What Is Salt pork and How Can I Use It?
Salt pork rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 115 recipes to cook with it.
Key Points
- Salt pork is salt-cured pork belly or fatback, a flavoring fat, not a meat to eat alone.
- Render it slowly to give beans, chowders, and greens a savory, porky base.
- It is intensely salty: rinse it and hold back added salt until the end.
- Unlike bacon it is unsmoked and far fattier, often nearly all fat.
- Swap unsmoked bacon, pancetta, fatback, or a ham hock; keeps weeks refrigerated.
What is salt pork?
Salt pork is fatty pork belly or fatback that has been cured in heavy salt. It is not meant to be eaten on its own like bacon.
It is a flavoring agent: a block of seasoned fat you render down to give body and a savory backbone to beans, chowders, and braised greens.
Think of it as the salty, porky base note under a dish rather than the star. A small piece flavors a whole pot.
How to Use It
Salt pork is usually diced and rendered slowly over low heat until the fat melts out and the bits brown. That rendered fat becomes the cooking medium for everything that follows, and the crisp bits get stirred back in or used as a garnish.
In New England cooking it is the soul of the bean pot. Boston Baked Beans in Bean Pot and New England Baked Beans both bury a chunk of salt pork in the beans, where it slowly seasons them over hours of baking.
It does the same job in soups and chowders. French Canadian Pea Soup and New England Clam Chowder with Salt Pork start by rendering salt pork so every spoonful carries that savory depth, even though true salt pork is unsmoked.
Because it is intensely salty, rinse it or even simmer it briefly in water before using, and hold back on added salt until the very end. Taste, then season.
Salt Pork Versus Bacon
The two come from similar places on the pig but are not interchangeable straight across. Bacon is cured and then smoked, so it brings a smoky flavor salt pork does not have. Salt pork is cured in salt only, with no smoke, giving a cleaner, purely porky-salty taste.
It is also much fattier, often nearly all fat with little or no meat streak. That is exactly what you want when the point is to render fat.
Substitutes
Bacon is the easiest swap, since most kitchens have it. Use unsmoked bacon if you can find it, or accept that smoked bacon will add a smoky note. Cut back on salt either way.
Pancetta, the Italian cured belly, is another close stand-in: cured but unsmoked like salt pork, though leaner. Fatback works if you add salt yourself, and a ham hock brings a similar savory depth to a long-simmered pot.
Buying and Storing
Salt pork comes in a solid slab, usually vacuum-sealed. Look for it near the bacon or in the pork section, a piece that is mostly white fat with maybe a thin streak of pink.
Thanks to the heavy cure it keeps far longer than fresh pork. Refrigerated, an unopened package lasts several weeks, and once opened it holds a couple of weeks tightly wrapped.
For longer storage, freeze it for up to 6 months. The salt slows spoilage but does not stop it, so check for any off smell before using.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 oz (28g)Quick facts
Where to find salt pork: Salt pork is usually found in the meats section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Salt pork is a member of the Pork Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 咸猪肉
- British (UK) term
- Salt pork
- en français
- porc salé
- en español
- carne de cerdo salada
How much does salt pork weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 ounce | 28 grams |
| 8 ounce | 227 grams |
Related
Pork Products
Recipes using salt pork
There are 115 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Beef & Beans
Slow cooker beef and beans with cubed chuck, salt pork, and pinto beans simmered in tomato paste, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Old-school cowboy comfort food, low and slow until the beef pulls apart.
New England Baked Beans
Traditional comfort food goodness from New England. Go traditional with slow and low oven baking or use your crockpot and let it simmer all day.
Traditional Crockpot Boston Baked Beans
Take a trip to Boston with this savory dish that is best served with bread bowls or dinner rolls.
Old Fashioned Nova Scotian Baked Beans
Old-fashioned Nova Scotian baked beans: dried beans slow-baked for hours with salt pork, onion, molasses, and mustard into deep, sweet-savory comfort. The real Maritime tradition, from scratch.
Boston Baked Beans in Bean Pot
Boston baked beans done the old-fashioned way: dried beans slow-baked for hours in a bean pot with salt pork, molasses and dry mustard, until thick, sticky and deeply sweet-savory. From scratch, no cans.
French Canadian Pea Soup
This authentic French Canadian recipe is a classic belly warmer and perfect for a cold day. Split-pea soup with a ham bone, ham hock or salt pork. Make it a vegetarian split-pea soup by leaving out the ham bone and using vegetable stock instead of water.
Ma's Baked Beans
Old-fashioned baked beans made from scratch with dried navy beans, molasses, brown sugar and salt pork, slow-baked all day until thick and deeply savory-sweet. The real Boston-style deal, no can required.
