Chicarrones (Pork Rinds)

[fitfool]

Now the real reason I made the Bacon-Wrapped Pork Chops was so I could have some pig fat to turn into crispy bites of happiness. I had read this recipe for Deep-Fried Pork Belly and I couldn't wait to make this at home. Going to my regular grocery, the closest thing to pig skin I could find were some pork chops with some fat along the edges that I thought could work. I came so close. They looked beautiful when I was done. They had the perfect crispy texture. They tasted awful. All I could taste was baking soda. Clearly I messed up. Looking back at the original post, I'm pretty sure I had the same problem someone else did in the comments. I should've rinsed the baking soda off and patted it dry. If I had read through all the comments, I would've known this. But I didn't until after I had botched that batch of pig fat.

But I went to an Asian grocery (Super 88 in Boston) and saw that they had pork belly with the skin still on. I didn't buy it yet though. It was enough to know that it was available. First I wanted to consult the cooks of the internet. Do you have a tried and true recipe for frying up pig fat/skin? Do you have any tips for how I might've corrected this?


Fried Pork Fat (Chicarrones)

1. Cut the skin or fat away from the meat and cut into small squares about an inch wide.
   
2. Place them in a pan of water with a tablespoon of baking soda. Put them in skin-side down and simmer for about 10 minutes so that it fries up correctly. How much water do I need? I used just enough to cover the pieces of fat but maybe I needed more. In any case, I definitely should've rinsed the pan clean afterwards I think.
   
3. Rinse the skin/fat pieces with water to wash off the baking soda and pat dry. (This is mentioned in the original post's comments but not in the post itself. Argh.)
   
4. In a cold pan, add some oil and heat it over low heat. Place the boiled pieces into the pan with the meat side down. This browns the meat and begins the process of rendering the fat.
   
5. When enough fat has rendered out that the skin won't stick to the pan, you can flip the pieces over so that they're skin-side down. Keep the heat low to medium.
   
6. Slowly turn the heat up and cook until the skin is crispy. Remove and drain excess oil on paper towels.
   
7. Sprinkle on some salt and eat once it's cool enough to handle.