Peameal Bacon

[jamesm]

My girlfriend's mom bought us a giant amount of good quality peameal bacon. Why, I have no idea. I've never said anything about peameal bacon to her in my life. Anyway, I've not eaten a ton of bacon in my time. Is there anything interesting to do with it, other than frying it up with some eggs, or making a sandwich?

[HaagenDazs]

Excuse my ignorance, can you explain what peameal bacon is? Seriously, I've never heard of it.

[Karl S]

It's what Americans uniquely call Canadian bacon. Canadians and others call it peameal bacon.

[FlavoursGal]

I've only seen it called "peameal" bacon since moving to Ontario. It seems that the outside used to be coated in pea meal; now it's coated in cornmeal.

It's called "back bacon" in Quebec, and I believe it's sold meal-less.

[RiJaAr]

canadians call it canadian bacon

[FlavoursGal]

Actually, I've never heard an Eastern Canadian (and I'm including Ontario in this category) call it Canadian bacon - it's either back bacon or peameal bacon. Perhaps in Western Canada, where you're from, it is.

But I HAVE seen it referred to in the U.S. (on menus and in recipes and periodicals) as Canadian bacon.

[Uncle Ira]

I had never heard of it either... Found this on Wikipedia:

"Canadian bacon" is a term used in the United States and Canada, but with differing meanings. In the United States it refers to any lean meaty cut of bacon, but in Canada, "Canadian bacon" refers to a specific variety of unsmoked lean bacon that has been sweet pickle-cured and coated in yellow cornmeal, which is also known as "peameal bacon".

[jamesm]

It's what Bob and Doug would call back bacon. Maybe I should just serve it with a Molson stubby and a smoke.

[cheryl_h]

Use it in place of pancetta. It's leaner but like pancetta it's cured but not smoked. My Italian roommate from college days used it for pasta carbonara and other great dishes when she couldn't get pancetta.

[peppermint pate]

Peameal bacon is great! For starters, you can make a classic eggs benedict with it. For a great sandwich, I like peameal with cheddar, arugula, tomatoes and honey mustard on a toasted bun. Like cheryl-h said, you can also use it in place of pancetta, though it's meatier/less fatty.

[pikawicca]

Well, another instance of learning something from Chowhound that I had no idea of.