Peameal bacon sandwich

Ingredients

Pork

• 1.5 kgboneless pork loin, trimmed

Brine

• 2 litreswater
• 180 gcoarse salt
• 100 gbrown sugar
• 10 gcuring salt, if using
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tbspblack peppercorns
• 4garlic cloves, crushed

Coating

• 200 gcoarse yellow cornmeal

To cook

• 2 tbspoil, or butter

To serve

• 4soft kaiser rolls
• yellow mustard
• butter, for the rolls

Sometimes added

• sliced tomato
• lettuce
• sautéed onions

Directions

1. Use boneless pork loin, which is the lean eye of the back. It should be trimmed of external fat. Bring half the water to the boil with the salt and sugar. Stir until both have dissolved completely. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic.
2. Take it off the heat and add the remaining cold water. Let it cool completely before the pork goes in. Warm brine on raw pork is a food safety problem. It must be measured accurately and never estimated.
3. Put the loin in a non-reactive container. Pour the cold brine over so it is completely submerged. Weight it down with a plate if it floats. Turn the loin over once each day. A thicker loin may need four days. Lift the loin out and rinse it thoroughly under cold water. Pat it completely dry with a cloth.
4. Let it sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours. A dry surface takes the cornmeal coating far better. Spread the coarse cornmeal on a tray. Roll the dry loin in it, pressing it on. Cover every surface of it thickly. Press it firmly so it adheres. Wrap it and chill it for a few hours to set the coating.
5. Cut it into slices about a centimetre thick. Thin slices dry out immediately in the pan. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Lay the slices down without crowding the pan.
6. Cook them for three or four minutes on the first side. The cornmeal should turn golden and crisp. Turn them once and cook the other side. Do not use a fierce heat, which burns the cornmeal. Take it off while it still gives slightly when pressed.
7. Toast the cut faces briefly if you like. Lay three or four slices of hot bacon in each roll. Spread yellow mustard on the top half. Serving it is done immediately and hot.

Technique

• Peameal bacon is wet-cured and never smoked, unlike the smoked product sold as Canadian bacon.
• Cut it thick, since thin slices of this lean cut dry out immediately.
• Cook over a moderate heat, as a fierce pan burns the cornmeal.

Substitutions

• Ready-made peameal bacon from a butcher, which most people buy.
• Coarse polenta in place of cornmeal.

Variations

• With a fried egg added to the roll.
• With sautéed onions and tomato.
• Served as slices with eggs rather than in a sandwich.

History

Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market speciality; 19th-century packers rolled wet-cured loin in ground peas, later cornmeal, for bacon exported to Britain.

Frequently asked questions

What is Peameal bacon sandwich?

Peameal bacon sandwich is a street food from Canada: cornmeal-rolled back bacon on a bun; Toronto market icon. Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market speciality; 19th-century packers rolled wet-cured loin in ground peas, later cornmeal, for bacon exported to Britain.

How long does Peameal bacon sandwich take to make?

Peameal bacon sandwich takes 20 min plus 3 days curing of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 sandwiches. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Peameal bacon sandwich?

Yes, within limits. Ready-made peameal bacon from a butcher, which most people buy. Coarse polenta in place of cornmeal.

What is the most important thing to get right in Peameal bacon sandwich?

Take it off the heat and add the remaining cold water. Let it cool completely before the pork goes in. Warm brine on raw pork is a food safety problem. It must be measured accurately and never estimated.