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.
Recipe Snapshot
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.
Recipe Tips
- 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:
Chicken Jallop
Southern Fried Quail
Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
Southern Country Fried Steak
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.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
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Streak o’ Lean
Ingredients
- 12 ounces salt pork sliced
- 1 ½ cups milk or buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- peanut oil for frying (1/4-inch deep)
Instructions
- 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
- Pepper each slice of salt pork and then dredge lightly in flour.2 teaspoons ground black pepper, ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 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
- Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
Notes
- 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 Information
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.
I would just like to say THANK YOU!! Thank you so much for posting this. I live in California and my grandma was from Arkansas. When us grandkids were growing up, she used to make this, and it was one of my absolute favorites. I am now in my 40’s (half white/half Mexican) with a mixed culture, older children of my own and lots of yummy food traditions from both sides of my family. My kids never got the pleasure of trying this and it’s been on my mind a lot lately. My grandma passed away 15 years ago, and I have since lost my dad (her son) 5 years ago. I find so much comfort in traditional foods I grew up with and have neither of them to show me the way anymore. This recipe is identical to how she used to make it. Thank you so for sharing.
My pleasure! I share all sorts of recipes, but the really old ones are always my favorites!
I first had streak of lean in a roadside cafe in Tennessee served on a biscuit along with a scrambled egg.
I don’t think they soaked it, but once I got past the first bite and my blood pressure came back down, I was able to enjoy it. The waitress was giggling and asked me “First timer?”
I actually just made some a few weeks ago, using your recipe and it came out great.
Thanks! I was born and raised in Texas and I cannot recall ever seeing it before. But just like almost all other old fashioned Southern Food, I enjoyed it
One of the best of the truly old southern recipes. I’m so glad you liked it.
Lana,
Not sure why I started thinking of streak-o-lean, but was thinking of my grandmother’s biscuits and then how she would fry up streak-o-lean to go with them. I then googled the meat, hoping to find somewhere I could buy some. Your site came up with your recipe. I was thrilled to read it, I’m from Georgia and am proud of my southern roots and the best food in this country!
Nothing better than good old-fashioned Southern recipes!
You’re ENTIRELY wrong about the meat portion. This IS NOT salt pork belly. Streak O’Lean is HOG JOWL — don’t prepare it any other way because all you end up with is fat bacon. I hate that the southern folkways have been ruined by the internet. All you have to do is look at a photo of sliced jowl and you will say “Ah–I get it–Streak O’Lean!”. What a travesty.
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to comment and share your thoughts. Traditional Southern cooking is close to my heart, and I always enjoy hearing from folks who appreciate its deep-rooted traditions.
I know that there can sometimes be confusion and differences with older recipes like “streak-o-lean,” which can vary from region to region and between families and communities. However, just to clarify for readers, this recipe for streak-o-lean comes from my 88-year-old mother. It was prepared exactly like this by her mother and her grandmother. In fact, everyone that I grew up with in south Georgia did and still does prepare Streak-o-Lean exactly like this recipe. I am 69 years old myself and have been cooking it like this for at least 50 years. Even the restaurants in the area where I grew up use this exact preparation method and recipe.
In addition, streak o’ lean does indeed come from the pork belly or side of the pig. In contrast, hog jowl, while delicious and important particularly for Southern New Year’s traditions, comes from a different part of the pig, specifically the cheek area.
Rest assured, I’m passionate about preserving Southern cooking heritage, and I’m grateful for an opportunity to discuss it. Thank you again for your feedback and for being a part of the conversation.
When the pork belly is harvested from the pig it is done and the streaks are attached. Then the bells are separated from the sides based on the width of the bacon desired for smoking. Then the remaining sides are salt cured then if desired sliced before packaging. Streak-o-lean is the same meat as bacon just preserved differently. I just pan fry mine until the salt makes a crust on the outside of the meat.
Yes. That is correct.
Seeing this recipe reminded me of my childhood so I gave it a try. Unfortunately it tasted way different than what my mother made but I don’t know why. Part of it is that the salt pork slices were way too thin; the next time I will slice my own. I may give it another try in several months time.
Something I ate all my life. I love it so much with lots of pepper. The best.
I make this every once in a blue moon (we’re having it tonight!). My late mother in law made it usually twice a year and everyone looked forward to it. She put hers in cornmeal and to stop it from popping, trimmed the rind part off keeping the fat. I can almost taste it!
Enjoy your dinner!