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Salt Pork vs Bacon in chowder?

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I just came home from GOM trip. Have a good deal of haddock. I want to make a chowder. I have yet to make one that I'm completely satisfied with.

I found this recipe.

 

    • 1 lb. haddock
    • 1/4 lb. salt pork
    • 1 small onion
    • 1 cup clam juice
    • 2 large red potatoes peeled and cubed.
    • 2 cups light cream
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • Cornstarch
PREPARATION
    1. In a 3 qt. stock pan: 1.Fry 1/4 salt pork slowly (20 mins. or more) and add 3 tbsp chopped onion and sauté. 2. Add 1 cup clam juice and heat to aimmer. 3. Add 2 cups chopped potatoes-Cover and simmer until tender. **(Do not overcook. 10 mins. should be enough depending on size of potato cubes.) In a separate pan: 1.Heat 2 cups light cream & 1 cup milk. Thicken with 3 tsps or more of cornstarch, Season with salt & pepper. 2. Add milk mixture to stock pan. Lay 1 lb. haddock in pot. Remove from Heat, cover, and let cure for 1 hr. or more. Re-heat gently and serve.
 

I like the idea of not over cooking potatoes and fish, especially haddock. I do see a couple tweaks I'll make. For instance, I'll add fresh parsley, more onion, use chicken stock instead of clam juice & skip the cornstarch thickening. I may put some very finly dice potatoes, onions and some fish in early to break down, add deeper flavor and a little body. I'll add more later for chuncks. I might add a little sweet yellow corn as well. I may add a bay leaf and some thyme.

My question is,what is the difference between using salt pork vs bacon in chowder? I do like bacon in my chowder. How is salt pork difeent? I've never used it.

Thanks in advance.

JD

JD

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2 hours ago, jjdbike said:

I just came home from GOM trip. Have a good deal of haddock. I want to make a chowder. I have yet to make one that I'm completely satisfied with.

I found this recipe.

 

    • 1 lb. haddock
    • 1/4 lb. salt pork
    • 1 small onion
    • 1 cup clam juice
    • 2 large red potatoes peeled and cubed.
    • 2 cups light cream
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • Cornstarch

PREPARATION

    1. In a 3 qt. stock pan: 1.Fry 1/4 salt pork slowly (20 mins. or more) and add 3 tbsp chopped onion and sauté. 2. Add 1 cup clam juice and heat to aimmer. 3. Add 2 cups chopped potatoes-Cover and simmer until tender. **(Do not overcook. 10 mins. should be enough depending on size of potato cubes.) In a separate pan: 1.Heat 2 cups light cream & 1 cup milk. Thicken with 3 tsps or more of cornstarch, Season with salt & pepper. 2. Add milk mixture to stock pan. Lay 1 lb. haddock in pot. Remove from Heat, cover, and let cure for 1 hr. or more. Re-heat gently and serve.
 

I like the idea of not over cooking potatoes and fish, especially haddock. I do see a couple tweaks I'll make. For instance, I'll add fresh parsley, more onion, use chicken stock instead of clam juice & skip the cornstarch thickening. I may put some very finly dice potatoes, onions and some fish in early to break down, add deeper flavor and a little body. I'll add more later for chuncks. I might add a little sweet yellow corn as well. I may add a bay leaf and some thyme.

My question is,what is the difference between using salt pork vs bacon in chowder? I do like bacon in my chowder. How is salt pork difeent? I've never used it.

Thanks in advance.

JD

JD

Salt pork is not smoked and is usually all or mostly fat.  Also called fatback.

 

A good quality bacon will  be fine.  Different but fine.   Cooking it for 20 minutes is nuts though.  

"all of jase's posts are valid." -Otter

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You didn't ask, but why would you use chicken stock to make fish chowder??  

If you have the haddock frames you can make your own fish stock.

If not then, I would go with bottled clam juice.

as for bacon vs. salt pork, bacon has a lot more flavor than salt pork, fine if that's what you want. 

 

" I did my worst, but I did it well "

 

 

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Seems the recipe uses the salt pork in a 1/4 lb chunk.  If using bacon dice it and only cook it until it starts to curl slightly then add onions.  I use clam liquor, not sure why you would sub chicken stock.  You can make up the milk/cream in any combination of whole milk, light or heavy cream depending how rich you would like it just add last and don’t ever let it boil or it separates. 

"I have ... put a lump of ice into an equal quantity of water ...  if a little sea salt be added to the water we shall produce a fluid sensibly colder than the ice was in the beginning, which has appeared a curious and puzzling thing to those unacquainted with the general fact."- Joseph Black

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3 mins ago, FizzyFish said:

You didn't ask, but why would you use chicken stock to make fish chowder??  

If you have the haddock frames you can make your own fish stock.

If not then, I would go with bottled clam juice.

as for bacon vs. salt pork, bacon has a lot more flavor than salt pork, fine if that's what you want. 

