📍 Where this dish comes from: Kraków · Rynek Główny / Sukiennice (Cloth Hall)
Discover the history of this region →
Discover the history of this region →
Smalec — rendered pork fat whipped with bits of bacon, onion, and apple — is a genuine Polish bar snack, traditionally spread thick on rye bread. This version keeps the exact same spread and swaps the bread for a crisp, sturdy almond flour cracker built to hold up to it.
What You’ll Need
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 220kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb pork fatback diced small
- 4 oz bacon diced
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp marjoram
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour 1 egg, and a pinch of salt, for the crisps
Instructions
- Combine fatback and bacon in a heavy pot over low heat. Render slowly, stirring occasionally, 15–20 minutes until the fat has melted and the bits are golden.
- Add onion and garlic, cooking 5 more minutes until softened.
- Stir in bay leaf, marjoram, salt, and pepper.
- Remove bay leaf, then transfer everything to a container and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
- For the crisps: mix almond flour, egg, and salt into a dough, roll thin between parchment, and cut into small rounds.
- Bake crisps at 325°F (165°C) for 10–12 minutes until golden. Cool completely.
- Spread chilled smalec thickly on the crisps just before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 220kcal | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Fiber: 2g
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Health Benefits
- A traditional, minimal-ingredient preparation with no added sugar or fillers.
- Rendered pork fat is a stable, high-fat energy source well suited to ketogenic eating.
- Almond flour crisps provide fiber and vitamin E in place of refined rye bread.