Tasty Vegetable Stew
An old-fashioned root vegetable stew with salt pork, cabbage, carrots, turnips, parsnips, and potatoes slow-steamed until fork-tender. Farmhouse cooking at its most honest and filling.
Ho'O Kanaka Stew
Ho'o Kanaka Stew, a traditional Hawaiian beef and vegetable stew thickened with poi. Salt pork, chuck, cabbage, and tropical staples in one rustic pot.
Clam Chowder, Maine Style
Traditional Maine clam chowder with salt pork, potatoes, and fresh clams creates a creamy, briny bowl that tastes like the New England coast.
Crockpot Beef & Beans
A simple and tasty recipe that is hassle-free and easy to make with a crockpot.
Dave's Deluxe Gift Corn Chowder
Dave's deluxe corn chowder simmers salt pork, curry, and tarragon with russet potatoes and creamed corn in evaporated milk. Overnight-rested chowder made for gifting or Sunday dinner.
Roast Boar & Black Bean Chili
Wild boar saddle slow-roasted over Cuban-style black beans with dark rum, smoked ham, and salt pork. Hunter's chili with deep, layered flavors and traditional egg-and-scallion garnish.
Beef-Cabbage Rolls in a Clay Cooker
Beef cabbage rolls baked in a clay cooker with ground beef, salt pork, cooked rice, and beef stock. The clay pot traps steam for tender, juicy rolls with a rich, meaty filling.
Home Baked Beans
Old-fashioned home baked beans with navy beans, salt pork, molasses, and dry mustard. Slow-baked for 6 hours in a bean pot for deep, smoky-sweet flavor.
Chicken-Okra Gumbo, Plains-Style
Southern chicken and okra gumbo with salt pork, fresh tomatoes, and hot pepper, served over fluffy white rice. A slow-simmered Plains-style gumbo with deep, smoky flavor.
Clam Chowder - Maine Style
Maine clam chowder simmers ground clams with salt pork, onions, and potatoes, finished with evaporated milk. Old-fashioned New England chowder with deep coastal flavor.
Red Beans & Rice(Dupree)
New Orleans-style red beans and rice slow-simmered with salt pork, the holy trinity, hot sauce, and Worcestershire. A Cajun Monday tradition from dried beans.
Spaghetti All'Amatriciana
Spaghetti all'Amatriciana with salt pork, sieved tomatoes, white wine, chili pepper, and pecorino Romano. A classic Roman pasta sauce with smoky, spicy, tangy depth.
Pigeon Forge Pintos
Pigeon Forge pintos, a Tennessee-style baked bean with pinto beans, salt pork, molasses, brown sugar, and dry mustard slow-baked for 6 to 8 hours. Smoky Mountain comfort in a bean pot.
Traditional Baked Beans
Traditional slow cooker baked beans made from dried white beans with molasses, brown sugar, salt pork, and Dijon mustard. Low and slow for 13 hours until thick and smoky.
Baked Pea Beans
Slow-baked navy beans layered with salt pork, smoked ham, onions, garlic, mustard, and a splash of rum. A rich, old-school baked bean recipe with Caribbean flair.
Daube De Queue De Boeuf
Oxtail is one of the most economical and most flavorful cuts of meat, and one that takes well to marinating for days in a hearty mixture of red wine, herbs, and vegetables. The longer you marinate the mixture, the more flavorful it will be, but be sure it marinates at least 3 days. Oxtail is also a fatty cut -- give yourself plenty of time to allow the stew to cook and then cool, so all the fat can be skimmed off. Serve this with thick noodles in warmed soup bowls, accompanied by a tossed salad, and of course, a robust red wine.
Southwestern Beef & Beans
Slow cooker Southwestern beef and pinto beans with salt pork, red chili, cumin seeds, and tomato paste. Set it and forget it for 9-10 hours of hands-off cooking.
MacAroni & Bean Soup
Macaroni and bean soup with white beans, salt pork, elbow pasta, and a tomato-beef broth base. An Italian-American pasta e fagioli cousin with a hearty two-hour simmer for deep flavor.
Hulled Corn Soup (Ai)
Hulled corn soup (Ai) is a traditional Native American dish made by nixtamalizing dried corn with hardwood ashes, then simmering with red kidney beans and salt pork for hours until tender.
Caldo Gallego
Caldo Gallego: hearty Galician white bean stew with salt pork, ham bone, chorizo, potatoes, and collard greens. A slow-simmered Spanish comfort stew that warms you to the bone.
