salt pork

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "salt pork" means pork belly or fat that’s been heavily salted to preserve it. It was a kitchen staple before refrigeration, used to season beans, greens, and country dishes.

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Hillbilly Dude Says...

I didn't hear about 'salt pork' until I was older, so it may be regional. A couple counties over, it seems more like an old staple.

Pronunciation

[SAWLT pork]

Meaning & Usage

- Pork belly or fat preserved with salt (noun)

Mae:

What’s in that bag?

Earl:

Salt pork for the greens.

- A traditional flavoring meat (noun, cultural)

Mae:

Tastes smoky.

Earl:

That’s the salt pork talkin’.

other spellings: salted pork

★ Unlike bacon, salt pork is not smoked and usually not cured with sugar - it’s just heavily salted. That made it a cheap, long-lasting ingredient in country kitchens. ★

Origin

Salt-preserving pork goes back centuries in Europe. In America, salt pork became a cornerstone of rations during colonial times, the Civil War, and rural life before refrigeration. It remained especially common in Southern and Appalachian cooking.

Notes

Still used in traditional recipes, though less common today. Many cooks now substitute bacon or fatback, but salt pork has its own salty punch. See also: fatback.

Say It Like a Southerner

Said plain: "salt pork." Often shortened in country talk: "sawl’ pork."

Kin Topics

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Common Questions

Is salt pork the same as bacon?

No - bacon is smoked and often has sugar in the cure. Salt pork is just salted fat or belly.

Is it the same as fatback?

Close - but fatback is pure back fat, while salt pork usually comes from the belly and may have both fat and meat.

Do people still use it today?

Less than before, but you’ll still find it in soul food, traditional Appalachian, and Southern recipes.