How Long To Cook Peameal Bacon In Frying Pan

Cook ingredients that you are used to cooking by other techniques, such as fish, chicken, or hamburgers. In other words be comfortable with the ingredients you are using.
--Bobby Flay

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Peameal Bacon

Peameal bacon is a cured pork loin that has not been smoked. It is not to be confused with bacon sold as "Canadian Bacon" which is more of a ham in texture and flavour. Rumour has it that it is mainly a Southwestern Ontario treat. Peameal bacon originally got its name from the ground (meal) pea coating. That is no longer used and has been replaced with corn meal. Some stores also label peameal bacon as sweet pickled pork backs. It fries up nicely or you can bake it in a chunk. It is a nice fast cooking meat that is served often here during the winter months.

I only make this cured meat when I can get pork loin on sale. Peameal bacon seldom goes on sale here, however by curing it myself, I can cut the cost by about half. It is really easy to make. The cured meat freezes well for longer term storage.

Cured Peameal Bacon

As mentioned, peameal bacon is made from pork loin. It is a nice, low fat meat that cooks quickly when sliced. When baked it is a nice juicy meat. Basically the meat is placed in a zip loc bag along with rubbed in curing salt mixture. Then, and I know this is the hard part, put it into the meat keeper of the refrigerator and ignore it until the cured date of five days later. Honestly, do not look at it, do not fuss with it, leave it alone! Once the cure day arrives you can remove from the refrigerator and roll in corn meal. If using thick cut boneless pork loin chops roll only the outside in the cornmeal then bake.

Frying

The very best pan I've ever cooked pea meal bacon on has been cast iron. Slice the bacon either thin or thick. We prefer thick sliced. Unlike regular bacon, peameal is very low fat so it cooks rather fast. A little browning is desirable. Heat the pan with a little olive oil and butter then add the bacon flipping when the fist side is just slightly browned. The bacon will be a nice pink shade. Do not overcook as that will make the bacon too dry.

Ready to Eat

Now this is a feast. We have it often during the winter for a fast meal. It is low in fat and quick cooking so two major points. Cooked peameal bacon is really nice to have on hand for sandwiches as well. Once you have tried this bacon, you will be in seventh heaven!