How to Cook a Whole Peameal Bacon Roast

Peameal bacon is one of my favourite cuts of meat for breakfast or brunch. Baking a whole peameal bacon roast in the oven is super simple and will be super moist and tender every time.

Overhead picture of a cooked roast of peameal bacon.

I love peameal bacon. Whenever I go out to a restaurant for breakfast and the waiter asks if I want, bacon, sausage, ham or peameal, I pretty much always choose peameal bacon. On top of the wonderful flavour of this cut of meat, it is nice that it is a healthier option compared to traditional bacon. Peameal bacon slices is just amazing on eggs benedict. So good!

Close up picture of cooked pea meal bacon with a couple slices cut off and resting in front.

What Is Peameal Bacon?

Peameal bacon is a cured boneless pork loin. There is very little fat in this super lean cut of meat, compared to what we traditionally refer to as bacon.

After the pork loin roast has been wet cured, it is rolled in corn meal. The name peameal, comes from the fact that decades ago cured pork loins were rolled in ground dried yellow peas. But, for a long time now, the roast has been rolled in corn meal while the name has still stayed the same.

Peameal Bacon: Whole Roast vs Sliced

While I often like to fry up slices of peameal bacon on a skillet, there are times, I want to have it cooked as a whole roast. This is nice to serve for a large group at a breakfast or brunch meal. It is simple as well, just prepping the meat and sticking it in the oven for a couple hours. A roasted whole peameal bacon is nice because it is super moist and juicy and great on a plate with eggs, hash browns, toast and other breakfast items.

Uncooked pea meal bacon in a baking dish.

How To Prep A Peameal Bacon Roast

Place the roast in a baking dish with the skin side facing up. Take a sharp knife to score the top of the pork roast. I like to make cuts into the meat about 1/2 inch deep. Make cuts one way and then make cuts at a 90 degree angle to create squares across the top of the roast.

Expert Tip! While making these slits into the meat is not necessary for cooking, I find that it allows the sweetness of the maple syrup to penetrate into the meat.

Brushing some maple syrup on an uncooked piece of meat.

Brush With Maple Syrup

While the roast can be cooked the way it is, I love to brush some maple syrup on the top. This sweetens the meat and creates a nice glaze on the outside of the meat. Brush the maple syrup on very lightly so the peameal does not get brushed off the top of the meat. The maple syrup is all that I use, but it is also possible to add some spices as well.

Expert Tip! It is possible to rub the roast down with different seasonings, mustard, brown sugar and honey. You could use some seasoning like chipotle powder, paprika, black pepper, a hint of cinnamon, and more. There are so many possibilities.

How Long To Bake Peameal Bacon Roast

Cover the baking dish with foil. Place the roast in a 375F preheated oven and bake for one hour. Once the first hour is done, remove the foil and continue cooking. The roast is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165F. The total cooking time varies on the size and shape of the roast, but it should be around 2 hours of total cooking time.

Expert Tip! The best way to check if the roast is done is by using a digital thermometer. A thermometer that you can leave in the roast during cooking, or an instant read that you stick in on occasion during baking, will give you the internal temperature of the meat.

Baked pork roast with three slices in front.

Let It Rest

Once the internal temperature has been reached, remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Then, use a sharp carving knife to slice up the roast in 1/4 or 1/2 inch slices. Serve immediately.

More Great Breakfast Recipes

How to Cook a Whole Peameal Bacon Roast

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Detailed instructions for cooking a whole pea meal bacon roast in the oven. Moist and juicy meat that is tender with a sweetness from the maple syrup glaze.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 3 pound peameal bacon roast
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Place peameal bacon roast, skin side up in a baking dish. Score the top of the meat, cutting in about 1/2 inch deep. Make the cuts diagonally, and then cut the same lines at a 90 degree angle.
  • Brush the maple syrup on the top of the roast.
  • Cover the baking dish with foil.
  • Place in the oven and bake for one hour. Remove the foil and continue cooking until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
  • Remove from the oven and and let it rest for 5 minutes.
  • Slice and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving:

Calories: 294kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 35gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 1539mgSugar: 6g

Nutrition Disclaimer

Categories

Overhead picture of a cooked roast of peameal bacon.

