what can you use pork fat for

Is pork fattier than beef?

The two main things that ground pork and ground beef have in common are their texture and the way they cook. Ground pork is fattier than ground beef, so it’s moister, but both kinds of meat have a very similar texture—they are both soft and crumbly.

What is the difference between pork fat and beef fat?

• Beef has higher fat content than pork • Beef also has higher levels of cholesterol • Beef is called red meat while pork is labeled white meat • Beef contains muscle fibers called slow twitch fibers whereas pork contains fast twitch fibers. • Beef is more expensive than pork About the Author: Olivia

What do you do with pork back fat?

Varieties

• Streaky pork is a section of fat in between the solid slabs of hard fatback near the backbone and the bacon at the belly. ...
• Salt pork is fatback that has been salted and cured to prolong its shelf life. ...
• Lardo is a type of Italian salumi made by curing fatback with salt, herbs (such as rosemary, oregano, or wild fennel), garlic, and other seasonings. ...

Do you eat the fat in pork belly?

Yes, that's right, bacon is pork belly. So if you're a regular bacon eater, don't look now but you're eating the fatty parts of the pork belly. You can completely avoid fat if you like, but as long as you apply common sense by not eating too much of it, I think you'll be just fine. Is salt pork the same as pork belly? Salt pork is salt-cured pork.

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What To Do With Pork Fat Cap

The fat cap can contribute flavor and texture to the pork, but it’s important not to overdo it. We prefer to trim the fat cap to about 1/4 inch, then use the trimmings as a seasoning for other dishes. You can use what’s left of the fat cap to add moisture to the pulled pork after cooking.

How To Trim Pork Butt and Pork Shoulder

Before you add the meat to the smoker, consider trimming the fat cap. This should help you avoid the kind of flare-ups that will contribute a bitter flavor to the smoked meat.

What To Do With Pork Fat Cap Before Smoking

Once you’ve trimmed the fat from the pork butt, you can use it to liven up a number of dishes. If you’re the type of chef who saves their bacon fat for later use, you should be able to appreciate what this practice has to offer. Here are some of our favorites.

What To Do With Pork Fat Cap After Smoking

If you’ve left most of the fat cap intact, one good way to get rid of it is to add the drippings to the pulled pork.

The Bottom Line

Pork fat has numerous uses, and trimming the fat cap from a pork butt can help you take advantage of them.

What Is Salt Pork?

Popular in the South and New England, salt pork is typically used to flavor dishes like baked beans and chowders. In fact, salt pork was a staple in most households before we had refrigeration. Salt pork refers to heavily salted slabs of pork belly and pork sides.

The Difference Between Salt Pork and Bacon

Salt pork and bacon are both made from pork belly, and both are salted to cure the meat. But bacon gets an added step and spends some time in the smoke house, where it takes on its signature "bacony" smoked flavor. Bacon and salt pork are available in slabs or sliced, but bacon is easier to find in national grocery stores.

Salt Pork In History

From the 1600s through the 1800s, salt pork was a rations staple for military troops in the U.S. and Europe. It's high fat content was considered a good source of energy, and it's salty cure meant that it could last on long voyages along with grains, pickled vegetables and ale.

How to Prep Salt Pork

In the old days, salt pork was very heavily salted to preserve it, and soaking it and often simmering it in a few batches of water was required to remove enough salt to make the it palatable.

How to Use Salt Pork

One of the main ways to cook salt pork is to slowly render the fat from it. Then you can use the flavorful fat for cooking and the crisped up pieces of salt pork as a garnish.

Salt Pork Substitute

Since salt pork is pork belly that hasn’t been smoked like bacon and pancetta is pork belly that has been cured but not smoked, we think pancetta is the best substitute flavor wise. Pancetta doesn’t have as much fat as salt pork, so you can add lard to the mix.

Recipes Using Salt Pork

Great fish chowder comes down to just a few high-quality ingredients: the freshest fish, potatoes, broth, cream, onion and salt pork. Some people add a knob of butter and a pinch of paprika, but one thing's for certain: crackers are a must.

Can you substitute pork fat in cooking recipes?

As already mentioned, it is not hard to look for a substitute for pork fat.

What can you substitute for pork fat?

In this section, we are going to go into details each ingredient that can greatly substitute for pork fat in your next dish:

Pork Trimmings

You can use pork trimmings to make lard, which is rendered pork fat; or cracklings, which are the bits of fat and meat that don’t render completely. Lard is a choice ingredient when making fried chicken, home fries, doughnuts, or pastry crust. Pork cracklings are less versatile, but still present many opportunities to get creative.

About Pork Trimmings

Pork trimmings are loosely defined as pork fat that may still have some meat attached. Obviously, you can save them yourself when preparing a pork roast or other large cut, but some butcher shops also sell them by the pound. If you’re hoping to buy pork trimmings, they typically sell for 60 to 90 cents per pound.

About Lard

Lard is pork fat that’s been separated from the meat, rendered, and then chilled. When the process is complete, the lard should be white and creamy. This is one of the most popular uses for pork trimmings, and it’s easy enough for beginners to master.

Types of Pork Fat

Let’s start with the section of the pig that doesn’t make great lard: the belly. This is the section of the pig that’s used to make bacon. As such, it consists of layers of meat alternating with strips of fat. Because there’s usually a fair amount of meat attached, the fat from the belly has a strong pork taste when rendered.

How To Make Lard

When it comes to rendering lard, you have a few options. You can place the pork fat in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot and melt it in a low oven, or you can use the stove top or a slow cooker. The key is to use very low heat. If the fat renders too quickly, it will have a bolder pork flavor—which is fine for some recipes, but not all.

How To Store Lard

For best results, store lard in the refrigerator. It should keep for up to a year when it’s stored properly, and possibly even longer than that. To check whether the product is still good, give it a sniff. When lard has gone bad, it will have a rancid odor.

Other Uses for Pork Trimmings

The bits of pork that don’t render out when making lard are called the cracklings. Fry them up until they’re crispy and brown, then season with salt for an enticing snack. You can experiment with different seasonings to get the flavor combination you want. Some people even dip the cracklings in barbecue sauce.

Buying, Cooking, and Recipes

An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.

What Is Fatback?

Fatback is a slab of hard fat on both sides of the backbone of a mature pig that can be used in many ways. Cut into tiny pieces or finely ground, fatback is a key ingredient in the preparation of many sausages, charcuterie, and pâtè, to add flavor and juiciness. Strips of fatback can be inserted into leaner meats to make them moister and tastier.

How to Use Fatback

There are many ways to use fatback. Here are some of the most important ones.

Fatback vs. Lard

Fatback and lard are both fat, and both come from pork. But not all fat is created equal. Fatback is a solid slab of fat from the back of a pig, whereas lard is pork fat that has been rendered—that is, slowly melted and strained—before being allowed to cool and solidify again.

Varieties

While fatback is generally thought of as the two hard slabs of fat on either side of a pig's backbone, there are a few different variations.

Where to Buy Fatback

Fatback cab can be purchased at many butcher shops and through meat purveyors, especially those specializing in pork. Many don't always have it on hand, so you may need to preorder it. There are also purveyors who sell fatback on the internet.

Storing Fatback

You can keep fresh fatback tightly wrapped in plastic in the fridge for four to five days. Fatback can also be kept in the freezer for six months to a year or more, but unless you are planning to render it, it is best to freeze in small individual packages so you can defrost what you need.