Plate 10 of 10

Peameal Bacon on a Bun

Toronto's sandwich, from the St. Lawrence Market counters. Wet-cured, unsmoked pork loin rolled in cornmeal, sliced 5 mm thick and seared two minutes a side in foaming butter, stacked four deep in a soft Kaiser roll with sweet-hot maple mustard.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

Researched · Kitchen testing pending

A tall sandwich of overlapping pink pork loin slices with golden cornmeal crusts on a soft Kaiser roll, mustard dripping down the side.

On Saturday mornings in Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market the lines snake around the counters at Carousel Bakery and Paddington’s Pump for the city’s signature sandwich. Pork packer William Davies invented peameal bacon in the late nineteenth century, rolling wet-cured boneless loin in ground yellow peas to extend its life for export to England. Cornmeal replaced the peas, but the name stuck.

Unlike streaky bacon or smoked ham, peameal is unsmoked, very lean and juicy. Sliced 5 mm thick, the steaks are griddled in foaming butter for two minutes a side until caramelised, then stacked deep inside a soft Kaiser roll with sweet-hot maple mustard.

Ingredients

800 gPeameal bacon, cornmeal-crusted wet-cured pork loin, sliced into 12 to 16 steaks about 5 mm thick
45 gUnsalted butter, for the griddle
4Soft bakery Kaiser rolls, split
30 gButter, softened, for the rolls
60 mlSweet-hot maple mustardor 3 Tbsp Dijon with 1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 gCoarsely ground black pepper
4 slicesAged white Canadian cheddaroptional market variation

Lean, so fast

Peameal is the loin, under five percent fat, unsmoked and wet-cured so it holds a lot of brine. Past 65 °C that brine is driven out and the meat goes dry and tough. Two minutes a side on a 200 °C griddle browns the cornmeal and leaves the centre pale pink and juicy.

Thin slices, soft bread

Stacking several thin slices in a soft roll makes channels that trap the escaping juices instead of soaking the crumb. A crusty roll squeezes the meat out the sides when you bite.

The five tastes on this plate

Salt is the cure and salted butter on the griddle. Fat is foaming butter and the loin's own juices. Acid is the vinegar in the mustard. Heat is mustard seed and cracked pepper. Umami is caramelised cured pork, toasted cornmeal and aged cheddar.

Equipment

12-inch seasoned cast-iron skillet or flat griddle
Metal spatula

The market counters cook on a steel diner flat-top. Cast iron at home; cook in fast batches so the pan keeps its searing heat.

Method

Slice and prepare5 min
If starting from a whole peameal roast, slice across the grain into even 5 mm steaks. Pat the surfaces lightly, leaving the cornmeal crust intact.
If starting from a whole peameal roast, slice across the grain into even 5 mm steaks. Pat the surfaces lightly, leaving the cornmeal crust intact.
Heat the griddle3 min
Heat the skillet over medium-high to about 200 °C. Add 30 g butter and swirl as it foams.
Heat the skillet over medium-high to about 200 °C. Add 30 g butter and swirl as it foams.
Flash-sear the peameal6 min
Lay 6 to 8 slices in the foaming butter in a single layer. Sear undisturbed 2 minutes until the cornmeal underside is crisp and golden with caramelised spots. Flip and sear 90 seconds to 2 minutes more, until just cooked through and still juicy, 63 to 65 °C. For the cheese version, lay a slice over the stack for the last 30 seconds. Keep warm and repeat.
Sear 6–8 slices in one layer in foaming butter, undisturbed 2 minutes until golden and crisp. Flip; cook 90 seconds–2 minutes to 63–65 °C, still juicy. Optionally add cheese for the last 30 seconds. Keep warm and repeat.
Toast the rolls2 min
Wipe the skillet lightly. Butter the cut sides of the rolls and set them cut side down on the warm griddle 60 to 90 seconds until golden with crisp edges.
Wipe the skillet lightly. Butter the cut sides of the rolls and set them cut side down on the warm griddle 60 to 90 seconds until golden with crisp edges.
Assemble
Spread maple mustard on both cut sides. Stack four hot slices on each bottom roll, dust with black pepper, close, press gently so the juices soak into the crumb, and serve at once.
Spread maple mustard on both cut sides. Stack four hot slices on each bottom roll, dust with black pepper, close, press gently so the juices soak into the crumb, and serve at once.
06
Sensory cues of doneness
- Visual: a tall stack of pink loin slices edged in crunchy golden cornmeal, mustard running down the side.
- Auditory: a loud crackle as the cold cured pork hits the buttered steel.
- Olfactory: sizzling cured pork, browned butter, toasted cornmeal and sweet maple mustard.
Look for pink loin slices edged in crisp golden cornmeal. Expect a loud griddle crackle and aromas of cured pork, browned butter, toasted cornmeal and maple mustard.

Troubleshooting

Dry, leathery pork.: It is lean loin, not belly. More than about 4 minutes total dries it out. Sear hot and fast and pull it juicy.
The filling squirts out when bitten.: A hard, crusty roll. Use a soft Kaiser or potato roll.
Charred cornmeal and dry meat.: Slices cut too thick take too long. Keep them at 5 mm.

Substitutions

One-to-one swaps, with the technique change each one needs.

Ingredient substitutions

Ingredient	Replace with	Culinary impact and technique adjustment
Peameal bacon	Unsmoked wet-cured pork loin rolled in cornmeal, or thick English back bacon	One-to-one. Keep the slices thin and cook fast
Kaiser rolls	Brioche buns, potato buns or soft Portuguese rolls	One-to-one. The bread must be soft with a yielding crumb
Maple mustard	Dijon and maple syrup, three to one	One-to-one. Same sweet-hot tang

Scaling

Half, for 2

Six slices in a 10-inch skillet. Times are identical.

Double, for 8

Twenty-four slices on a wide two-burner griddle, or in fast consecutive batches.

What to serve it with

Skillet home fries with onion and paprika
Cold garlic dill pickle spears
A Toronto craft pale ale, or a Caesar, Canada's national cocktail

Questions

Is peameal the same as Canadian bacon?

No. In the United States "Canadian bacon" is pre-cooked, smoked round ham. Real peameal is raw, wet-cured, unsmoked loin rolled in cornmeal and needs cooking.

Can I make it at home from a loin?

Yes. Brine a boneless loin in water, kosher salt, brown sugar, curing salt and pickling spice for 5 days, rinse, dry, and roll firmly in medium yellow cornmeal.

Why "peameal" if it is cornmeal?

In the 1800s the loins were rolled in ground dried yellow peas. After the First World War cornmeal took over for its availability and shelf life, and the name stayed.