Craving a fatty and salt snack?

Bacon!!!

OK, I confess, that is not bacon.  The bacon won't be ready for another two weeks.  But I was really, really craving a salty snack dripping in fat, and since popcorn with butter and feta is off the menu for another couple of weeks....AND....I found out I wasn't supposed to be eating dairy products for at least two weeks (sniffle).....I had to improvise. 

All I kept thinking about was the salt pork I have in large but dwindling amounts.  I thought about it a bit, felt the idea was ridiculous, then finally decided to listen to my cravings when they are for healthy foods.  I made this salt pork with good sea salt, and it is from our pastured pigs, so it is a healthy food.

I cut it into a bigger dice than I usually do, since I wanted it to hang onto more of its fat.  I fried it in its own fats in my small (7 inch) cast iron pan (Wagner....my favorite!)  It sounded lovely, all sizzling and bubbling.  My mouth watered in anticipation.  Cooking your own food is important to digestion...the sights, sounds, and smells help to prepare your body naturally for what is coming next....real food!

Drained on a paper towel, my decadent amount of salt pork turned into a teensy snack, but oh, so good!

So tender and crispy and satisfying in a way that commercial chips or snacks never can be.  They were a bit too salty, even for me.  I seem to recall my Memere simmering the salty fat in water for a bit to remove some of the salt....I'll have to ask about that.  That means I'll have to try it again....oh, joy!

The fat that rendered out of them will be strained through a small wire tea strainer and put into a jar in the fridge, marked salt pork fat, and used for cooking something that can use a bit of salt, too.  It rendered out beautifully, and is far too precious to waste.

Admit it, this makes you say "YUM!"  Do you have any weird or unusual snacks that you'd like to confess?