Pure fat from the pig's back — the original pot seasoning for beans and greens. Predates ham hocks in the Black kitchen.
Before ham hocks were widely available and affordable, fatback was the pot seasoning. It appears in nearly every written and oral account of Black Southern cooking from the antebellum period through Reconstruction.
Almost entirely saturated fat with negligible protein or micronutrients. Its role is flavor, not nutrition. Honest: a tiny amount goes a long way and provides no meaningful nutritional benefit.
A small piece — 1–2 oz — scored and added to the pot when simmering dried beans, collards, or pinto beans. It melts slowly and seasons the entire pot. Never the main ingredient, always the background.
Free, no account needed to ask.