Traditional Ukrainian dish - salted lard has become a favorite in many countries. There is different ways salting fat at home. Basic: dry salting when only salt and spices are used; salting in brine, which is divided into the so-called wet salting - in a jar based on cold brine and hot salting- when boiled salted broth of spices is used. Salo is salted as whole pieces, as well as smaller ones or even pre-chopped in a meat grinder. Each recipe is delicious in its own way. It remains only to choose the one that is suitable for you. With our website, even a novice hostess will be able to prepare homemade salted lard. The most detailed presented here will help you with this. step by step recipes with photo.
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If you urgently need to cook salted lard, then you will probably need this homemade, quick recipe salting. Using this method of salting, you will get an appetizing and tasty fat with garlic. You can add any hot and spicy spices as much as you like and want. Using such a quick and democratic recipe, you will have a new tasty product on the table every time.
Salting lard at home is a very easy and simple process. It should be noted that such a product is very popular not only in our country, but also in countries such as Germany, Ukraine, Poland, Italy, and so on.
general information
Before telling you about how lard is salted at home, it should be told why this product is so popular in many countries of the world.
Thanks to its fragrance and priceless nutritional properties, bacon is one of the favorite types of snacks. For many centuries, salted lard was considered the food of the poor only. After all, the meatiest pieces of carcass have always been given only to those who could pay a decent price for them. But it was thanks to the fat that the working people had a lot of strength and energy.
By the way, there is interesting fact about this product. Historians believe that if Columbus had not found himself on the ship of lard, he would hardly have been able to get to the New World.
Product properties
Many people are interested in how lard is salted. Indeed, in their opinion, such a product must be present on every table. This is due to the fact that it contains "long-lasting calories". People who have used them quickly restore strength and energy, and also retain them for a very long time.
So, 100 g of fat contains approximately 800 energy units. But, despite this, such a product is considered very useful, since it contains many valuable fatty acids that are involved in the formation of hormones, cell building and cholesterol metabolism. That is why in this article we decided to present you the most popular ways of salting lard.
Product selection
Before salting delicious lard, it should be chosen correctly. To do this, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:
- It is better to buy lard with a skin. After all, the most useful is what is 2.5 centimeters below it.
- To make salted lard tasty and healthy, the original product should be purchased wisely. The lard should be elastic, uniform and dense. You can check it in the following way: pierce it with a sharp and long knife. If the fat is good, then it will resist slightly, but it will pierce well, without jerking.
- For salting, it is better to buy lard from sows than from boars.
- On the cut, this product should be slightly pinkish in color or have a snow-white color.
- If you notice that the fat is a little yellowish, then it is better not to take it.
It should also be noted that it is better to cook or smoke a product with layers of meat. This is due to the fact that when salting with the usual method, lard can turn out to be too hard, in addition, it quickly deteriorates, even if stored in the refrigerator.
Product preparation and salting methods
To carry out the salting of fat at home, you should properly prepare the main raw materials. It needs to be washed in warm water, and then cut into layers 4 centimeters thick - then the pieces will be salted well and evenly.
After preparing the product, you should decide which method you want to salt the fat at home. There are three options in total:
Due to the fact that the recipes for cooking homemade lard a lot, we decided to bring only the most popular of them.
Simple salting of lard (in Ukrainian)
The dry method of salting such a product is considered the most popular. After all, it is the least labor intensive. For this we need:
- raw lard with skin - about 1 kg;
- medium garlic cloves - about 10 pcs.;
- lavrushki - 2 leaves;
- table salt - 4 large spoons;
- peas - 3-4 pcs.;
- ground paprika - 2 large spoons;
- cumin - dessert spoon;
- crushed chili pepper - dessert spoon.
Product preparation
Salting fat in a dry way is quite easy. To begin with, the main product needs to be washed well, dried with paper towels, and then cut into two wide layers 3-4 centimeters thick. Next, they should be laid on the board skin down and make several cuts 2-3 mm deep.
salting process
After the product has been processed, it is necessary to peel the garlic cloves, and then cut them thinly. Next, you should break the leaves of the lavrushka and press them into the previously made incisions along with the garlic plates.
