I’m looking at making my own “peameal bacon”. This is an iconic Canadian dish (despite some totally bogus claims to the contrary from their brash, shouty neighbour in the south); it’s a wet-cured pork loin taken from the back of the pig, trimmed of too much excess fat and rolled (nowadays) in cornmeal, creating a yellow crust. Originally, it would have been rolled in dried, crushed yellow peas (to extend shelf life) — hence the name — an idea taken on by emigres from Wiltshire, England, who’d settled in Canada.
After it’s been brined for 2 days…
…take it out of the brine and roll it in the ground cornmeal, or if you can get them — and want to be totally authentic — substitute that for the traditional peas. Then it’s cooked like this…
… until finally mine should also come out looking like this…
And how to eat it?
There’s a rather delicious sounding bacon sandwich that comes out of Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market. Grilled in medium-sized slices until the centre is slightly rare and the cornmeal coating and external fat turns crisp to the bite then stuffed into a squidgy hamburger bun.
Can’t think of a better way to relax at this time. “Happy holidays” to y’all.