Homemade Back Bacon Recipe [Canadian Bacon] - Celebration Generation (2024)

You might know that "Canadian Bacon" sold in the USA is a light approximation of actual Canadian back bacon... but did you know the real thing is easy to make, and SO much tastier than what you can buy there? Here, I show you how!

It’s been a few years since I’ve moved home after 12 years in the United States.

Barely a day goes by where I don’t feel utterly spoiled by living in the GTA, whether it’s the amazing food, radio that actually plays the music I love, great customer service, or just.... the CBC.

Life really is better with having easy access to CBC comedies, I’m just saying.

While I was living in the USA, I was shocked by some of the wild differences in - what I considered to be - pretty basic foods.

Bizarre interpretations of poutine, tomatoes with no flavour whatsoever... the “Indurrito” incident... eggs not frying up the same way, etc.

The "Canadian Bacon" Confusion

The bacon thing came up again recently, so I figured it was time to write a post specifically about our bacon. I address it a bit in my Peameal Bacon post, but it really deserves its own, IMHO.

Anyway, the first time I went looking for it in a (Minneapolis) local store, I was in for a rude awakening.

No one had any idea what it was! When one clerk realized what kind of bacon I was asking for, they said “OH! Canadian Bacon!”, and proudly led me to... ham.

Folks, this was not anything resembling any kind of proper bacon I’ve ever seen, much less even an approximation of the good stuff from back home!

They were little formed rounds of a processed ham product, and looked like mini black forest ham slices, maybe just thicker?

Nothing at all like the real thing!

Real "Canadian Bacon" is sliced from smoked, cured pork loins. Thick slices, brown it up in a frying pan with a little oil and some eggs - it’s the perfect Sunday morning breakfast!

This... was not that.

Anyway, let’s take a closer look at this bacon, “Canadian bacon”, and just different styles of bacon in general... then, on to my back bacon recipe!

Types of Bacon

If you ask random people what real bacon is, the answer is going to vary wildly based on which parts of the world they’re from.

Same goes for asking which is the best bacon, btw!

Anyway, the biggest distinguishing feature between the various types of bacon is the cut of meat that it’s made from, though there are also differences in the curing and cooking.

American Bacon

This is what most people in North America think of as “bacon” (when no modifier is present).

This is the regular style of bacon sold in grocery stores here, streaky bacon strips made from curing pork belly. You know. Regular bacon, bacon rashers.

”Canadian Bacon”

In the USA, a very rough, vague approximation of our pork loin bacon is sold as “Canadian Bacon” - but it tends to lack flavour, and is more like basic ham than anything.

I suppose technically ours is “just ham” as well, but it definitely has a different flavour and texture profile than what I would consider “just ham”.

“Canadian Bacon” looks like formed, processed ham, rather than anything identifiable as an actual pork loin, and it doesn’t have much flavour.

Does American “Canadian bacon” just not flavour the brine?

Is it just that the meat they start with isn’t as good? I don’t know.

Anyway, while it’s sold in stores along with other breakfast-style meats, you’re most likely to see “Canadian bacon” on pizza.

Fun fact, on that note: The meat isn’t the only thing Canadian about “Hawaiian” pizza - the pizza itself was invented by a Canadian!

Back Bacon

The legit stuff is made from a chunk of boneless pork loin that’s been cured in a flavourful brine for at least a few days before being smoked.

It’s great bacon: it has a lot of flavour, and is a nice, meaty bacon with very little fat.

Says my husband (who recently passed his Canadian citizenship test, I might add!): "It has a better texture than the stuff I've had - firm but not stringy or chewy. Much better flavor, more character. I definitely see a big difference, and I'm not going back".

It’s closely related to peameal bacon, which starts out the same way - pork loin being cured in a brine - but then it’s rolled yellow cornmeal, sliced up, and fried.

(Traditionally, it was coated in dried yellow peas. Cornmeal is a lot easier on the teeth!)

Depending on where you live in Canada, peameal bacon can be a LOT more popular than "Canadian Bacon" - here in the Greater Toronto Area, for instance.