As for the remaining components (salt, peppercorns, ground paprika, cumin, chopped chili), they should be combined and ground into small crumbs. With the resulting mixture, it is necessary to rub the layers of fat, carefully place them on food foil and wrap it tightly. In this form, the product must be removed in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. After the specified time, it will be completely usable.
The fastest salting of lard
Salo in Ukrainian can be salted in another way. To do this, the prepared product must be generously rubbed with salt and garlic passed through the press, and then put into a container and tightly closed. We place the product in the refrigerator and keep for 3-5 days. After that, you can safely put it in the freezer. A day later, pork fat must be removed, cut into thin slices, and then served at the table along with bread.
Salt lard in brine (cold)
The wet process of salting lard takes a little longer than the dry process. To do this, we may need the following components:
- fresh pork fat - about 800 g;
- garlic cloves - about 6 pcs.;
- table salt is not very large - 4 large spoons;
- crushed allspice - a couple of large pinches;
- black peppercorns - 4 pcs.;
- sweet paprika - a couple of small spoons;
- lavrushka - 3 leaves;
- cold water - about 3 liters.
Brine preparation
How to pickle delicious lard? Of course, wet. To carry out the plan, it is necessary to prepare a fragrant brine. To do this, pour cold water into the pan, and then put it on the stove and bring to a boil. Next, in a hot liquid, you need to put salt, chopped pepper, parsley leaves and pepper in the form of peas. We mix the ingredients and remove the container from the stove, after which we keep it at room temperature until the brine is completely cool. In the meantime, you can start preparing the main product.
Fat processing
After acquiring a suitable piece of lard, it must be thoroughly washed, scraped off the skin, and then immediately dried with towels. Next, the product needs to be cut into medium pieces (about 3-4 centimeters wide).
salting process
Having prepared the raw materials, it must be laid out in glass jar(it is better to take half a liter), and then pour completely cooled brine. At the same time, parsley and peppercorns should also be placed in a container.
Then the filled jar must be closed with a plastic lid and put in the refrigerator. It is recommended to salt the fat in this way for about four days. After this time, the product should be carefully removed from the container and lightly dried with paper towels. Next, it needs to be trimmed ground paprika, rub with garlic and wrap in food foil.
To make the fat more tasty and fragrant, it is recommended to keep it in the cold for about three more days in this form.
Serve right to the table
Now you know how to salt salted fat at home in a wet way. It should be noted that if you decide to cook such an appetizer without first cutting it into pieces, then the exposure time in brine and foil must be increased by a few more days. This is due to the fact that thick and wide layers of fat absorb spices much longer than small pieces.
And now the best part: a tasty and fragrant snack must be taken out, cut into plates, and then presented to the table along with rye or white bread, adjika or mustard.
Salting pork fat in a hot way
The hot method of salting lard is not very popular among the population of our country. What is it connected with? First, this method is very labor intensive. Secondly, most people prefer to salt fresh lard. After all, this way the appetizer turns out to be more fragrant and tasty. It should also be noted that during heat treatment all useful material of this product simply disappear.
So, let's take a look at how lard is salted in onion skins in a hot way. For this we need:
- pork fat with layers of meat - about 1 kg;
- table salt is not very fine - about 4 large spoons;
- lavrushka leaves - 5 pcs.;
- onion peel - from 4 large heads;
- drinking water - about 1 liter;
- granulated sugar - 2 large spoons;
- ground black pepper - use to taste and discretion;
- garlic cloves - about 9 pcs.
Ingredient Processing
Salting fat in onion peel is a fairly easy process. But in order to implement it, it is necessary to process all the ingredients in advance. To do this, remove all the husks from the onion heads, and then pour it with plain water, let stand for several minutes and shake vigorously in a colander.
As for the fat, it needs to be washed, cut into layers 5 centimeters thick. It is also necessary to make a brine in advance. To do this, drinking water should be slightly warmed up, and then sugar and table salt should be dissolved in it.
Preparation of products and their heat treatment
Having made the brine and processed the lard, put ½ of the onion peel into the multicooker bowl, and then place the main product on top of it (skin down). After that, the fat is required to be flavored with ground black pepper and parsley leaves. In this form, it should be sprinkled with the remaining husk and pour the previously prepared brine.