Puerto Rican Rice with Chicken
Arroz con pollo Puerto Rican style with chicken marinated overnight in adobo, sofrito, salt pork, ham, olives, capers, and peas, then simmered together into one golden pot.
New Orleans Daube
New Orleans daube with a 4-5 pound beef roast braised low and slow with salt pork, sherry, cloves, and thyme, served sliced over spaghetti with pan juices.
Gourmet's Boston Baked Beans
Classic Boston baked beans with navy beans, salt pork, and molasses, slow-baked for six hours until thick and bronzed. The traditional New England Saturday-night supper.
Fish & Brewis
Traditional Newfoundland fish and brewis with salt cod, hardtack bread, and fried salt pork scrunchions. A three-ingredient Maritime classic soaked overnight.
Stuffed Wild Duck
Wild duck soaked in lemon water, stuffed with celery, onion, orange, and apple, then slow-roasted under salt pork until tender. A hunter's classic done right.
Favourite Feijoada
Feijoada: Brazil's national dish, a rich black bean stew slow-simmered with an array of smoked and cured meats, then served with rice, collard greens, and orange slices. A weekend feast for a crowd.
Clam Chowder-- Maine Style
Maine-style clam chowder simmers ground clams, salt pork, potatoes, and onions in evaporated milk for a brothy, no-flour Down East soup. The lean New England original, served with crackers.
Italian Pepper Sausage
Homemade Italian pepper sausage with coarse ground pork, salt pork, fennel, paprika, red pepper flakes, and red wine stuffed into natural hog casings.
Oven Baked Beans
Old-fashioned oven baked beans with navy beans, salt pork, molasses, and brown sugar. Slow-baked in a covered casserole for hours until thick, sticky, and deeply sweet-savory.
Scandinavian Supper Soup
Scandinavian split pea soup slow-cooked with salt pork, frankfurters, carrots, leeks, and thyme. A hearty, thick one-pot supper that simmers for 10 hours in a crockpot. Traditional Nordic comfort food.
Creamy Clam Chowder
New England creamy clam chowder steams fresh littlenecks for their broth, then simmers with salt pork, potatoes, onions, and half-and-half. The classic from-scratch version, no canned shortcuts.
Texas Cowpoke Pintos
Texas-style cowpoke pinto beans cooked low and slow with smoked bacon, salt pork, jalapeños, cumin, and chili powder. Crockpot or stovetop, freezes well for refried beans later.
Sicilian Pot Roast
Beef rump roast stuffed with olives, garlic, and salt pork, then braised low and slow in crushed tomatoes with raisins and onions. A Sicilian Sunday dinner classic.
Awesome Clam Chowder
New England clam chowder with rendered salt pork, golden onions, tender potatoes, and fresh chopped clams in a milk broth. Old-school chowder, no flour thickener.
Polenta with Beef & Sausage Stew
Italian polenta with beef and sausage stew, a rustic Northern Italian dish of braised beef, hot Italian sausage, and mushrooms served over creamy polenta.
Veal Scaloppine with Chianti
Warm up your winter with this savory dish that will have you licking your lips after every bite.
Hot Cowboy Beans
Hot cowboy beans: pinto beans simmered low and slow with salt pork, ham hock, onion, jalapeños, and chili powder. A Texas chuckwagon classic that gets better every day.
New England Double Clam Chowder
Authentic New England double clam chowder built from fresh-steamed clams and bottled clam juice for layered seafood depth. Salt pork, potatoes, milk, and cream simmer slowly into a thick, traditional chowder.
McCarthy Family Fish Chowder
McCarthy family fish chowder: New England-style haddock chowder with salt pork, potatoes, onion, and milk. Eight ingredients, one pot, feeds six.
Red's Prize Winnin' Pintos
This tasty side dish made with pinto beans, salt pork and jalapeno peppers goes great with rice or even bread bowls.
Crock-Style Beans
Slow cooker baked beans with navy beans, salt pork, molasses, and brown sugar. Cooked low and slow for up to 14 hours, these old-fashioned crockpot beans are thick, smoky, and deeply sweet.
Easy Italian Roast Beef
Add an authentic Italian taste to your beef roast with this easy recipe that is perfect for a Sunday dinner.
More salt pork recipes
- All-Day Beans
- Awesome Clam Chowder
- Beef Rolls
- Crock-Style Beans
- Crockpot Southwestern Beef & Beans
- Crockpot Southwestern Beef & Beans
- Easy Italian Roast Beef
- Hot Cowboy Beans
- Italian Pepper Sausage
- Liver Loaf with Pan Gravy
- McCarthy Family Fish Chowder
- New York Style Clam Chowder
- Saucey Baked Beans(Idaho)
- Southwestern Beef & Beans