 

 

1 min ago, JimW said:

Seems the recipe uses the salt pork in a 1/4 lb chunk.  If using bacon dice it and only cook it until it starts to curl slightly then add onions.  I use clam liquor, not sure why you would sub chicken stock.  You can make up the milk/cream in any combination of whole milk, light or heavy cream depending how rich you would like it just add last and don’t ever let it boil or it separates. 

Thanks, yes I like bacon.

Chicken stock, because clam juice might be too salty and fishy for my wife. I'll use clam juice if it's fro just me and my fishing buddies.

Thanks again!

JD

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I have found that if I use bacon in a chowder I can leave it in and it will add a bit more flavor left in. If I use salt pork/fat back, I have to take it out after rendering, so you are only getting the flavor of the fat. A a chunk of salt pork on your spoon is not too pleasant, while bacon is innocuous.

 

Of course, bacon is smoked, fat back is not unless you use the fat/rind from a ham, so that adds flavor as well.

"You know the Bill of Rights is serving its purpose when it protects things you wish it didn't."

 

"You can no longer be oppressed if you are not afraid anymore - Unknown"

 

SOL Member #174

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I use finely diced salt pork. But its important to render it until its crispy brown bits. Remove the rendered bits and saute the onions in the salt pork fat. When the chowder is finished, I sprinkle some crispy salt pork bits on top if each bowl.

The Sultan of Sluggo

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19 hours ago, Steve in Mass said:

I have found that if I use bacon in a chowder I can leave it in and it will add a bit more flavor left in. If I use salt pork/fat back, I have to take it out after rendering, so you are only getting the flavor of the fat. A a chunk of salt pork on your spoon is not too pleasant, while bacon is innocuous.

 

Of course, bacon is smoked, fat back is not unless you use the fat/rind from a ham, so that adds flavor as well.

 

12 hours ago, Good2Go said:

Yep, use finely diced salt pork it will almost disappear. And then crispy fry some bacon and add it crumbled to the top of the chowder as a dressing. What time is dinner? 

Thanks gents.

I'm using bacon. Gonna rendre the fat, remove & crumble and save for latter. Then seautee the onions and such in the bacon fat.I'll report back w/ results.

JD

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Here's what I did.

 

INGREDIENTS

·       3 - 5 lbs. haddock

·       1 lb bacon 

·       6 small onions - diced

·       6 cups salt free chicken stock

·       4 small red potatoes cubed

·       2 small red potatoes finely diced

·       3 cups finely diced mirepoix (carrot, onion, celery)

·       ½ qt cream

·       1 qt whole milk

·       Package frozen sweet yellow corn 

·       6 fresh bay leaves

·       Bunch fresh thyme (just leaves)

·       Bunch fresh flat leaf parsley (just leaves)

·       Unsalted butter

·       Old Bay seasoning

·       Garlic powder

·       Ground white pepper

·       Fresh cracked black pepper

·       Kosher salt

·       Sugar (to enhance the natural sweetness of courn and haddock)

 

PREPARATION

1.    In a large stock pot: render and crisp bacon. Remove bacon, leave fat.

2.    Add Mirepoix and finely diced potatoes, 1 stick butter, thyme, 6 cracks pepper, 2 dashes white    pepper, dash kosher salt, a few dashes of old bay seasoning, sauté till soft.

3.    Add 1 lb haddock cubed, sauté till flakey.

4.    Use immersion blender to puree

5.    Add chicken stock, chopped onion, bay leaves, sauté till onion is starting to caramelize

6.    Add potato cubes, 1 lb thick cubed haddock, sauté till starting to flake 

7.    Add cream, milk, couple dashes of garlic powder, white and black pepper to taste, pinch of sugar, frozen corn, bring up to just below boil (but do not boil).

8.    Add the rest of the fish fillets (whole) and crumbled bacon.

9.    Remove from heat and cover

10. Let sit for an hour, stir, adjust seasoning to taste 

 

My wife said it's our best chower yet. Notice I skipped the rouix and the corn starch. Instead I softend the mirepox and finely diced potato and 1 lb of cubed haddock, along w/ bacon fat, seasoning, thyme and butter. I pureed it to add flavor and body to the chowder. I added the fish in stages. Forst w/ the base for flavor, then w/ the rest of the veggies to add flavor and body and near the end whole so their will be chunks of haddock in finished chowder. In my opinion, adding all of this haddoc throughout the process, it didn't need the clam juice.

 

Over the years, I've struggeled to make a chowder I'm happy with. I know it's because I complicate things and obsess over it & I think w/ chowder, less is more. This one is good, different than basic traditional New England clam, cod, or haddock chowder, but still good (imho).

JD

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Jim - the first addition of potatoes and the fish  that got pureed is what acted as your thickener.

 

:th:

 

"You know the Bill of Rights is serving its purpose when it protects things you wish it didn't."

 

"You can no longer be oppressed if you are not afraid anymore - Unknown"

 

SOL Member #174

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