Anyway, this can be served as-is, though it’s usually reheated in some form: fried as part of breakfast or in a sandwich, or thinly sliced and used to make pizza.

I promise you, making a pizza with this - the real deal - will wreck you for all other “Canadian bacon” pizzas.

I make my own spicy version of Hawaiian pizza - this bacon, pineapple, thinly sliced jalapenos, and a drizzle of Sriracha.. spectacular!

Anyway...

How to Make Canadian Bacon

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of the post, this is the pictorial walk through with more tips.

Cut pork loin into 2 approximately equal-sized chunks (crosswise, NOT lengthwise!).

Trim most of the visible fat, if you’d like. Some people don’t bother, but I don’t like the extra fat on mine.

Wrap and chill until ready to use.

Measure 4 cups of water into a large pot, add remaining ingredients, aside from pork and rest of water.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add remaining water, stir to combine.

Allow to cool to room temperature.

Place one chunk of pork loin in each of 2 gallon sized freezer bags.

Note: I like to manually divide the lemon wedges and bay leaves equally between the two bags before pouring half of the brine into each bag.

Push out most of the air, seal the bags, and put them in the fridge – I put both bags into a 9 x 12 cake pan, just in case of leakage, etc.

Allow the pork to brine for 5 whole days, turning once daily to ensure the pork loins are completely submerged.

After 5 days, discard brine, and rinse pork loins with cold water. Use a few pieces of paper towel to pat dry.

Hot smoke with your choice of wood chips until it reaches an internal temperature of 145-150 F. (62.5 - 65.5 C)

Note: The nutritional information provided is for the entire batch, and... isn’t quite accurate.

The recipe software calculates nutritional information based on the ingredients listed, and has no way of even estimating how much of, say, the maple syrup is actually absorbed by the meat while marinating.

As such, it WILDLY overestimates the amount of added sugar from the maple syrup.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe

4.89 from 18 votes

Homemade Back Bacon [Canadian Bacon]

You might know that "Canadian Bacon" sold in the USA is a light approximation of actual Canadian back bacon... but did you know the real thing is easy to make, and SO much tastier than what you can buy there? Here, I show you how!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Curing Time5 days d

Total Time5 days d 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Canadian

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Servings: 4 lbs of Back Bacon

Calories: 862kcal

Author: Marie Porter

Equipment

• 1 Large pot

• 2 Large Freezer Bags

• Smoker or Grill

Ingredients

• 1 Pork loin about 4 lbs
• 12 cup Cold water divided
• 1 cup Maple syrup
• ½ cup Pickling salt
• 2 tablespoon Mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoon Black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoon Prague powder #1 cure
• 4 Garlic cloves pressed
• 3 Whole cloves
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 Lemon sliced into wedges

Instructions

• Cut pork loin into 2 approximately equal sized chunks (crosswise, NOT lengthwise!).

• Trim most of the visible fat, if you’d like. Some people don’t bother, but I don’t like the extra fat on mine.

• Wrap and chill until ready to use.

• Measure 4 cups of water into a large pot, add remaining ingredients, aside from pork and rest of water.

• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add remaining water, stir to combine.

• Allow to cool to room temperature.

• Place one chunk of pork loin in each of 2 gallon sized freezer bags.

• I like to manually divide the lemon wedges and bay leaves equally between the two bags before pouring

• half of the brine into each bag.

• Push out most of the air, seal the bags, and put them in the fridge – I put both bags into a 9 x 12 cake pan, just in case of leakage, etc.

• Allow the pork to brine for 5 whole days, turning once daily to ensure the pork loins are completely submerged.

• After 5 days, discard brine, and rinse pork loins with cold water. Use paper towels to pat dry.

• Hot smoke with your choice of wood chips until it reaches an internal temperature of 145-150 F. (62.5 - 65.5 C)

Notes

Note: The nutritional information provided is for the entire batch, and... isn’t quite accurate.

The recipe software calculates nutritional information based on the ingredients listed, and has no way of even estimating how much of, say, the maple syrup is actually absorbed by the meat while marinating.

Nutrition

Calories: 862kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 104g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 14414mg | Potassium: 2001mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 4mg