Salo
Salted pork fatback
Salo (сало): salted pork fatback with garlic and pepper, sliced thin on rye bread
No food says Ukraine quite like salo, salted pork fatback, which appears on village tables, train picnics and wedding spreads with a heel of dark bread, raw garlic and a spring onion. Good salo is pure white or faintly pink, firm, mild and creamy as it melts on the tongue; rubbed with garlic, black pepper and a little paprika, it becomes a sharp, savoury snack. Salo is cured but never cooked, so use ready-salted salo from a butcher or market stall you trust, made from inspected pork and kept in the fridge. Like other uncooked cured pork, it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system; for them, fry thin slices into crisp shkvarky instead. Slicing it at room temperature is where most people go wrong: the fat smears and tears. Chef's tip: wrap the seasoned piece and freeze it for 40 minutes, then cut paper-thin slices with your sharpest knife.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the salo
- 10 ½ oz ready-salted pork fatback (salo), from a trusted butcherchilled
- 3 garlic clovescrushed to a paste
- 1 tsp black peppercoarsely ground
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- 1 bay leafcrumbled
To serve
- 6 gluten-free bread or dark rye bread (optional)slices; rye is not gluten free
- 6 spring onions (optional)
- 3 garlic cloves, whole (optional)peeled
- 2 tbsp mustard or grated horseradish (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Scrape any excess salt off the 10 ½ oz ready-salted pork fatback (salo), from a trusted butcher with the back of a knife and pat it dry. If it is very salty, rinse quickly under cold water and dry again.
3 minStep 2: Mix the 3 garlic cloves, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp sweet paprika and 1 bay leaf to a paste and rub it all over the salo.
3 minStep 3: Wrap tightly in cling film or baking paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days for a stronger garlic flavour. Keep it cold the whole time.
2 minStep 4: Before serving, put the wrapped salo in the freezer for 40 minutes, until very firm but not frozen hard.
2 minStep 5: Cut into paper-thin slices against the grain with a sharp knife. Remember: uncooked salo is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system; for them, fry the slices in a dry pan over a medium heat for 6–8 minutes until crisp and golden.
7 minStep 6: Lay the slices on 6 gluten-free bread or dark rye bread and serve with 6 spring onions, 3 garlic cloves, whole and 2 tbsp mustard or grated horseradish. Wrap leftovers and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does salo take?
- About 20 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of ground coriander?
- Coriander seeds, toasted and ground.
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