Smalec Ze Skwarkami

Name: Smalec Ze Skwarkami
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h 13 min
Total time: 3 h 33 min
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 700 g Pork fat, diced; 200 g Smoked bacon, diced; 150 g Onion, diced; 120 g Apple, diced; 10 g Garlic, crushed; 4 g Marjoram, dried; 8 g Salt; 2 g Black pepper, ground

Smalec Ze Skwarkami · ready in 3 h 33 min · 8 servings · 847 kcal per serving · easy · 8 ingredients

A rustic Polish jar spread of slowly rendered pork fat, golden cracklings, onion, apple, garlic, and the unmistakable warmth of marjoram.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 3 h 13 min
Total: 3 h 33 min
Serves: 8
kcal: 847
Difficulty: easy

Polish Snacks & starters Supper Gluten-free Dairy-free Low-carb (20 g or less)

A QiMeal recipe · Updated 3 October 2026

Ingredients · 8 servings

700 gPork fat, diced
200 gSmoked bacon, diced
150 gOnion, diced
120 gApple, diced
10 gGarlic, crushed
4 gMarjoram, dried
8 gSalt
2 gBlack pepper, ground

Equipment

stovetop, refrigerator, heavy pot, knife, cutting board, wooden spoon, ladle, clean jars, spoon, serving bowl

Instructions

Mise En Place
Gather and measure all ingredients; set out a heavy pot, knife, cutting board, wooden spoon, ladle, clean jars, and refrigerator space. · 10 min
What to look for: All ingredients are measured and tools are ready.
Dice Fat
Dice pork fat and smoked bacon into small 1 cm cubes; keep the pieces even so the fat renders steadily and cracklings brown together. · 10 min
What to look for: Fat and bacon are cut into even small cubes.
Render Slowly
Heat the heavy pot over medium-low heat, add pork fat and bacon, and render slowly, stirring every few minutes as liquid fat appears. · 45 min
What to look for: Clear fat pools around pale, shrinking cubes.
Brown Cracklings
Cook gently until the fat is mostly liquid and the cracklings are golden, reducing heat if they darken too quickly. · 15 min
What to look for: Cracklings are golden and suspended in clear melted fat.
Add Onion Apple
Add diced onion and apple to the hot rendered fat, stir well, and cook until the onion turns soft and translucent. · 8 min
What to look for: Onion looks glossy and softened; apple pieces begin to mellow.
Season Aromatics
Add crushed garlic and marjoram, cook 2 minutes until fragrant, then season carefully with salt and black pepper. · 3 min
What to look for: Garlic smells mellow, not raw, and marjoram is evenly dispersed.
Jar And Chill
Ladle the hot smalec into clean jars, leaving cracklings evenly distributed, then cool briefly before refrigerating until firm. · 2 h
What to look for: Fat turns opaque and set, with cracklings visible throughout.
Serve Smalec
Serve the set smalec chilled or lightly softened, scooping down through the jar so each portion includes cracklings and onion. · 2 min
What to look for: Smalec is firm but spreadable, with golden cracklings in each spoonful.

Nutrition (per serving)

kcal	847
Protein	7 g
Carbohydrates	5 g
of which sugars	3 g
Fat	89 g
of which saturated	32 g
Fibre	1 g
Sodium	780 mg

Nutri-ScoreE

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens, per our data.

Ingredient substitutions

Pork fat

Leaf lard: Use the same weight; it renders cleanly and gives a mild pork flavor.

Smoked bacon

Pork fat: Use more pork fat if bacon is unavailable; the smalec will be less smoky.

Onion

Yellow onion: A firm yellow onion is the classic choice and softens well in rendered fat.

Apple

Tart apple: A tart apple keeps the spread balanced without making it taste sweet.

Garlic

Garlic clove: Use freshly crushed cloves for the cleanest aroma.

Marjoram

Dried marjoram: Marjoram is defining here, so keep the same herb and adjust only for freshness.