular in the United States.  In Canada, a similar product called peameal bacon is popular.  Both of these back bacons are made from the well-trimmed eye of the loin.  When the eye of the loin is trimmed, leave about 1/8 inch (3 mm) of fat on the top.  However, peameal bacon is rolled in cornmeal (rolled in yellow peameal in the old days) and is not smoked.  Canadian bacon is usually smoked.  Use the Bradley Sugar Cure Mix to cure the eye of the loin. 

Spicy bacon

You can put your own signature on bacon by adding your favorite spice to the curing blend.  Allspice flavored bacon has a special appeal for some.  A few people like the taste of cinnamon with pork.  Use your imagination; you might make a great discovery!

Pepper bacon

Pepper bacon is very popular and it is easy to process.  Select the cut of pork that you like for bacon and cure it with your favorite Bradley Cure.  Just before beginning the smoking of the bacon, use a basting brush to “paint” the surface of the bacon with maple syrup, light corn syrup, or honey that has been diluted with a little water.  Let the surface dry for a while until it becomes tacky, and then press on coarsely ground black pepper. 

Jowl bacon

Jowl bacon is made from the cheek of the pig.  It has layers of fat and lean just like belly bacon.  Process it in the same way as you would process pork belly bacon. 

Instructions prepared by Warren R. Anderson, author of Mastering the Craft of Smoking Food.

 

Chicken Ham

Thighs are the best part of the chicken to use as raw material.  The drumsticks can be used, but the numerous tendons make them troublesome. 
No matter what kind of fowl is being used, removal of the skin from the drumsticks and thighs is recommended.  The bones can be optionally left in place or removed before processing.  However, if you do use chicken drumsticks, it is best to leave them whole with the bone and tendons intact.  Removal of the bones and tendons in chicken drumsticks is difficult. 
It is very easy to remove the bone from either a chicken or chicken thigh.  First, lay the thigh skin-side-down on a cutting board.  Locate the bone with your fingers, and make a long slit through the flesh that is on top of the bone.  Stroke along the bone with the tip of the knife.  The flesh will gradually “peel” away from the bone.  Remove the skin.  The same technique can be used to remove the bone from a chicken drumstick. 

CURE MIX FOR 5 LBS. (2.25 KG) OF CHICKEN

• 3 Tbsp. (45 ml) Bradley Cure (any flavor)
  (Do not use more than this amount.)
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) onion granules or onion powder
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) garlic granules or garlic powder
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) white pepper

Note: If the meat weighs either more or less than 5 pounds (2.25 kg), the amount of cure mix applied must be proportional to that weight.  For example, if the weight of the meat is 2 1/2 pounds (1.15 kg), then each ingredient, including the Bradley Cure, needs to be cut in half.

Preparing the meat

Prepare the poultry as indicated above.  Rinse in cold water and drain.  Put the meat on paper towels with newspaper underneath to absorb the water that is on the bottom surface.  Blot the top surface with paper towels. 

Curing

The thickest piece of meat dictates the curing time for the batch.  Six days are required if the thickest piece is one inch thick (2.5 cm).  Three days are required if the thickest piece is a half inch thick (1.25 cm). 

1. Weigh the dressed poultry, and place it in a curing container (a plastic food container).  Prepare, calculate, and measure the required amount of curing mixture. 
2. Rub the curing mixture on all surfaces of the meat.  Cover and refrigerate.  The refrigerator temperature should be set between 34º and 40º F (2.2º to 4.4º C). 
3. Overhaul after about 12 hours.  (Rub the surfaces again and re-stack.)  Overhaul daily until the curing time has elapsed. 
4. When the cure is finished, rinse each piece of meat very well in cool water.  Drain.  Return the meat to the cleaned curing container, but place layers of paper towels and newspapers between the layers of meat. 

Smoking the Chicken

The instructions below are for cold smoking, and that is followed by cooking in a steamer.  If you are not using a cold smoker, keep the temperature as low as possible. 