Having carried out all the described actions, the bowl of the device must be closed and the extinguishing mode must be set for exactly one hour. This time is quite enough for the product to be fully cooked, saturated with all the spices, and also acquire a pleasant golden hue.
Final stage
If you want to get a more tender and tasty fat, then after the heat treatment is completed, it is recommended to keep it in the same brine for about 8-11 hours. After the specified time, the product must be removed and immediately dried with paper towels. Next, you need to grate it with chopped cloves of garlic and a small amount of black pepper.
In this form, the future snack should be wrapped with cling film and placed in the refrigerator. After a day, salted fat must be removed in the freezer and wait for it to completely harden. Only then can it be eaten.
How should it be used?
Salo, prepared by means of hot salting, is very fragrant and tasty. Moreover, thanks to the onion peel, such a product acquires a pleasant golden hue.
By the way, some housewives use such a product for frying potatoes. In this case, the chopped lard must be fried in a pan until the state of cracklings, and then put the chopped onions and potatoes. It should be noted that such a dish turns out to be very tasty, satisfying and nutritious.
In ancient times, boiled lard was considered the food of the poor, but now this product can even be found on the menu. expensive restaurants, so exquisite can be its taste when proper preparation. It turns out very tasty boiled lard, cooked different ways: in a jar, bag, with onion peel and spices.
According to this recipe, even very thin lard without meat layers can be deliciously prepared, just in this case, you will need one more additional ingredient - chicken breast. You can use absolutely any spices for the dish, focusing on the preferences of your family.
Grocery list:
- 2000 g of thin lard without meat layers;
- 400 g chicken breast without skin;
- 100 g carrots;
- garlic, salt and spices to taste.
Recipe for cooking boiled lard step by step:
- Divide a piece of bacon into plates that will be convenient to roll into a roll. Each resulting piece is well appeased with salt, spices, spread thin slices of garlic and carrot circles on top.
- If the fat is without a meat layer, put plates cut from chicken breast, which is also salted.
- Roll the lard plates into rolls, tie tightly with threads and boil in boiling water over low heat for about one and a half to two hours. To preserve meat and tallow juices, you can send the roll into boiling water, after hiding it in a food bag.
In onion skins
Salo boiled in onion peel is not only tasty, but also very beautiful, thanks to its golden hue. But so that the decoction used does not spoil your favorite pan, you should choose a dish that is easy to clean.
The proportions of all the necessary products for the preparation of delicious bacon:
- 800 g of lard with a meat layer;
- 1500 ml filtered water;
- 15-20 g of onion peel (from about 7-8 medium onions);
- 225 g of salt;
- 25-30 g of garlic;
- 5 medium bay leaves;
- 5 peas of allspice;
- 3 g of a mixture of peppers.
Sequence of actions:
- Bring the saline solution to a boil. Thoroughly wash the onion peel, dip it into boiling water and boil for 5-7 minutes.
- Cut a piece of bacon into three or four equal parts and put it into a pan with boiling husks. Boil for 10 minutes after boiling, and then soak for another quarter of an hour in brine, turning off the stove. Fat from the back, sides and abdomen is perfect for boiling, as it is softer, more tender and more pliable.
- Remove the fat from the pan and cool under pressure. Grind the garlic into a small cube, break the bay leaves, crush the allspice peas with the back of the knife.
- Mix all prepared spices. Make cuts in the pieces of bacon and generously rub them with spices so that they get into the slots. Wrap each piece in foil and place in the freezer. Serve the salo by cutting it into thin slices.
Cooking technology in a bag
Since the heat treatment of the product with this method of boiling occurs without access to water, its juices remain in the fat, and the spices give their flavor to the dish in full. Depending on the thickness of the piece, the cooking time can take up to 4 hours, but the active actions of the hostess are kept to a minimum.
What is required during the cooking process:
- 400-500 g of fat;
- 30 g of garlic;
- a mixture of peppers and salt or ready seasoning for fat;
- 3-4 bay leaves;
- two or three plastic bags or a baking sleeve.
How to cook lard in a bag:
- Lard is best taken in one piece, which must be washed well and dried with paper towels.
