- Fatback
Fatback is the layer of fat along the back of a
pig , used as a cut ofmeat . It is often used to makelard . Fatback is a traditional part of southern U.S. cuisine andsoul food , where it is used for cracklings or cracklins, and to flavor stewed vegetables such as greens andblack-eyed pea s. Many people enjoy eating strips of heavily salted and fried fatback, often referred to as streaked meat or streak-o-lean. (Actually, "Streak-O-Lean" is a different cut of the back, it is cut further down and has more lean meat in the cut, hence the name) Fatback was extremely popular in the South during theGreat Depression because it is an inexpensive piece of meat. This dish is also widely eaten inUkraine , where it is called salo.Salt pork andbacon are from the sides and belly of the hog. They possess importantly different qualities and are not interchangeable with fatback.In
French cooking , fatback, sliced very thin, is used to line the mold when making aterrine orpâté .
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