1. Dry in a smoker (with no smoke) at about 140° F (60° C).  It is dry when your finger slides easily on the surface. 
2. Smoke at less than 85° F (30° C), if possible, for 3 to 6 hours.  Raise the temperature to 145° F (63° C).  Continue to smoke for 2 or 3 more hours until the product has a reddish-brown surface. 
3. Additionally Raise the temperature to 185° F (88° C).  Continue to cook for 1 or 1 more hours until the product is cooked
4. Unwrap the pieces, and drain them in a colander.  Cool at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate overnight with no cover.  The next morning, wrap all of the chicken ham in plastic food wrap.  Freeze the ham that will not be consumed.

Note: If the salt taste is too mild, the next time you make this product, add about 1 teaspoon of salt to the ingredients list.  If the salt taste is too strong, reduce the amount of Bradley Cure by about 1 teaspoon.  Also, a teaspoon of any kind of sweetener may be added to the list if you like your ham a little sweeter.

 

Whole Smoked Chicken

The dark meat of the chicken will be pink even when it is fully cooked, and this meat will taste a little like cured ham. 
You may use any size of bird, or you may mix different sizes of birds.  All the birds, regardless of size, may be processed in the same curing container.  The sizes are not important because the amount of cure is measured and applied to each bird according to its weight.  Use young, tender, well-chilled chickens that are suitable for frying or broiling. 

 

THE CURE AND SEASONING FOR 5 LBS. (2.25 KG) OF CHICKEN

• 3 Tbsp. (45 ml) Bradley Cure -- (any flavor)
(Do not use more than this amount.)
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) poultry seasoning -- packed in the spoon
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) onion powder
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) MSG (optional)
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) garlic powder
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) sage, rubbed -- packed in the spoon
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) oregano
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) white pepper
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) paprika
• 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) dill powder
• 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) bay leaf powder

Note: If the meat weighs either more or less than 5 pounds (2.25 kg), the amount of cure mix applied must be proportional to that weight.  For example, if the weight of the meat is 2 1/2 pounds (1.15 kg), then each ingredient, including the Bradley Cure, needs to be cut in half.

1. Rinse and clean the bird, and then let it drain in a colander.  Next, use a sturdy fork to pierce the chicken all over, especially the legs and breast.  Prepare the proper amount of cure according to the weight of the bird.  (If more than one bird is being cured, prepare the proper amount for each bird.)  Apply the cure uniformly to the bird; a shaker with large holes works well for this.  Be sure to apply the cure to the inside of the body cavity as well as to the outside skin.  Cure the chicken in the refrigerator for at least four days.  Rub all surfaces to redistribute the cure (overhaul) once a day during that period.  The refrigerator temperature should be set between 34º and 40º F (2.2º to 4.4º C).
2. At the end of the curing period, rinse the bird very well in cool water, and blot it inside and out.  Stuff the body cavity with paper towels that have been wrapped around crumpled newspapers.  Store it in the refrigerator overnight, preferably with the tail pointed upward.  Put a paper towel and several layers of newspaper under the chicken to absorb the water. 

Drying and smoking

1. The next morning, you will need to set up the smoker to finish drying the chicken.  Preheat it to about 140º F (60º C).
2. If possible, hang the bird with the tail pointing up.  This allows the melted fat and juices to fall freely into the drip tray instead of collecting in the body cavity.
3. Dry the bird in the smoker at 140º F (60º C).  After the skin is dry to the touch (about an hour), cold smoke it for 3 hours at 85º F (30º C), or as low a temperature as possible.  This will provide a mild smoke flavor.  If you like a stronger smoke flavor, smoke the chicken for about 6 hours.
4. Apply cooking oil to the skin.  Hot smoke at 145º F (63º C) until the bird takes on a beautiful reddish-brown color (probably two more hours). 

