What Is Salt Pork?

Salt pork is the fat that has been cut from the stomach, back and sides of a hog or pig and cured in salt. It is used to flavor a variety of foods, such as stews, beans, gravies, roasts, biscuits and even cakes.

Fat Content

Salt pork has a very high fat content. Two ounces of it contain 46 grams of fat, and 17 of those grams are saturated fat. It has 425 calories, and 412 of them are derived from fat.

American Diet

Salt pork was such a common staple in the American diet during the 19th century that people ate it three times per day. It was also one of the foods commonly eaten by both the Union and Confederate Armies during the Civil War.

Not the Same as Bacon

Salt pork is sometimes confused with bacon. The main difference between the two is that bacon is smoked instead of cured, and it contains more meat and flavor than salt pork. But salt pork can be sliced into strips, fried in a pan and eaten like bacon.

References

• Cooks: Results for Salt Pork
• Gourmet Sleuth: Salt Pork
• World Net Web: Salt Pork
• Self Nutrition Data: Pork, Cured, Salt Pork, Raw
• History of the United States: Life in 1800
• The Kitchn: Less Meat, More Flavor: Salt Pork

Resources

• Cooks: Fried Salt Pork