Red beans and rice with salt pork
No it does not; you can put it in raw and it will cook with the red beans.

I prepare it every year by:

Soak red beans in cold water over night;

fry off the diced salt pork, onion, green pepper, celery and garlic in the pot I will use to make the red beans;

add the beans and liquid and cook till tender &amp; serve over rice.

Your could also prepare this dish without frying the salt pork first, just stick it in the pot with the beans.

One warning:  Salt pork is salty, really really salty.  If your recipe tells you to use two pounds of smoked hock, don't use that much salt pork - would advise using 1/8 or less as much salt pork as you would use smoked pork.