Where to Find Fatback

I've been looking at several grocery stores for fatback for sausage making. No luck anywhere that I could think of. I even went to a local stand alone butcher shop and he didn't have any (maybe hoarding his for his own sausage).

Can anyone help?

Thanks!

try Peoria Packing

Peoria doesn't sell pork fat, but you can buy skins that have a considerable amount of fat on them. See this thread
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=12216&highlight=chicago+meat+market

I have also bought fat at Paulina Meat Market and Western Meat Market (1311 N Western) although the latter generally does not have much and is kind of dingy.

My best luck with this has been to order it from Niman Ranch's web site. The quality is fantastic and the price is quite reasonable. When it arrives, I divide it up into 1/2-pound slabs, vacuum seal them and freeze them for later use.

Pork Fat Back

=R=

I'd suggest checking at Chicago Meat on Cicero. Sorry, I'm not in a position to look up the address righrt now. Do a search. I've posted about it before.

In a pinch, a visit to a decent Hispanic butcher counter usu. does the trick for me.

I simply ask for, "grasa..."

"...con cuero."



E.M.

The most recent time we made Italian sausage, my MIL wanted to try a Polish grocery to buy the pork (she was hoping for nice, low price). So, off we went. I can't remember where we went, unfortunately. I want to say we were on Harlem, maybe around Irving Park, but am not sure.

I had read that fatback was what we wanted, but she had never used it. I had asked at Paulina and they told me they do not carry it. So, while we were buying the pork, we saw a package of white, fluffy looking fat. It had a Polish name and the woman behind the counter spoke very little English, so we took a chance. It worked wonderfully. I didn't add enough, so mine came out a little too lean. My MIL, who had never used it before, added what I didn't use to her's. It turned out the most delicious sausage that she's made. I just wish I knew what it was called.

Any Asian market has it, both with or without the bone. My wife says the best is found in Chinatown, but the Vietnamese places on Argyle/Broadway are also good. She slow simmers it in ginger and garlic, and then slices it thinly. A dipping oil seasoned with salt, pepper, and cayenne is always used for contrast. The pork is rolled in lettue leaves with rice and a bit of kimchee. The Korean name for what you want is sam kyop sal, very tasty.

nickzen wrote:Any Asian market has it, both with or without the bone. My wife says the best is found in Chinatown, but the Vietnamese places on Argyle/Broadway are also good.

It is sometimes simply referred to as mỡ, or "fat," in Vietnamese, and the Argyle neighbourhood is where I most often purchase it. But, above I suggested that the O.P. try a Hispanic butcher counter, as I figure that a Hispanic butcher will be much more accommodating of mispronunciations than his Vietnamese counterpart.

E.M.

nickzen wrote:Any Asian market has it, both with or without the bone. My wife says the best is found in Chinatown, but the Vietnamese places on Argyle/Broadway are also good. She slow simmers it in ginger and garlic, and then slices it thinly. A dipping oil seasoned with salt, pepper, and cayenne is always used for contrast. The pork is rolled in lettue leaves with rice and a bit of kimchee. The Korean name for what you want is sam kyop sal, very tasty.

Also transliterated as samgyupsal, as described in the Kim's Korean thread. Not that that thread says anything about them selling it retail.

I was just in Paulina Market. Last year I asked and they said no. Today they said they had it - $4. If my partner heard him correctly, he said it was for 5 pounds - it comes frozen.

They also have casings - 3.95 - but an intrepid sausage maker posted earlier this year that they didn't seem very fresh. I may try them just because they are a few blocks a way and Fox and Obel is not close to my normal meanderings.

Hi,

I was in Bobak's last night, they had fat back for 99 cents per pound.

Regards,

I have been making sausage for only a short time - couple years maybe. In that time, I've had to search for fatback multiple times. I haven't liked the cut up pieces at Paulina; Chicago Meat Market on Cicero is out until tomorrow.

I made a list of the most likely suspects from Google, Yelp, and LTH searches. I armed myself with "grasa con cuero" just in case I talked to someone who understood Spanish. And, I started calling.

"Hello, I'm looking for some pork fatback."

"Pork fat?"

"Fatback"

"Pork back?"

"Thank you. Goodbye."

That was typical of about 25%. Another 25% just said no - I have no idea if they knew what I meant or not. Some knew, they just didn't always have it. A small portion of them understood once I said grasa con cuero and would reply they had the belly.

Given the responses, here is a list of the some of the most likely places in the city limits:

Bobak's, 5272 S Archer, 773-735-5334
Updated 2/09 - Went to store today; had two packages on shelf $1.49 a pound

Big Apple, 2345 N Clark, 773-880-5800
In stock, had quite a bit, can get more if needed, 2.98 a pound

Josephs, 7101 W Addison, 773-736-3766
Will order it and can have it in a couple of days (says few people want it)

Gepperth's, 1664 N Halsted, 773-549-3883
Thought he had some, but didn't; can order anytime and will be in next day (I think that's how fast he said)

Western Meat Market, 1311 N Western, 773-278-2692
Spanish term was necessary; they carry it but were out, so call ahead

Chicago Meat Market, 3021 N Cicero Ave, 773-777-7116
They have it, but were out; call ahead. Have gotten it there before and thought it was around $2 a pound, but am not sure. It was skinless.

Gene's Sausage Shop and Deli, 5330 W Belmont, 773-777-6322
Have it, lots of it, come on down; 1.59 a pound, skin on

Paulina Meat Market, 3501 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-248-6272
Have it, but it's in little cubes so if you want a chunk, this isn't the place

Given where I live, my MiL lives and who has it, I'm off to Gene's. I'll post the price once I get there. I imagine there are other places, too, but this covers a relatively nice range on the north and west sides. If anyone knows a southside option, that would be great to add. Maybe Moo and Oink?

I have no clue where it came from, but at Supermercado Chapala on Clark, a request for "grasa crudo de puerco" got me a slice of pork fat, a little easily-removed meat on the bottom, no skin. It was about an inch thick and floppy, thinner than what I see here - so I'm doubting it was fatback, but I used it to great effect in leverpastej.

Supermercado Chapala
7117 N Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60626

(773) 465-3907

While walking through Cermak on North Ave. looking for oxtail, I found tocino, which translates to bacon. It was about 1/2 inch thick and meatless (excepting scraps on the bottom), I had asked, in Spanish, if it was fatback and got a few odd looks, so I picked it up. I brought some home and cubed it and it is nearly 100% fat.

It may be belly fat, but it is fat all the same.

I stopped at A&G since I was at Gene's getting the fatback. While there, I saw that they has "pork fat" for .89 a pound. It looked like the stuff you have on a pork shoulder/butt. No one is there to ask. They didn't have fatback, though.

Last time I was there, I didn't see any pork fat of any kind, so am guessing that it's not always available.

My house now smells like a Polish Deli...between the smoked sausage and the fresh sausage, this kitchen smells great.

Though I've never looked for it specifically, I'd bet you could find it with relative ease at Moo and Oink if you are near one.

I came across this forum while I was looking for fatback. Butcher & Larder has fatback, though at $6/lb it seems really steep in price. They don't always have, so call ahead!

Olympia or Publican Quality Meats probably have it

PQM gave me all I wanted, heritage hog, for 2.5 bucks a pound. Call them up first, I was advised, to make sure they had a hog and they were making sausage that day.

It is amazing. 3 lbs for sausage, 1 lb to fry meatballs in. Deep frying in amazing fatback...absurdly good.