- Prepare a spicy rub for fat. To do this, push the garlic cloves through a press, combine with salt and powdered spices.
- With the resulting wiping, thoroughly spread a piece of lard on all sides. Additionally, you can make punctures in the fat in several places and stuff them with spices.
- Put bay leaves in the bag, put lard on them, sprinkle with the remaining spices on top and tie it tightly. In order to prevent water from getting into the bag with bacon, several layers should be used, which should be placed in a baking sleeve.
- Pour water into a sufficiently large saucepan, put the fat in a bag into it so that it does not touch the bottom, and put on fire. After boiling water, cook the fat for 1.5-2 hours. Then remove from the stove and leave in water until completely cooled.
Boiled lard with garlic
Garlic and lard are a classic combination found in many dishes.
For this snack option, you need to take:
- 500 g of fat with a meat layer;
- 1000 ml of drinking water;
- 100 ml of table vinegar;
- 30 g of salt;
- 3 bay leaves;
- 8 peas of allspice;
- 3 g black ground pepper.
Separately, prepare the garlic dressing from:
- 30 g of garlic;
- 30 g black ground pepper;
- 30 g of fine table salt.
Progress:
- Add spices, salt and vinegar to a bowl of water. Put on fire to boil. Divide the fat shmat into three or four identical pieces, which are boiled for 45 minutes in a boiling marinade.
- Remove the finished fat from the brine and cool completely. Mix the crushed garlic with salt and pepper. Coat the cooled pieces with the resulting dressing, wrap them with cling film and put in the refrigerator. The next day, the product is absolutely ready for use.
In a multicooker with spices
Boiled lard in a slow cooker, due to the peculiarities of heat treatment, turns out to be incredibly tender. The final product can hardly be called boiled, it is rather stewed lard.
Of course, spices can be purchased in a ready-made mixture or assembled independently:
- 500 g undercut or lard from the barrel;
- 70 ml brandy;
- 10 g of garlic;
- 20 g of salt;
- 5 g of a mixture of peppers;
- 5 g paprika;
- 5 g dried tomatoes;
- 4 leaves of black currant;
- 4 sprigs of parsley;
- 3 sprigs of cumin (coriander or fennel).
Process sequence:
- Grate a piece of bacon with a mixture of peppers, salt, paprika and dried tomatoes. Put in a multicooker bowl and put in a cool place for at least an hour.
- Next, return the multi-pan to its rightful place, pour cognac over the lard, sprinkle with chopped spicy herbs (currant, parsley, cumin). Close the lid tightly and cook for 40 minutes in the “Pilaf” or “Baking” mode.
- Grate the finished and already completely cooled fat on all sides with chopped garlic.
Salo boiled in soy sauce
This recipe is also called Japanese Salo. Whether this dish was born in Japan or is it already the delights of our hostesses, but lovers of unusual combinations will like this appetizer.
For lard in soy sauce, you need to prepare:
- 500 g of fat;
- 20 ml of regular soy sauce;
- 120 ml dark soy sauce;
- 60-80 ml of rice wine;
- 50 g of sugar;
- 500 ml of water for soy marinade;
- 30 ml vegetable oil;
- 30 g of ginger root;
- 10 g green onion feathers.
Cooking method:
- In a sufficient amount of water, boil a piece of fat first, dropping it for five minutes in boiling water. Then take out and cut into pieces three by five centimeters.
- finely chopped green onion fry with chopped ginger in a small amount of vegetable oil so that the spices give it their flavor. Then pour in water, rice wine, soy sauces and add sugar. Mix well and bring to a boil.
- In boiling soy marinade lay out small pieces of bacon and cook them first for five minutes over high heat, and then for another 2-2.5 hours at a minimum.
Boiled brisket with meat layers
Pork belly is perceived by most housewives only as a frying product. But if you choose right product and boil it with spices, you get a dish that is in no way inferior to expensive meat delicacies and, of course, much more useful than purchased sausages.
Brisket is ideal for boiling, in which the amount of fat and meat layers is the same or approximately equal.
For boiled brisket at home, you need to take:
- 800 g pork belly with meat layers;
- 2000 ml of water;
- 150 g of salt;
- 2-3 bay leaves;
- 3-5 black peppercorns;
- 2-3 peas of allspice.
