Smalec (Polish Lard Spread)

Then prep

• While the fatback chills, dice the 8 oz smoked bacon into 1/4-inch cubes. Put it in a bowl.
• Finely dice the onion. Put it in its own bowl.
• Peel, core and finely dice the apple.
• Mince the 2 cloves garlic.
• Put the diced apple and the minced garlic in one bowl. They go in together.
• Measure the 1 tsp dried marjoram, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper into a small bowl. This is the seasoning.
• Take the fatback out of the freezer. Dice it into 1/4-inch cubes.
• Set out a heavy pot, a wooden spoon, a ladle and clean jars.
• Everything is ready. Wash the board and put the knife away.

Ingredients

• 1 lbpork fatback (słonina), skin removed
• 8 ozsmoked slab bacon
• 1 largeonion, finely diced
• 1 smalltart apple, peeled and finely diced
• 2 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1 tspdried marjoram
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• rye bread and sour dill pickles, to serve

Steps

1. Put the 1 lb diced fatback in the heavy pot over medium-low heat. Use a back burner.
2. Cook 25-30 minutes. Set a timer. Stir every few minutes. Keep the heat low so the fat does not brown or smoke. Between stirs: wash the bowls you have finished with.
3. When the timer goes, check the fat: most of it should be melted and the pieces pale gold. Then go to the next step.
4. Add the 8 oz diced bacon.
5. Cook 10 minutes. Set a timer. Stir now and then. When the timer goes, the bacon should be rendered and starting to crisp.
6. Add the diced onion.
7. Cook 8-10 minutes. Set a timer. Stir now and then. When the timer goes, the onion should be golden.
8. Add the apple and garlic bowl.
9. Cook 5 minutes. Set a timer. Stir now and then. When the timer goes, the apple should be soft.
10. Take the pot off the heat.
11. Stir in the seasoning bowl (1 tsp marjoram, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper).
12. Cool 10 minutes. Set a timer. Nothing to do until the timer goes.
13. Ladle into the clean jars. Share the solid bits evenly between them.
14. Put the jars in the fridge. Set a timer for 30-45 minutes. Nothing to do until the timer goes.
15. When the timer goes, stir each jar once so the bits do not all sink.
16. Leave the jars in the fridge about 3 hours, until set.
17. Spread on rye bread, sprinkle with a little salt, and eat with sour pickles.

Notes

Hot fat burns badly. Keep the pot on a back burner and keep water away from it. Keeps 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Polish delis sell fatback as słonina, and often sell smalec ready-made. Untested. Written by Claude from the standard method, not from a tested source, and not yet cooked.