Salt pork, or salt-cured pork, is a cut of pork belly. It has a salty flavor but is not smoked, so it won’t bring the distinct smokiness of bacon to dishes. You can use salt pork to add a deep pork flavor to dishes and provide the perfect amount of fat.
So, if you’ve made salt pork from scratch or have some of the prepackaged stuff on hand, consider trying these diverse salt pork recipes that will delight your taste buds.
#1. Balsamic Brussels Sprouts & Salt Pork
Crunchy, delicious Brussel sprouts combined with tender, fatty, salted pork — this is a combination that creates the ultimate side dish. It produces a lovely marriage of salty and bitter flavors and is a real stunner. And between you and me, it can sway the most ardent Brussel sprout haters!
#2. Braised Daikon with Salted Pork & Glass Noodles
This homestyle recipe features salted pork paired with wonderful glass noodles. The salted pork brings tons of umami flavor to the dish, enhancing its overall flavor appeal. It may seem a little complex to make, but it only takes 40 minutes to make. You just need a few simple ingredients to create this warm, hearty bowl of deliciousness.
#3. Butter Beans Southern-Style
This Southern-style meal calls for slowly simmering tender, flavorful beans to create a rich sauce without having to add any cream or milk. The sweet earthiness of the butter beans combined with the salty pork yield a cozy, homey dish — one that will complement any Southern main course and wow your guests.
#4. Butter Beans with Kale and Eggs
If you like butter beans but want more color and less creaminess, this recipe is for you. It’s made using salt pork, nutty and earthy kale, nutritious and protein-rich eggs, and a ton of veggies, all flavored with loads of seasonings and herbs. This dish has a delightful variety of unique flavors and textures that everyone will adore.
#5. Homemade Chinese Salted Pork
For fans of salted pork, here’s a simple recipe to make your very own batch of salted pork at home. Simply flavor pork belly with a mix of toasted coarse sea salt and aromatic peppercorns, and let the meat cure. You’ll have to drain the liquid every couple of days, and you’ll have your salted pork ready in about 1 and a half weeks!
#6. Lentil Soup with Salt Pork
A soup to fill you with warmth and hearty goodness, it’s packed with healthy ingredients like protein and fiber-rich lentils, healthy veggies, and nutrient-rich salt pork. It fills your home with wonderful aromas as it cooks and is best served with freshly baked crusty bread to add crunchiness to soak up all the yummy flavors.
#7. New England Clam Chowder with Salt Pork Belly {Pork Crawl in Nantucket}
Clam chowder is a classic and rustic dish that has the most amazing flavors and aromas. And adding salt pork belly to the dish makes it so much more enticing! It also includes white onion, white potatoes, and various herbs and seasonings. One spoonful is all it will take for you to fall in love with this chowder.
#8. Nick’s Minestrone
This hearty soup is made by simmering mixed veggies and beans for flavor, then adding salt pork to take its appeal to the next level. Serve it in bowls with pesto on top, which is made by blending basil, olive oil, Parmigiano, parsley, pecorino, pine nuts, and seasonings. Garnish with extra pecorino and Parmigiano, and dig in!
#9. Pork and Beans
Brimming with delicious flavors, this pork and beans recipe is an absolute crowd-pleaser. Made with salt pork, tomato sauce, and pinto beans, the dish is savory and tangy with just a touch of sweetness. It is super easy to prepare and comes together in under 30 minutes — perfect for BBQs and potlucks.
#10. Salted Pork with Lentils (Gluten and Dairy Free)
This classic French recipe is dairy, gluten-free, and comfort food at its finest. With just salted pork, onions, bouquet garni, carrots, and green lentils, you can create a rustic, restaurant-quality dish that tastes exactly like the one served at French bistros. Serve with Dijon mustard to add a tangy, sharp flavor with a hint of spice in every bite.
#11. Salted Pork with Rice and Bok Choy
This one-pot meal requires little work to yield a scrumptious dish. It is made with chopped bok choy and salted pork, which adds flavor and texture to the dish without requiring additional seasonings. It is cooked with white jasmine rice and garnished with green onions for a hearty meal.
#12. Southern Streak O’ Lean
A twist on the crispy bacon, this Southern classic is made by coating salt pork in flour and then pan-frying it in peanut oil until browned. Be prepared to take in requests for repeats, because let’s face it, once you get a bite of this crunchy delight, no other appetizer will truly compare!
#13. Southern Style Collard Greens
Collard greens are anonymous with Southern food. And this recipe delivers an incredible dish made with collard greens, bite-sized salt pork, molasses, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Cook the greens in chicken broth until the greens are tender and serve. They also freeze well, so make a large batch and save some for later!
#14. “To Be Real” Southern Green Beans
This recipe is made with tender and flavorful rich beans, savory salt pork, the distinct smokiness of bacon, and a wonderful dose of seasonings. It is simmered in chicken stock for about two hours to allow all the ingredients to mingle. The result is an incredibly delicious dish that yields layers of flavor. Serve it with jerk fried chicken, mac and cheese, or mashed potatoes.
#15. Hearty One-Pot Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Kale and Andouille Recipe
Brimming with hearty, comforting flavors, this stew is just what you need to warm you up on cold, winter evenings. Salted pork and andouille sausage are browned and then cooked with kale in chicken stock and a variety of vegetables, herbs, and spices. Let it simmer for about an hour and serve warm to enjoy a bowl full of tantalizing flavors.