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4.91 from 21 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




40 comments

  • 5 stars
    So easy to make – so delicious I carve and serve as a company meal – as this is such an inexpensive cut. I top it with pineapple rings and any Left overs make it into a crustless quiche next day. This is a great recipe – and my go to recipe at least once a month. Thanks, kate

    • Reply
  • Like Eliie, I also wash off the gritty stuff before cooking the ham.

    A good companion dish is sweet potato and apple casserole with a sprinkling of ginger.

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  • 4 stars
    Will try for thanksgiving and create. Thank you so much.

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Great recipe, going to try it on my kamado bbq next in a foil pan and indirect cooking. I’m hoping a little sear in the rear at the end will add a bit of smoky flavour.

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  • 5 stars
    Fabulous and so tender.

    • Reply
  • I added some Dijon Mustard to the maple syrup (2:1) and broiled for the last 5 minutes. This is the best peameal bacon I’ve ever eaten. So juicy and tender, and the broiled savory/sweet crust on top was just enough texture. Thank you!

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    I wouldn’t have thought of the Maple 🍁 Syrup..!!
    Cooking Now!! Thank you..😘

    • Reply
  • I often buy this cut of meat. To cook it, I cover the top of the roast with brown sugar packed onto the roast. Then I pour a can of ginger ale (can be diet or not) around the roast, not over it. I place a lid on the roasting pan and cook at 350 for at least an hour depending on the height of the roast….then to make the top crusty, remove the lid and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes. I love this cut because IF you happen to get lucky and have some left over, it makes fabulous tasting sandwiches!

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  • I tried this recipe with a 1 kilo or 2.2 pound peameal. It was over done at 1 hour in the oven. It was tasty but only 1 hour was needed. Next time I’ll add water to the pan for moisture.

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  • Easy and tasty but somewhat “toasty-gritty” if I can describe it that way. I don’t like cornmeal on anything (bacon or not), except when cooked as a cereal.
    I washed off all of the cornmeal. Brushed the “fatty side up” with Dijon mustard. Forgot to cut the top….Put in the casserole baking dish, covered with lid. Baked at 350 F for 1 hour. It was moist and delicious.
    Thank YOU, and others for different ideas. Who knew bacon could be a “roast” !? 🙂

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    What a perfect recipe for peameal bacon. Thank you!

    • Reply
  • Thanx 4 the recipe I’ve always just cut it up & fried it…So was a great pleasure to cook it this way…My Family enjoyed it.

    • Reply
    • So glad. We love it as well. We used to always fry it. Still do sometimes, but it is nice to have another way to cook peameal bacon.

      • Reply
  • This is a really good recipe. So much easier than frying when you have a group for breakfast. Appreciate the post. Thank you!

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Baked this last night and it was FANTASTIC.. Outer fat cooked down and absolutely no salty taste that peameal bacon often has. I had a 2 pound roast, cooked covered for 1 hour, uncovered for 25 minutes and broil for 5 minutes then rest for 5 minutes.

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  • 5 stars
    I cook this with the second cooking of twice baked potatoes, any drain off from the roast gives the potato peel a terrific flavour

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  • I cannot wait to try this

    • Reply
  • I did a Google search for roasting peameal bacon…and you come up! How cool. I love maple syrup and so I can’t wait to try! so neat to find you on Google…I am not a chef so need all the help I can get. Just a farm girl trying to feed the family 🙂

    • Reply
    • So cool!! Hope you guys are doing well!

      • Reply
      • I served the roasted peameal with mashed sweet potatoes and turnip; pickled beets on the side. Delicious.

        • Reply
  • Delicious recipe, i however used a homade honey mustard glaze, served with ranch taters and fresh corn! So moist and tender!!! Thanks for the tips

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  • I changed the recipe slightly lol.I used hunny instead and surrounded the peameal with carrots and white potatoes and cauliflower florets with garlic,onions and a bit of white wine also diced red and orange peppers. Through it all in a roast pan with a bit of water and cooked for one hour covered and half hr.without the lid also salt and pepper. Oh my god delicious.

    • Reply
  • Any ideas where I can buy Pea Meal in the US? Wanted to get a whole chub. Live in Southwest Florida.

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