Roasting

Apply salad oil to the skin again.  Cover well with foil, but do not seal the foil tightly -- leave a few small openings in the foil for steam to escape.  (Because the chicken has been browned in the smoker, additional browning is undesirable, and the foil prevents this.  The loose wrapping of foil allows some steam to escape, but it also prevents excessive drying.) 

Add about 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) of water to the inside of the foil, and roast the bird in the smoker without smoke 320º F (160º C) for about 2 hours.  Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.  When the internal temperature is 180° F (82° C), it is done. 

Note: If the salt taste is too mild, the next time you make this product, add about 1 teaspoon of salt to the ingredients list.  If the salt taste is too strong, reduce the amount of Bradley Cure by about 1 teaspoon.

Instructions prepared by Warren R. Anderson, author of Mastering the Craft of Smoking Food.

Smoked Maple Tuna

The dark meat of the tuna will be pink even when it is fully cooked, and this meat will taste a little like cured ham. 
You may use any size of fish, or you may mix different sizes of tuna.  All the tuna, regardless of size, may be processed in the same curing container.  The sizes are not important because the amount of cure is measured and applied to each fish according to its weight.

THE CURE AND SEASONING FOR 5 LBS. (2.25 KG) OF TUNA

• 3 Tbsp. (45 ml) Bradley Maple Cure
  (Do not use more than this amount.)
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) onion powder
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) garlic powder
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) oregano
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) white pepper
• 1 tsp. (5 ml) paprika
• 4 tsp. (20 ml) Maple Syrup
• 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) parsley
• 1 Cup of Water

Note: If the meat weighs either more or less than 5 pounds (2.25 kg), the amount of cure mix applied must be proportional to that weight.  For example, if the weight of the meat is 2 1/2 pounds (1.15 kg), then each ingredient, including the Bradley Cure, needs to be cut in half.

1. Rinse and clean the fish, and then let it drain in a colander.  Prepare the proper amount of cure according to the weight of the fish.  (If more than one fish is being cured, prepare the proper amount for each fish.)  Apply the cure over the fish in a plastic container, make sure all the fish is submerged. Cure the tuna in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 days.  Rub all surfaces to redistribute the cure (overhaul) once a day during that period.  The refrigerator temperature should be set between 34º and 40º F (2.2º to 4.4º C).
2. At the end of the curing period, rinse the fish very well in cool water, and blot it with paper towels.
3. Store it in the refrigerator overnight

Drying and smoking

1. The next morning, you will need to set up the smoker to finish drying the tuna.  Preheat it to about 140º F (60º C).
2. Dry the fish in the smoker at 140º F (60º C).  After the skin is dry to the touch (about an hour), cold smoke it for 3 hours at 85º F (30º C), or as low a temperature as possible.  This will provide a mild smoke flavor.  If you like a stronger smoke flavor, smoke the tuna for about 6 hours.
3. Hot smoke at 145º F (63º C) until the fish takes on a beautiful reddish-brown color (probably two more hours). 

Refridgerate overnight, or a few days, before putting in bags and freezing to allow the meat to settle

Note: If the salt taste is too mild, the next time you make this product, add about 1 teaspoon of salt to the ingredients list.  If the salt taste is too strong, reduce the amount of Bradley Cure by about 1 teaspoon.

Maple Cured Smoked Marlin

Ingredients
• Sliced Marlin fillets with skin on
Brine: lightly Sprinkle Bradley Maple cure over fish fillets
Rub in Maple syrup on fillets and refrigerate overnight

Additionally add a sprinkle of Garlic powder depending on taste requirements
Smoking Method
Preheat the Bradley Smoker to between 65°C and 85°C (150°F and 200°F).
Dry at 140º F (60º C) with no smoke until the surface is dry. 
This will require at least one hour. 
Raise temperature to 160º F (71º C), using maple flavoured Bisquettes smoke/cook for 3 or 4 hours depending on thickness of fillets.

This recipe also goes well with Apple flavoured Bisquettes.

