How to Cook a Whole Peameal Bacon Roast

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Published on September 16, 2023 by Steve Cylka

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.

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