Not piecemeal, PEAMEAL.

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 peans. Then it’s cooked like this…

© The Black Peppercorn & Steve Cylka 2015

… until finally mine should also come out looking like this…

© The Black Peppercorn 2015

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.

© Best Of Toronto 2014