Canadian Bacon...WTH???

[wulfie68]

I was born and raised and lived the majority of my life in Alberta (mostly in places north of Edmonton but I spent time in Medicine Hat, Taber and lived the last decade in Calgary). This past summer I moved to Pennsylvania, just east of Pittsburgh, married the woman of my dreams and had a son here. I take the ribbing on my "accent" in good nature ( I speak the Queen's English, not the drawling mutation they speak down here! And I don't say "aboot" no matter how much my wife and her 12 year old son claim) but one thing has me genuinely perplexed.

In restarants, on pizzas, sandwiches, with omelettes, they talk about "Canadian Bacon" and present it as this small piece of what looks to me to be some kind of ham, about 2" across. In Alberta I have never seen "bacon" that looks like this, or called any such thing bacon. It may be smoked/cured/pork but that doesn't mean its bacon. Bacon to me is the stuff that comes in strips as shown in the images on this page:

Google Image Result for http://baconhaikus.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/bacon-05.jpg

Do you guys in other parts of the country have such a creation or is this just some marketing gimmick by some American companies to jazz up their ingredients (because Canadian Bacon sounds more exotic than ham...?!)?

 

[TenPenny]

It's what we in Canada call 'back bacon'.

Don't ask me why.

 

[countryboy]

I was born and raised and lived the majority of my life in Alberta (mostly in places north of Edmonton but I spent time in Medicine Hat, Taber and lived the last decade in Calgary). This past summer I moved to Pennsylvania, just east of Pittsburgh, married the woman of my dreams and had a son here. I take the ribbing on my "accent" in good nature ( I speak the Queen's English, not the drawling mutation they speak down here! And I don't say "aboot" no matter how much my wife and her 12 year old son claim) but one thing has me genuinely perplexed.

In restarants, on pizzas, sandwiches, with omelettes, they talk about "Canadian Bacon" and present it as this small piece of what looks to me to be some kind of ham, about 2" across. In Alberta I have never seen "bacon" that looks like this, or called any such thing bacon. It may be smoked/cured/pork but that doesn't mean its bacon. Bacon to me is the stuff that comes in strips as shown in the images on this page:

Google Image Result for http://baconhaikus.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/bacon-05.jpg

Do you guys in other parts of the country have such a creation or is this just some marketing gimmick by some American companies to jazz up their ingredients (because Canadian Bacon sounds more exotic than ham...?!)?

Wulfie - we call it "back bacon" in most parts of Canada...I think it's in Alberta too under that name, isn't it? I'm sure it was when I lived in Edmonton for about 5 years.

 

[countryboy]

...we call the "strips" side bacon...

 

[karrie]

I've lived in Alberta (almost) all my life (I don't relaly count Fort St John as moving to BC... lol), and eaten plenty of back bacon. It's more expensive though (from a better cut of meat), so it was eaten less often than conventional ham, and, of course, is used in different applications because it's not a fatty, crispy bacon.

 

[lone wolf]

Seems to me I remember my sister freaking at the breakfast table because the rind on her bacon had a nipple on it....

Farm fresh pork - excellent

Look on brother's face when sister knocked a fat lip onto him - priceless

 

[petros]

One is made from pork bellies (the underside of the abdomen) the other is made from muscles in the back of the pig with a little different curing and smoking process.

 

[countryboy]

At the CNE in Toronto, one of the favorite treats used to be back bacon on a bun...all piled high...yum. Haven't been there for years, but I hope they still continue that tradition.

 

[#juan]

At the CNE in Toronto, one of the favorite treats used to be back bacon on a bun...all piled high...yum. Haven't been there for years, but I hope they still continue that tradition.

The best back bacon is made from large pork tenderloins while side bacon is made from the abdominal wall of a side of pork.

 

[AnnaG]

Yup, cured pork loin is back bacon (AKA Canadian bacon).
Cured belly is side bacon.
Ham is from the thighs and rump.
3 different cuts.
There's also something known as fatback or something like that and it's almost completely fat cut from the backs of hogs.

 

[countryboy]

Seems to me I remember my sister freaking at the breakfast table because the rind on her bacon had a nipple on it....

Farm fresh pork - excellent

Look on brother's face when sister knocked a fat lip onto him - priceless

Ha, ha...I've seen "the nipple" on some bacon slabs too...makes you back up and take a second look the first time it happens...My dad used to say, "Well, whatever was wrong with that pig's t*ts is certainly cured now!" :lol:

 

[DaSleeper]

Also called Peameal Bacon

 

[VanIsle]

I was born and raised and lived the majority of my life in Alberta (mostly in places north of Edmonton but I spent time in Medicine Hat, Taber and lived the last decade in Calgary). This past summer I moved to Pennsylvania, just east of Pittsburgh, married the woman of my dreams and had a son here. I take the ribbing on my "accent" in good nature ( I speak the Queen's English, not the drawling mutation they speak down here! And I don't say "aboot" no matter how much my wife and her 12 year old son claim) but one thing has me genuinely perplexed.

In restarants, on pizzas, sandwiches, with omelettes, they talk about "Canadian Bacon" and present it as this small piece of what looks to me to be some kind of ham, about 2" across. In Alberta I have never seen "bacon" that looks like this, or called any such thing bacon. It may be smoked/cured/pork but that doesn't mean its bacon. Bacon to me is the stuff that comes in strips as shown in the images on this page:

Google Image Result for http://baconhaikus.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/bacon-05.jpg

Do you guys in other parts of the country have such a creation or is this just some marketing gimmick by some American companies to jazz up their ingredients (because Canadian Bacon sounds more exotic than ham...?!)?

Americans are the ones who started referring to "back bacon" as Canadian Bacon. Yes - others are correct when they state it is the cut from the back (probably the loin), side bacon (stripes) is taken from the rib area. Back bacon is usually considerably more expensive than side bacon and contains much more meat and less fat than side bacon. There is nothing quite as tasty as a toasted tomato and back bacon sandwich. (you can even add a little cheese and lettuce).

 

[VanIsle]

BTW - it is sold everywhere in Canada under the name of back bacon. It's just not usually right with the bacon. It's usually near the packaged cold meats.

 

[DurkaDurka]

Mmm, peameal. I usually buy a big chunk of it from the Saint Lawrence market every once in a while, much better then bacon strips.

 

[Bar Sinister]

Judging from the amount of so called "Canadian bacon" on the shelves of supermarkets it appears that a majority of Canadians do not eat it. I suspect this is simply another US myth about Canada. like the "fact" that we are so damned polite.

 

[talloola]

OK then, if you are all so 'smart' lol. What is salt
pork.

 

[Cliffy]

OK then, if you are all so 'smart' lol. What is salt
pork.

salted pork belly fat not smoked

 

[talloola]

salted pork belly fat not smoked

So, what is it that everyone used to do with it in the
old days, seemed quite common then.

 

[Cliffy]

So, what is it that everyone used to do with it in the
old days, seemed quite common then.

Baked Beans - good ol' poop soup.