Hancock Shaker Village Pork and Milk Gravy (Gluten Free)

This recipe definitely has  overtones of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House books. During the summers, her family virtually lived on salt pork, since the deer and bear they ate in the winter months were raising their young. Salt pork seems to be easy to find in the supermarket. I have a feeling that living in an area with a large Africa American population might have something to do with that, but, then again, I might be wrong.
The salt pork was thin, about an inch thick, and had a thick, hard rind. I found that that cooked up into a chewy, jelly-like substance, however. Because of the salt pork, this is a very salty recipe from the git-go. I would not advise adding more salt. Pepper is good. You might sauté an onion along with the salt pork to liven things up. I made it gluten free by substituting rice flour for wheat flour. A year ago, I was advocating Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free flour, which was made of dried beans and other stuff. Rice flour is much better. It does not have the sour taste of Bob's.

Hancock Shaker Village Pork and Milk Gravy

1/4 pound salt pork cut into cubes
1/4 cup flour (use rice flour if you want a gluten free recipe)
2 cups milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place the salt pork cubes in a saucepan and cook, stirring until they start to become crisp. Remove cubes from the saucepan and set aside.
2. Add the flour to saucepan and cook briefly, stirring without burning. Add the milk, stirring rapidly. When mixture thickens, and is smooth, add salt and pepper. Simmer ten minutes or less, stirring
3. Add the pork cubes to the sauce. Serve with fish balls. Makes 2 cups.