Reader Input Needed: How to Use Porkback

All the recent talk about slow cookers and crock pot meals got us hungry for some braised, shredded pork shoulder. But when we unwrapped the meat, we found it still had the thick layer of porkback attached. Now we're left with this.

Frankly, it looks too much like human flesh to just be hanging out in our fridge. We'd rather use it up. But how?

We're well aware that fat means flavor, which would make this great for adding to a slow simmering pot of beans.

We wonder, however, if it would be too much fat and make the beans greasy. We could simply chop it into bite-size pieces, deep fry them, and have our own pork rinds. Or go the more highbrow route and attempt a confit.

So, how would you use this fleshy by-product? Or would you simply throw it out?

(Image credit: Elizabeth Passarella for The Kitchn.)

Comments (18)

I was just reading how some local Minnesotans were trying to find a place that sells porkback. They wanted to use it for homemade sausage.

Make sausage! Alton Brown did a whole episode on it.

Yikes. I can see why you wouldn't want this hanging out in your fridge. Looking at this photo might be enough to keep me a vegetarian if I ever get tempted to eat meat again...

Oh my - that looks like some sort of Hannibal Lector dinner. yeeeeks.

My family LOVE this STEAMED PORK BUNS recipe:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/steamed-pork-buns?lnc=92f9cf380e1dd010VgnVCM1000005b09a00aRCRD

It's super easy, just cure the meat with salt & sugar produces a flavorful marinade for the meat, oven it slowly, and enjoy with the buns. It's what I call set-it-and-forget-it recipe, but always a winner in our family.

Dice it up. Fry it up. Dump most of the lard. Freeze it in small quantities for flavoring various dishes as needed. How was the pork shoulder?

I'd simmer it down to a liquid, strain the solids out of it, and store it in a jar for use in cornbread, biscuits, stews, bean dishes and anything else that requires a little grease.

One idea would be to use it in cassoulet instead of lardons. As much as I hate to deny myself the simple luxury of bacon, some people in my life don't want to see it on their plate.. yet they always seem to like the dishes I make using bacon grease / fatback.

Good god! Brace yourself, photos like this will turn threads for the worse.

I don't know why people would have these remnants in their fridge but if you did...

First off, it's mostly skin. Pork back or fatback, is basically that, the thick, white, waxy layer of fat that lies directly underneath the skin on the pig's back. These pieces do not appear to have very much fat attached to the skin. The left side more than the right. These may be from commodity pork? There's not much fat left on commodity pigs anymore.

If you were very ambitious you could cut the skin off, scrape any remnants of fat from it and make chicharones or pork rinds. I would not recommend this unless you do it outside.

The leafy or soft bits of fat can be rendered down and used for lard if you happen to be a fan of that.

The actually fatback can be diced like bacon and used to saute vegetables in soups, big chunks can be cooked with beans and removed later, a chunk can be used when making a rich stock of beef or veal bones for extra depth, a ice cold chunks can be diced and combined for fresh sausages/salamis (organic only recommended for this).

Silly me. I neglected to say that the next time you roast a pork shoulder, leave the skin on for a different result. Slashes can be made in the skin so that a marinade, garlic, spices, etc. can permeate the flesh. The skin will roast up to a crispy, crackling consistency. When you carve or pull-apart the roast, fat under the skin can be discarded and crispy bits of the skin can be nibbled on.

See Puerto Rican Lechon.

Does anybody know if pork back is the same thing as pork rind? I'm trying to make Tony Bourdain's cassoulet, which calls for pork rind. Wasn't sure if he meant the crispy chip like rinds that are snacked on?

If I had all of this I'd just render it to make yummy lard. Chop it up into small pieces, put it in a pan with just a little water, and then put it over low heat on the stove. The water boils out, and the fat renders out, and you get crispy cracklings. The lard has tons of uses, and keeps quite well in the fridge.

Pork rind would be the skin foodiegirl. But it also depends on how the recipe says to use it.

Thanks art! The recipe says to layer the bottom of a dutch oven with the pork rind, "You're looking to line the inside, almost like a pie crust". I guess i've got to cover the pan with the skin.

interesting foodiegirl. that makes sense, you'll basically be lining the pot with fat and the little bits of meat that are still attached to the skin. You'd of course line it skin-side down. It's kind of like a pot within a pot.

I would go a step further and make sure there is enough skin to completely cover the stew as well. Everything would just steam away inside, all the while the fatty goodness is basting the stew from all directions. Then, the last step would be to peel away the skin in order to put the crust.

oh man as much as i rave about bacon i think you just turned me off the 1 meat product i like! That does look just to human. when stuff is pkged at the shop it loses the "it's alive" feel. but this is just-i wonder if i will ever eat pig again. poor little wilber:(

http://organicandnaturalmom.blogspot.com/

Hard to distinguish "meat" from animals, and animals from humans when you face up to what it looks like before it hits your plate, huh?

Glad to be a veggie, today!

i'd cut it into chunks, throw them in the freezer, and use them to make the aforementioned beans for the next six months. no, it doesn't make the beans too greasy, as long as you use an appropriately sized piece. plus it gives a wonderful savory mouthfeel to the beans.

I always leave it on when roasting the pork (it should stay on top, so the flavor runs down onto the meat). It really adds great flavor to the meat, and it gets nice and crispy after roasting. I won't eat all of it, as a little goes a long way, but it tastes divine.