Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Curing time: 48 hrs
Total: 48 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Simply put, salt pork is pork that is salt cured. This homemade salt pork is more flavorful than the store-bought version, and it’s very simple and inexpensive to make. Using only four ingredients, with the main ingredient being pork belly, this recipe takes only 10 minutes of your time to prep. It’s then followed by a curing time of 48 hours before you can use it.
We have provided a section below the recipe to get you started enjoying your own homemade version of salt pork. Frying up some salt pork is the essential first step in making classic seafood or corn chowders.
Ingredients
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10 ounces kosher salt, or other non-iodized salt
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1/3 cup granulated sugar
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2 1/2 pounds boneless pork belly, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Combine the salt and sugar. Rub the pork belly slices with some of the salt and sugar mixture.
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Spread a layer of the sugar and salt mixture on the bottom of a glass, ceramic, or stainless steel container. Place a layer of pork belly slices on top.
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Sprinkle the pork slices with a little more of the salt and sugar mixture.
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Add another layer of pork slices and then the salt-sugar mixture.
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Continue adding layers of pork belly slices, sprinkling each layer with the salt and sugar mixture.
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Cover and refrigerate. The salt pork will be cured and ready to use in two days. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to a year (it is still safe to eat after this, but the flavor declines).
How to Use Salt Pork
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To use, rinse off the salt pork slices. Pat them dry with a paper towel or clean cloth.
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Cut into cubes or small strips.
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Cook over low heat until most of the fat is rendered out.
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Sauté a chopped onion in the rendered salt pork fat, and you’re well on your way to making great chowder.
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Enjoy.
Tips
Here are some suggestions for how to use all that salt pork you just made:
Boston Baked Beans
Cuban White Beans Soup
Legal Seafood’s Clam Chowder
Molasses Baked Beans With Salt Pork
Southern Style Turnip Greens
How to Store Salt Pork
Salt pork can last four to five months refrigerated and even longer (double that length of time) if frozen. However you store it, be sure to wrap it well so that it's sealed.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 10 to 12 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 297 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 20g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat 7g | 37% |
| Cholesterol 79mg | 26% |
| Sodium 9245mg | 402% |
| Total Carbohydrate 5g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 5g | |
| Protein 22g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 49mg | 4% |
| Iron 1mg | 5% |
| Potassium 229mg | 5% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
