Salt Pork

Salt pork is pork, typically the fatty cuts from the belly or back, cured by packing it in dry salt or submerging it in a strong brine for an extended period, a preservation method developed before refrigeration to keep pork edible for long voyages and winters. It is far saltier and fattier than bacon and is not smoked, so it is generally simmered, boiled or rendered rather than eaten on its own, used to flavor beans, chowders and greens in traditional New England, Southern American and Caribbean cooking. Before use it is often soaked or parboiled to draw out excess salt.