Maple Cured Smoked Hapuka

Ingredients
• Sliced Hapuka fillets

Brine: lightly Sprinkle Bradley Maple cure over fish fillets
Rub in Maple syrup on fillets and refrigerate overnight
Smoking Method
Preheat the Bradley Smoker to between 65°C and 85°C (150°F and 200°F).
Dry at 140º F (60º C) with no smoke until the surface is dry. 
This will require at least one hour. 
Raise temperature to 160º F (71º C), using maple flavoured Bisquettes smoke/cook for 3 or 4 hours depending on thickness of fillets.

Marlin Salami

There are many kinds of salami.  Most kinds are dry cured for many weeks, and they are neither cooked nor smoked.(In sausage maker’s jargon, dry curing has a special meaning; it means to dry raw sausage under controlled temperature and humidity conditions until the sausage weight has been reduced by a certain percent.)
This product contains ingredients that are common in salamis, but the processing is more like that of bologna; it is not dry cured, and it is fully cooked.
The Casings
Soak fibrous casings in water for 15 minutes prior to using.  Four casings will be required if they are 2 1/2 inches (6.4 cm) in diameter and about 12 inches (30 cm) long.
The Meat
Grind 3 pounds (1362 g) of Marlin and use 2 pounds (908 g) of pork mince
It is important to note if you wish to try different meat products such as chicken or tuna, you must include the minced pork to act as the binder
Seasonings and other ingredients for 5 lbs. (2.25 kg)
7 1/2 tsp. (37.5 ml) Bradley Maple Cure
(Do not use more than this amount.)
1 tsp. (5 ml) salt (optional -- see step #1, below)
4 tsp. (20 ml) black peppercorns, cracked
2 tsp. (10 ml) paprika
1 tsp. (5 ml) black pepper, ground
1 tsp. (5 ml) onion powder
1 tsp. (5 ml) garlic powder
1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) nutmeg
1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) allspice
1/4 tsp. (1.25 ml) cayenne
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) Maple Syrup
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1 cup (240 ml) finely powdered skim milk
Note: If the meat weighs either more or less than 5 pounds (2.25 kg), the amount of cure mix applied must be proportional to that weight.  For example, if the weight of the meat is 2 1/2 pounds (1.15 kg), then each ingredient, including the Bradley Cure, needs to be cut in half.
Mix the seasoning, water, and the powdered milk in a large bowl until the ingredients are perfectly blended.  (For a normal salt taste, add the optional 1 teaspoon of salt; for a mild salt taste, omit the salt.)
Add the meat to the seasoning mixture and mix thoroughly.  Knead about 3 minutes.
Stuff the sausage mixture into the fibrous casings.  Insert the cable probe of an electronic thermometer in the open end of one of the sausages.  Close the casing around the probe with butcher’s twine. 
Refrigerate the salami overnight. 

Smoking and Cooking
Remove the sausage from the refrigerator, and place it in a smoker that has been heated to 150° F (65° C).  Make sure that the damper is fully open while drying the surface.  Maintain this temperature with no smoke until the casing is dry to the touch.  (Alternatively, dry the casing in front of an electric fan.)  Raise the temperature to 160° F (71° C), and smoke the sausage for 3 to 6 hours using Maple Bisquettes.  If you wish to cook the sausage in the smoker, raise the temperature to 180° F (82° C) and hot smoke until the internal temperature is 160° F (71° C).  Instead of cooking in the smoker, the sausages may be cooked by steaming.
Cooling
Refrigerate overnight before using

Maple Cured Smoked Kingfish

Ingredients
• Sliced Kingfish fillets

Brine: lightly Sprinkle Bradley Maple cure over fish fillets
Rub in Maple syrup on fillets and refrigerate overnight
Smoking Method
Preheat the Bradley Smoker to between 65°C and 85°C (150°F and 200°F).
Dry at 140º F (60º C) with no smoke until the surface is dry. 
This will require at least one hour. 
Raise temperature to 160º F (71º C), using maple flavoured Bisquettes smoke/cook for 3 or 4 hours depending on thickness of fillets.