In Appalachian and Southern speech, "side meat" means pork cut from the side of the hog, often salted or cured. It’s similar to bacon but usually unsmoked and fattier, used to season beans, greens, and other country dishes.
- Pork from the hog’s side, salted or cured (noun)
In the kitchen
Mae:
Where’s the bacon?
Earl:
Ain’t got bacon, but I got side meat.
- A flavoring meat for beans and greens (noun, cultural)
At supper
Mae:
Tastes like home cookin’.
Earl:
That’s the side meat workin’ in there.
variations: hog side
★ Side meat is often confused with bacon, but it’s usually unsmoked and saltier. Country cooks used it to stretch meals, flavor beans, or fry up when bacon wasn’t on hand. ★
Origin and Etymology
"Side meat" simply refers to pork from the side of the hog. In rural America, especially the South and Appalachia, it became a kitchen staple alongside salt pork and fatback.
Usage Notes
Still found in traditional Appalachian and Southern kitchens, especially for beans and greens. Not as common in modern cooking, but older generations know it well.
See also: salt pork, fatback.
Not exactly - bacon is smoked and often sugar-cured, while side meat is usually just salted and cured.
Is side meat the same as salt pork?
Very close - both are cured pork, though side meat often has a bit more lean mixed with fat.
Do people still use side meat today?
Less common in grocery stores, but still used in country kitchens and traditional recipes.
How to Cite This Page
APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, September 15). Side Meat. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/side-meat
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Side Meat." HillbillySlang.com, 15 Sept. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/side-meat.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Side Meat." HillbillySlang.com. September 15, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/side-meat.
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We used 'side meat' growin' up in 