How to Mince & Render Salt Pork Into Paste

You can do a lot more with rendered pork fat than flavor old-timey classics like New England clam chowder and Boston baked beans. Pork fat doesn't smoke until about 361 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, making it suitable for any type of frying, and has good binding properties at room temperature, so you can use it as an oil replacement in marinades and spice pastes. Pastes made with minced and rendered salt pork add extra flavor and texture to the foods you slather it on. You get the glorious flavor of pork, which speaks for itself, and little bonus "crispies" of meat, formed when the paste cooks at high heat.

Things You'll Need

Plastic food wrap
Cutting board
Sharp, straight-edged kitchen knife
Flavorless vegetable oil, such as canola
Heavy bottomed pan

Wooden spoon
Mortar and pestle (optional)
Spices and fresh herbs (optional)
Sealable food storage container

Instructions

Wrap about 1/2 pound of salt pork in plastic food wrap and place it in the freezer. Cold salt pork is easier to mince.
Remove the salt pork after 30 to 45 minutes in the freezer and place it on the cutting board. Slice the salt pork crosswise in 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices. Your hands will warm the salt pork as you work, making it harder to cut precisely. When that starts to happen, return the pork to the freezer for a few minutes and continue slicing.
Stack the slices on top of each other into 1/2- to 1-inch-tall piles. Cut through the stacks of salt pork slices crosswise, spacing each cut about 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart. You should have strips that measure between 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide when finished.
Slice the salt strips crosswise, spacing each cut about 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart. Don't expect much precision when the pieces get this small, just focus on mincing the salt pork as finely as possible.
Pour about 1/2 tablespoon of flavorless vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the minced salt pork. The oil just helps the rendering process get started, so you don't need much. Set the heat to low.
Stir the salt pork with a wooden spoon and let it heat for about 10 minutes. Stir the salt pork again, and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
Pulverize the minced salt pork with the rendered fat using a wooden spoon. Turn the heat off, and continue pulverizing until a paste forms.
Add dried spices or freshly chopped herbs to the salt pork paste while it's still warm, if desired. Mix the spices and herbs in the paste with the wooden spoon.
Scrape the paste into a sealable food storage container with the spoon. Keep the paste in the refrigerator up to one week.

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