Fatback
In Appalachian and Southern speech, "fatback" is the hard fat from a hog’s back, usually salted and cured. It’s a traditional ingredient for flavoring beans, greens, and country cooking.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
I reckon they's two camps, one that eats the 'fatback,' and one that don't. Either way, it's in the soup beans everwhere. Hillbilly Dude Says...
I reckon they's two camps, one that eats the 'fatback,' and one that don't. Either way, it's in the soup beans everwhere. Pronunciation
[FAT-bak]
Meaning & Usage
- Pork back fat, often salted or cured (noun)
Mae:
What’s in the pot?
What’s in the pot?
Earl:
Beans with fatback for flavor.
Beans with fatback for flavor.- A traditional cooking ingredient (noun, cultural)
Mae:
Tastes like home.
Tastes like home.
Earl:
Nothin’ beats greens cooked with fatback.
Nothin’ beats greens cooked with fatback.variations: pork back fat
★ Fatback is all fat with no meat - unlike bacon. It was prized in country kitchens for stretching meals and adding flavor when lean meat was scarce. ★
Origin and Etymology
From Old English *fætt* (fat) + *bæc* (back). In American cooking, especially in the South and Appalachia, it became a staple preserved meat product by the 1800s.
Usage Notes
Still used in traditional Southern/Appalachian kitchens, though less common in modern cooking. Found in soul food and country cooking alike. Sometimes confused with salt pork, but fatback is pure back fat while salt pork may include belly.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "fat-back."
Kin Topics
Related Pages
How to Cite This Page
- APA (7th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, September 5). Fatback. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/fatback
- MLA (9th edition)"The Hillbilly Dude." "Fatback." HillbillySlang.com, 5 Sept. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/fatback.
- Chicago (17th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. "Fatback." HillbillySlang.com. September 5, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/fatback.
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