I have seen lots of references to cracklins on here but no directions for making them. From what I read here it seems that you just fry the pork skin in its own fat, but when I tried it the results where less than perfect. So can someone give me the basic method used to make these?
Making Cracklins?
- Thread starter Eric W
- Start date
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
No.
Cracklin's can be made in many ways but are not usually cooked slowly. However, an intermediate cooking step, helpful if making chicharrones/chicharon/fried pork rinds/fried pork fat is helpful to even out the frying when you get to that point and to make the results 'lighter' in texture. How you do it depends on what you're using (skin, fat, skin with fat, skin with fat and meat) but most methods are pretty interchangable.
For tiny cracklin's (to be used for toppings, to make cracklin' cornbread, eaten by the handful) simply freeze your fat while you bring a pot of lard or oil up to 375. Cut the fat into 1/4-inch pieces then fry till light-to-medium brown, about 5-7 min, drain well on absorbant toweling, and salt while still hot.
For fat-only, cut the fat into 1-inch squaresand stick it in the fridge till cold (this will make it fluffier). Meanwhile, heat a few inches of lard or peanut oil in a pot to 375-400, then fry the fat, several pieces at a time till golden. Drain well, season; repeat. Do not overcook or they'll get hard.
For skin with fat, skin with fat and meat, that you'd like to keep on the smaller side, cut into 3/4 x 3/4-inch pieces after semi-freezing. Bring a pot with 1/4-1/3 of its volume of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pork pieces and keep the heat up. The water will boil off while some fat renders and the pork will fry in its fat. Cook till light golden, drain, season, etc.
(You can cook pork pieces like this (skin/fat or skin/fat/meat) directly in lard/oil (375-400F) as my neighbor does but I find the partial rendering with a water start does a better job. It is important not to let them get too brown or they will be hard. Cook till just shy of target and pull/drain/etc.)
Here are a couple other methods that also work:
Semi-freeze pork rind with not too much fat still on it then cut into 1 x 1-inch squares. Put into a pot and boil in salted water for 30-40 min. Drain well, spread on a sheetpan, then bake at 300 for 3 hours. Deep-fry, as above, till puffed.
A fave: Semi-freeze skin with a little fat then cut into 1 x 1 pieces. Place in pot and cover with cold water. Add to the pot some salt and pepper and your choice of a few bay leaves, some oregano, a cut up onion, sofrito from a jar, some garlic cloves, or a mix of these, and bring the water to a boil. Lower heat then allow the pot to simmer for an hour. Drain well, discarding all solids except the pork. Deep fry, as above, or put the pork onto a sheetpan then roast in a pre-heated 350 oven till crisp.
Cracklin's can be made in many ways but are not usually cooked slowly. However, an intermediate cooking step, helpful if making chicharrones/chicharon/fried pork rinds/fried pork fat is helpful to even out the frying when you get to that point and to make the results 'lighter' in texture. How you do it depends on what you're using (skin, fat, skin with fat, skin with fat and meat) but most methods are pretty interchangable.
For tiny cracklin's (to be used for toppings, to make cracklin' cornbread, eaten by the handful) simply freeze your fat while you bring a pot of lard or oil up to 375. Cut the fat into 1/4-inch pieces then fry till light-to-medium brown, about 5-7 min, drain well on absorbant toweling, and salt while still hot.
For fat-only, cut the fat into 1-inch squaresand stick it in the fridge till cold (this will make it fluffier). Meanwhile, heat a few inches of lard or peanut oil in a pot to 375-400, then fry the fat, several pieces at a time till golden. Drain well, season; repeat. Do not overcook or they'll get hard.
For skin with fat, skin with fat and meat, that you'd like to keep on the smaller side, cut into 3/4 x 3/4-inch pieces after semi-freezing. Bring a pot with 1/4-1/3 of its volume of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pork pieces and keep the heat up. The water will boil off while some fat renders and the pork will fry in its fat. Cook till light golden, drain, season, etc.
(You can cook pork pieces like this (skin/fat or skin/fat/meat) directly in lard/oil (375-400F) as my neighbor does but I find the partial rendering with a water start does a better job. It is important not to let them get too brown or they will be hard. Cook till just shy of target and pull/drain/etc.)
Here are a couple other methods that also work:
Semi-freeze pork rind with not too much fat still on it then cut into 1 x 1-inch squares. Put into a pot and boil in salted water for 30-40 min. Drain well, spread on a sheetpan, then bake at 300 for 3 hours. Deep-fry, as above, till puffed.
A fave: Semi-freeze skin with a little fat then cut into 1 x 1 pieces. Place in pot and cover with cold water. Add to the pot some salt and pepper and your choice of a few bay leaves, some oregano, a cut up onion, sofrito from a jar, some garlic cloves, or a mix of these, and bring the water to a boil. Lower heat then allow the pot to simmer for an hour. Drain well, discarding all solids except the pork. Deep fry, as above, or put the pork onto a sheetpan then roast in a pre-heated 350 oven till crisp.
Steve Gomes
TVWBB Fan
I love these cracklins and I talked to the owner of Valley Packing here in Colorado about them. He told me that you bake the poork skins instead of frying. This seems to make more sense to me because they have to fry for a long time.
Jerry Pollard
TVWBB Super Fan
I can remember when my family used to have a'"hog killing"day. Neigbors would come and help for part of the booty. Cooked the cracklins in a wash pot. Man, you talking about good!! Get a big glass of buttermilk and make some "cracklin cornbread". Everything on the hog, "almost' was used. made "hog head cheese"
aka souse meat, pig feet, fresh ribs ummmm.
hog head stew, yummy.
make sausage, hang them in the smoke house along with the ham for smokin. wow, that was a lonnnng time ago.
aka souse meat, pig feet, fresh ribs ummmm.
hog head stew, yummy.
make sausage, hang them in the smoke house along with the ham for smokin. wow, that was a lonnnng time ago.