What You Need to Know
Salt pork is salt-cured pork. It is usually prepared from pork belly, or, less commonly, fatback. Salt pork typically resembles uncut side bacon, but is fattier, being made from the lowest part of the belly, and saltier, as the cure is stronger and performed for longer, and never smoked. The fat on the meat is necessary for the curing process as it allows the salt to soak in and preserve the meat. Salt pork is made by layering salt and thin layers of meat, then dousing it in a brine mixture once the desired size has been reached.
Steps
- 1.
Boston baked beans (United States): Provides rich pork flavor and fat for slow cooking
- 2.
Cassoulet (France): Adds depth of flavor and preserves meat for long stewing
- 3.
Feijoada (Brazil): Traditional ingredient that seasons the black bean stew