How To Remove Excess Salt From Salt Pork

Salt pork is a versatile cured meat product that adds great flavor to dishes. However, it can sometimes be overly salty. If you’ve found your salt pork to be too salty for your taste, don’t worry – there are easy methods to remove some of that excess salt.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about preparing salt pork, reducing the saltiness and cooking with this tasty preserved meat.

What Is Salt Pork?

Salt pork is a cured and salted meat made from pork belly or fatback. It was an important food for sailors and soldiers in the 18th and 19th centuries, as the heavy salt content preserved the meat for months without refrigeration.

While modern salt pork doesn’t need to be cured quite as heavily thanks to refrigeration, many preparations still have a distinctly salty flavor. The salt penetrates the meat while curing and gives salt pork its signature salty punch.

Salt pork adds great depth of flavor to dishes like soups, stews, baked beans, and more. It also provides fat for cooking and flavoring. When used properly, it enhances the taste of any recipe.

Why Soak Salt Pork to Remove Excess Salt?

Heavily salted or brined salt pork needs to be soaked before using to remove some of the saltiness If you skip this step, your dish can end up unpalatably salty.

Soaking helps draw out the excess salt so that the pork’s flavor complements the dish instead of overpowering it. It allows the natural pork flavor to shine through.

Removing excess salt also prevents you from over-seasoning a dish that already uses salt pork. The combination of the salty pork plus added salt can overwhelm the palate.

Finally, reducing salt intake by soaking salt pork has health benefits. Consuming excessive sodium can increase blood pressure and heart disease risk. Removing some salt helps make dishes healthier.

How to Soak Salt Pork to Remove Excess Salt

It’s easy to soak salt pork to remove saltiness. Here are two simple methods:

The Traditional Soaking Method

For centuries, cooks have soaked salt pork in fresh water to remove salt. Here’s how:

• Cut the salt pork into smaller, manageable pieces. This exposes more surface area.

• Place the pieces in a bowl and completely cover with fresh, cold water.

• Allow to soak for 2 hours minimum, changing the water every 30 minutes. Overnight is ideal.

• Drain, rinse under fresh water, and pat dry. The pork is now ready to use.

• For very salty pork, repeat the process. Check for saltiness and soak longer if needed.

The Boiling Method

You can also remove salt by boiling:

• Place salt pork pieces in a pot and cover completely with cold water.

• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Drain and rinse pork under cold running water.

Boiling is quicker but can diminish the pork flavor somewhat. It’s best for last minute salt reduction.

Tips for Cooking With Salt Pork

Once you’ve soaked your salt pork to remove excess salt, it’s ready to add amazing flavor to your dishes. Here are some tips:

• Render the fat from salt pork to use for cooking. This adds richness.

• Dice or slice salt pork and add it to soups, stews, and baked beans.

• Fry it up crisp to use as a tasty garnish for salads, eggs, beans and more.

• Use small bits in pasta dishes like carbonara for flavor without overwhelming saltiness.

• Add it to cabbage, kale or other greens for flavor.

• Use it sparingly in stir fries. The pork adds a savory note.

Always remember to taste as you cook with salt pork. You likely won’t need to add much, if any, extra salt thanks to the pork’s salty punch.

Storing Leftover Salt Pork

Like other preserved meats, salt pork lasts a long time if stored properly. Here are some tips:

• Refrigerate for up to 4-5 months. Wrap tightly in plastic and foil.

• Freeze for up to 6 months. Double wrap the pork pieces first.

• When ready to use, thaw refrigerated pork overnight or frozen pork for several hours.

• Soak or simmer thawed pork to freshen before cooking.

With proper storage in the fridge or freezer, salt pork will keep for many months. It’s an economical preserved meat to have on hand.

Make the Most of Salt Pork’s Bold Flavor

When prepared properly, salt pork provides a delicious salty, smoky flavor to enrich recipes. Learning how to soak it to remove excess salt allows you to balance its bold taste.

With the simple soaking and cooking tips above, you can use salt pork to make spectacular soups, baked beans, sauerkraut, and more. Salt pork may seem like an old-fashioned cured meat, but it still has a place in modern kitchens.

So next time you come across salt pork at the grocery store or market, don’t be afraid to pick some up. With the right techniques like soaking and careful cooking, you can make amazing dishes with this versatile preserved pork. Just be sure to soak it well first!