Somewhere between bacon and lard, you’ll find Streak o’ Lean. It has a long and varied history in traditional southern foodways, having been used for everything from seasoning to rendering for fat. This recipe showcases it on its own, dredged in flour and fried. One of the tastiest recipes from my childhood!
I debated with myself for a long time about whether to post this recipe. A really long time. Not just because almost no one will know what it is. Those folks are going to be few and far between.
But mostly because old-time southern food has such a bad reputation. It doesn’t need me adding fuel to the fire with old recipes that just reinforce that stereotype. Yet, despite all those reasons nagging me, I still wanted to do it. So, here it is. Streak o’ Lean.
Who’s ever heard of Streak o’ Lean? Speak up. (testing, testing, is this thing on?)
— This post was originally published on November 30, 2012. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Cuisine: Southern, Vintage
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Total Time: 13 Minutes (plus a few hours inactive time)
Servings: 6
Primary Ingredient(s): Salt pork, milk, flour, oil
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
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“My grandma always called it “white side”. I remember her always serving it with white rice with tomato gravy(some sort of stewed tomato combo) and fried cornbread. She made these little silver dollar sized fried corn cakes that had just the right amount of grated onion in the batter. I miss her and her cooking. Thanks for sharing this recipe.”
— Matt
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“Thank you for this! My late pop would make this once a year- pretty much only recipe he really knew. He’d serve it with fried potatoes covered with salt… Some of my best memories…”
— JB
What the Heck is Streak o’ Lean?
To start with, you’ll hear it called various things depending on what part of the South you’re from. In my area, it’s mostly streak-o-lean (Streak of Lean). Some folks run that all together, and it comes out sounding like “stricklin.” It’s also called fatback, side meat, white meat, and just plain salt pork.
You can think of Streak o’ Lean as kind of the opposite of bacon. Where bacon is smoked and has a streak of fat among the lean meat, streak o’ lean is salt-cured and has a lean streak among the fat. It’s salt pork that’s prepared by coating it in flour and then pan frying.
Now, before you send the food police around to my house and start proceedings to revoke my official food blogger’s license, just wait a minute. As crazy as the food world is today about bacon, if I had said I was flouring and frying bacon, some of y’all would be in a swoon right now. You know you would.
And besides, this is not something to be eaten every day of the week. As a matter of fact, the best I can remember, it has been at least 10 years since I last cooked Streak o’ Lean.
Although it can still be found on restaurant buffet lines in rural areas of the South, it’s really one of those once or twice a year (maybe decade) kinds of recipes. But be warned, once you’ve had it, you’ll never forget it. You’ll crave it. You will look for it at every buffet, and you’ll make any excuse to “just have a little bite.”
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- Part of our southern food traditions.
- Budget friendly (okay, it’s just flat out cheap).
- It’s just plain delicious!
Ingredient Notes
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- Salt Pork — Salt pork is very easy to find anywhere throughout the South. It should be available in most other areas because of its association with baked beans.
- Peanut Oil — I use peanut oil for any frying because it has a high smoking point. Canola or vegetable oil can be used as well.
- Black Pepper — No salt is needed because… *salt* pork.
- All-Purpose Flour — Makes a lovely crispy fried coating.
- Buttermilk or Regular Milk — You’ll soak the salt pork to draw out some of the salt before cooking.
Note that the amounts given in the recipe are merely estimates. It’s very hard to give exact measurements because it’s one of those old recipes where you use what you need at the moment.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Cook Streak o’ Lean
So how do you cook Streak o’ Lean? Well, you start with some salt pork. It’s the same thing that you use to season a pot of greens or a pot of baked beans.
Pro Tip
Salt pork is available in one whole piece or in slices. You can slice it yourself with a very sharp knife or purchase the pre-sliced to make preparation very simple.
- The first step is to soak the salt pork. This step draws out a lot of the salt, and believe me, you don’t want to skip this. I know some restaurants that don’t soak it at all, just fry it up, but I prefer to draw out some of the salt first. Remove the salt pork from the milk, letting most of it drain away. Discard the milk.
- Place the salt pork on a board or pan and sprinkle it liberally with ground pepper.
Pro Tip
Any kind of milk or cream works fine for drawing out the salt. Some cooks, instead of soaking, will boil the salt pork for about ten minutes, drain it, and then proceed with the recipe. If you’re short on time, that works as well.
- Then flour it well on both sides.
- Heat about a ¼ inch of peanut oil in a heavy skillet. When the oil is hot, carefully lower the prepared pieces of salt pork into the pan. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned, crispy, and cooked through – about 3 minutes on each side.
- Put the finished slices on a paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.
- Don’t skip the milk soak. I know that many people go straight from the package to the skillet, but I prefer taking a couple of hours to draw out some of the salt before cooking. As an alternative to the milk soak, you can boil the pork for about 10 minutes, drain and dry it well and then proceed with the recipe. This option is good if time is short. As always, you do you.
- Slice evenly for consistent cooking. If you’re slicing yours from one piece, keep your slices an even thickness as possible so that the whole slice cooks at the same rate.
- Use a heavy skillet. Cast iron and stainless steel both hold heat well and create a nicely crisp exterior.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Cook in batches if needed. Too many pieces in the skillet will lower the oil temperature and lead to poor results.
Serving Suggestions
Streak o’ Lean is one of those foods that fits just about anywhere on the menu. Serve it with breakfast in place of bacon alongside hot grits, scrambled eggs, and biscuits. Or for lunch or supper with traditional southern vegetables (butter beans, creamed field corn, and sliced fresh tomatoes).
Questions About Streak-o-Lean
Streak o’ lean and pork belly are similar, but they come from different areas of the pig. Pork belly comes from, well, the belly, and streak o’ lean comes from the side (why it’s also called “side meat”) and is fattier. It’s also not bacon. Bacon is cured pork belly.
Most pork sold today already has the rind removed. If I was lucky enough to have a piece of pork with the rind, I’d leave it on just for nostalgic reasons. You might prefer to remove it, though. It’s totally up to you!
The slices should be nicely browned with a crispy exterior and no raw or rubbery texture remaining. It only takes a few minutes on each side.
More Old Southern Recipes You’ll Like
If you enjoyed this recipe for Streak-o-Lean, then you’ll also want to check out these:
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
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Recipe
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Place the sliced salt pork in a container and cover with milk or buttermilk. Let sit for several hours to draw out some of the salt. Remove the salt pork from the milk. Discard the milk.
12 ounces salt pork, 1 ½ cups milk or buttermilk
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Pepper each slice of salt pork and then dredge lightly in flour.
2 teaspoons ground black pepper, ½ cup all-purpose flour
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Add peanut oil to a depth of a ¼ inch to a heavy skillet. Heat the oil over medium high heat. Carefully add the prepared salt pork slices to the hot oil. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned and cooked through (about 7-8 minutes).
peanut oil
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Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Salt pork is very easy to find throughout the south. It should be available in most other areas because of its association with baked beans.
- I use peanut oil for any frying because it has a high smoking point. Canola or vegetable oil can be used as well.
- Instead of soaking the salt pork in milk, some cooks will boil it for about ten minutes, drain it and then proceed with the recipe. If you’re short on time, that works well.
Nutrition Facts
Streak o’ Lean
Amount Per Serving (1 )
Calories 464
Calories from Fat 414
% Daily Value*
Fat 46g71%
Saturated Fat 17g106%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Monounsaturated Fat 22g
Cholesterol 49mg16%
Sodium 1522mg66%
Potassium 57mg2%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 4IU0%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
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