Additionally, you will need spices for coating an already boiled product:
- 25-35 g of garlic passed through a garlic press;
- 5 g black ground pepper;
- 5 g red ground pepper;
- 5 g dry adjika or spices to taste.
Action algorithm:
- Boil water with salt and spices. Dip the brisket in it and boil for 40-45 minutes. Then turn off the fire, and leave the brisket to cool in a saucepan along with water.
- Remove the cooled brisket from the brine, pat dry with a paper towel and coat with a mixture of spices and minced garlic, place in a container that closes tightly and leave in the refrigerator overnight or at least for a couple of hours.
For this method you will need:
- 1000 g of bacon with a meat slot;
- 30 g of salt;
- 5 g black ground pepper;
- 3-4 bay leaves;
- 30 g of garlic.
Cooking:
- Grind the garlic with a press or the smallest grater, tear the bay leaves into small pieces. Mix all spices with salt.
- Cut the salo into small pieces with sides of 3-4 cm, roll each of them in the prepared spice mixture, shaking off the excess, and put in a dry, clean glass jar. The container does not need to be filled to the top, at least 3 cm should remain to the neck.
- Put a jar of lard in a cold oven, covered with an iron or glass lid. Cook on medium heat for about 40-60 minutes. Then wait until the oven and fat in it cool down completely, and you can start tasting.
Once upon a time, lard was the food of the poor, since pieces of pork with meat were fabulously expensive. However, ordinary people working from dawn to dusk noted that after bacon they feel a surge of energy, and this is not surprising. Modern scientists consider lard to be one of the healthiest foods on our table, as it contains fatty acids involved in cell building, hormone production, and cholesterol metabolism. In addition, lard strengthens the immune system, improves heart function, removes toxins from the body and is a powerful antioxidant. can be found in many national cuisines world, so it is considered an international delicacy.
Lard is one of the most ancient products on earth, since man domesticated the pig 10,000 years before our era. This happened in Central Asia, and from there, lard and methods of salting it "emigrated" to China, Africa and Europe. Italians salt salo with rosemary and fragrant herbs and call it lardo. Interestingly, the Romans usually ate lard with figs, and in french cuisine bread with bacon was a classic and favorite snack. The English used to add lard to their Christmas pudding, and the traditional bacon and eggs are still an important part of a proper English breakfast.
In Russia, lard was salted in barrels or melted and kept in clay pots, used to make soups and porridges. It was hard to imagine harvesting greens for the winter without lard - usually it was ground to a pulp and poured with melted lard.
How to make lard at home: choose pork
It is said that the taste of bacon depends on the diet of the pigs, and therefore the best fat comes from animals from households fed potatoes, beets, cereals and table scraps. Unfortunately, on many farms, pigs are given artificial feeds with additives to stimulate growth. Such fat is tasteless and not useful.
For salting, buy only fresh fresh fat - when no more than four hours have passed since the slaughter of the pig. Choose lard with a skin, while it should be uniform and elastic, and as a test it is recommended to pierce it with a knife. The knife enters good fat easily and effortlessly, although you will feel its density. In other words, the fat should not be too soft and loose. Good lard in the context has a white or slightly pinkish tint, and the yellow color indicates that the product is of poor quality, so it is better to refrain from buying. The ideal lard for salting is without streaks of meat, otherwise it will turn out to be harsh and quickly deteriorate; such lard is usually boiled or smoked. And gourmets also claim that lard from female pigs is much tastier, but until you check it yourself, you won’t know!
How to make delicious lard at home: salting methods
Before salting, the fat is cut into pieces about 4 cm thick, and it can be salted in several ways.
If you put the fat with the skin down and make several cuts, not reaching the skin by 0.5-1 cm, and then put slices of garlic into the cuts, and generously sprinkle salt on top, this is a dry method, the most common and simple. Such fat is prepared within a week, but it must be eaten a maximum of a month. Pieces of bacon with garlic in cuts, sprinkled with salt, are stacked on top of each other and placed in a plastic bag for three days. Salo is stored at room temperature, and after two days it must be turned over for uniform salting. After that, the fat should be placed in the refrigerator for another three days, while the temperature should be about 10 ° C. The lard is ready when the pink veins turn grey. After that, clean it of salt and taste it!
