The dish to eat in Toronto · Canada

Peameal bacon sandwich

Name: Toronto peameal bacon on a bun
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Canada
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb (700 g) peameal bacon (cornmeal-crusted back bacon), in one piece; OR to make it: 2 lb (900 g) boneless center-cut pork loin; brine of 8 cups (2 L) water, 1/2 cup (140 g) kosher salt, 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup, 1 tsp pink curing salt #1, 4 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp peppercorns; 1/2 cup (70 g) yellow cornmeal; 1 tbsp oil; 4 soft kaiser rolls; Honey mustard (2 tbsp Dijon + 1 tbsp honey) or yellow mustard; Optional: 4 fried eggs, slices of cheddar

Photo: Leventio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source

Thick slices of cornmeal-crusted, brined pork loin, griddled and piled on a soft bun with mustard.

Toronto was 'Hogtown', a pork-packing city, and peameal bacon is its own: lean back bacon rolled in cornmeal (once ground peas). The sandwich at St. Lawrence Market is the city's signature breakfast.

Where to eat it Cook it at home

Where to eat it: the best three in Toronto

Carousel Bakery
St. Lawrence Market, Old Town
Order: Peameal bacon sandwich with honey mustard
The market stall whose peameal sandwich made it famous, serving it since the 1970s.
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Paddington's Pump
St. Lawrence Market, Old Town
Order: Peameal on a bun, or the peameal eggs Benedict
A long-running counter inside the market with breakfast all day.
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Flo's Diner
Bloor Street West, Yorkville
Order: Peameal bacon with eggs, or as a sandwich
A rooftop diner in Yorkville serving Toronto breakfast classics.
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All three are on Chef Amazing’s list The best peameal bacon sandwich in Toronto, which you can save and take with you.

Cook it at home: Toronto peameal bacon on a bun

Serves 4Time 30 min, plus 4 days brining if making your own

Most people buy peameal bacon ready-made (Canadian butchers and many US stores carry it). If you can't, brine a pork loin yourself and roll it in cornmeal. Then it's a hot griddle and a soft bun.

Pans and tools

Griddle or large skillet
Container for brining (if making your own)

You’ll need

1 1/2 lb (700 g) peameal bacon (cornmeal-crusted back bacon), in one piece
OR to make it: 2 lb (900 g) boneless center-cut pork loin; brine of 8 cups (2 L) water, 1/2 cup (140 g) kosher salt, 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup, 1 tsp pink curing salt #1, 4 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp peppercorns; 1/2 cup (70 g) yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp oil
4 soft kaiser rolls
Honey mustard (2 tbsp Dijon + 1 tbsp honey) or yellow mustard
Optional: 4 fried eggs, slices of cheddar

Steps

If making your own: bring the brine to a boil to dissolve the salt and sugar, then chill completely. Submerge the pork in it in a container and refrigerate 4 days. Rinse, pat dry and roll in the cornmeal to coat.
Slice the peameal 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick; you want about 4 to 5 slices per sandwich.
Heat the oil on a griddle or large skillet over medium-high.
Cook the slices 2 to 3 minutes per side until the cornmeal is golden and the pork is cooked through (145F/63C). Don't overcook; it's lean.
Split and lightly toast the rolls.
Spread mustard on the bottom bun, pile the bacon high, add an egg or cheese if you like, and close.

Chef’s tips

Pile it high: the market sandwich has a stack of slices.

The pink curing salt keeps the pork pink and tasting like bacon; without it, you'll have tasty brined pork that looks gray.

Leftover slices are great in a breakfast hash.

Contains: Wheat (gluten), mustard; egg and milk if added.

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