Hydrothermal saline promoted grafting of sulfonic acid groups onto SBA-15 and periodic mesoporous organic silica analogues affords solid acid catalysts with high acid site loadings (> 2.5 mmol g(-1) H+), ordered mesoporosity and tunable hydrophobicity. The resulting catalysts show excellent activity for fatty acid esterification and tripalmitin transesterification to methyl palmitate, with framework phenyl groups promoting fatty acid methyl esters production. [GRAPHICS] .