If you want the lard to be especially spicy and fragrant, use any spices or black peppercorns, chopped just before use, when salting. Do not spare salt and do not be afraid to oversalt the fat. The fact is that it will absorb as much salt as it needs, but the risk of undersalting the lard is much greater. Unsalted lard has a shorter shelf life, so it's best to store it in the freezer.
So that the fat does not deteriorate, after salting, you need to clean it of salt, wash it, dry it, fill it with new salt, place it in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator. Before use, you can rub the bacon with garlic, red or black pepper for a spicy taste and aroma.
Spicy lard with garlic
Try to pickle the most in a simple way to make sure it's not that hard. To do this, cut 1 kg of fat into pieces 5-7 cm wide and prepare the seasoning - 3 tbsp. l. salt, 0.5 tbsp. l. ground red pepper, 0.5 tbsp. l. ground black pepper, pepper, cumin and turmeric - to taste, any fragrant herbs and broken bay leaf. Grind the head of garlic on a grater, mix all the spices together, and leave the salt separately. Now rub the pieces of lard with salt, spices and garlic, and then spread them in a large bowl in layers, sprinkling each layer with salt. Leave the fat for three days, making sure that the temperature in the room does not rise above 18 ° C. After that, remove the fat for a day in the refrigerator, and if it is salted (pink streaks turn gray), you can consider it ready. If necessary, let the lard salt a little more, watching the color of the veins. Now you can cut it into pieces, use in cooking or serve as a snack.
Real Ukrainian salo
This recipe is passed down in many Ukrainian families from generation to generation. At least, every Ukrainian housewife knows how to salt bacon, otherwise no one will marry her. Such fat was given as a dowry many years ago, and such a bride was considered very rich.
Cut 1.5 kg of well-washed lard into large and long pieces, and then prepare the brine. To do this, pour a liter of water into the pan, add a glass of large sea salt and bring the water to a boil. In the cooled salt water, throw 6 black peppercorns, 1 tbsp. l. ground allspice, 5 bay leaves and 6 cloves of finely chopped garlic.
Immerse the pieces of fat in brine, put under pressure and keep in the refrigerator for three days. Remove the finished fat from the brine, dry well with a towel, coat with spices again and serve on a wooden board with a bunch of green onions, as Ukrainian housewives do.
How to make lard soft at home
If you like very soft tender bacon, cook it hot - it won't take long. Sponder is suitable for this method - lard with streaks of meat, which is also called bacon or brisket.
Cut 1 kg of fat into large pieces, pour a liter of water and boil for 3 minutes. Add to water 4.5 tbsp. l. salt and leave the fat in it for 12 hours. After that, dry the brisket with a towel and rub it with a mixture of spices, which includes hot coarse red pepper, turmeric, dried dill, a few pieces of cloves, bay leaves, pounded in the palms, cinnamon, nutmeg, suneli hops, coriander and white pepper. Wrap the fat in cling film and keep in the refrigerator for a day. For spicy lovers, this is the best treat!
Salo can be salted in onion peel and adjika, in a slow cooker or oven in a special baking sleeve. It always turns out very appetizing and tasty. And in Ukraine they cook lard in chocolate - this dessert is wildly popular among tourists. Ukrainian gourmets say correctly - you can’t spoil lard with any product!
Since ancient times, lard has been the food of the poor, since the price for it was much lower than for good cuts of pork. But it was it that gave the peasants energy and strength for hard work. Salo is a valuable product rich in fatty acids important for the life of the body. In addition, it contains substances that remove toxins. The recommended rate of fat consumption for a person not engaged in physical labor is 10-30 grams, but for athletes, tourists, people whose work is associated with high power costs, you can eat more than 30 grams per day. In addition to being tasty and useful product, it tends to be stored for a long time, almost does not freeze in the cold and satisfies hunger well. Salo is used in salted, smoked, fresh, boiled or fried form. Any of these methods are tasty and healthy. Here, you will learn best recipes cooking bacon at home that will delight you and your family, and the step-by-step photos that accompany the cooking instructions make them well, just very necessary in any cookbook.
