Lean bacon cut from the pork loin rather than the belly, resembling a small pork chop. The cut behind the American term Canadian bacon, dating to the mid-1800s UK imports of Canadian cured pork, the cured-pork tradition that defines Ontario's pork heritage.
Back bacon is the lean bacon cut from the pork loin rather than the belly, resembling a small pork chop, and the cut behind the American term Canadian bacon. The term dates to the mid-1800s when the United Kingdom imported Canadian cured pork. It is the parent of peameal bacon (the cornmeal-rolled, brined Ontario specialty) and captures the broader cured-pork tradition that defines Ontario's pork heritage, rooted in the Hogtown era of Toronto's pork-packing industry.
Lean, meaty, faintly smoky with a tender, chop-like bite, salted through but not as fatty as belly bacon. Pan-fried until the edges crisp, it is savory, substantial and the foundation of a Canadian breakfast.
The pork loin is cured in a brine of salt, sugar, pink salt and aromatics for several days (the wet cure distinguishes it from dry-cured belly bacon), then optionally smoked. The loin is sliced thick, into chops, and pan-fried or griddled. Because the loin is so lean, it must not be overcooked or it dries out; a pink center is acceptable. The brine both seasons and preserves, the technique that made Canadian pork a UK export.
Variations
A smoked version is common in modern delis. A peameal version is rolled in cornmeal after curing.
On the Palate
Where Back Bacon sits in the Canadian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 10How it's made
6 steps · 30 min
- 18 min
Dissolve 100g salt, 50g sugar, 1 tsp pink curing salt and 1 tsp each of black pepper and bay in 1 litre water; chill.
- 25 min
Submerge a 1.5kg pork loin in the brine; refrigerate 3 days, turning daily.
Watch outTurn the loin daily so the brine cures it evenly through — 3 days is what seasons it to the center.
- 35 min
Remove, rinse, and pat dry; optionally cold-smoke for 3 hours.
- 44 min
Slice into 1.5cm chops.
- 56 min
Pan-fry in a little oil over medium heat, 3 minutes per side, until the edges crisp and the center is just cooked.
Watch outPan-fry just until the edges crisp and the center's barely done — the lean loin dries out fast, so a hint of pink is fine.
- 64 min
Serve hot as part of a breakfast or on a bun.
