Discussion
Not sure if this should be in Food & Drink or Health Matters 
If you've ever traveled through South East Texas or Louisiana, you might have tried these.
Called Cracklins' by the English speakers, Grattons by the Cajuns and Chicharrons by the Hispanics, these are jumped up Pork Scratchings.
Not just the skin, you get a layer of fat and a layer of meat.
Absolute heart attack in a little greasy brown bag but oh so tasty.
Nice day here today and I wanted to get the bbq out so nothing ventured nothing gained.
I started off with a nice big piece of Pork Belly. sliced it up into 1" wide strips and boiled it up for 30 minutes with some smokey pork rub in the water.
You need to do this to render some of the fat out.
Next, onto the bbq, indirect heat (say 225f) with some apple wood chips for a couple of hours.
This will render even more fat out. If your're one of those fancy types, put a pan underneath to catch the fat dripping off. It's Lard.
Once that's done, into a big frying pan (I used a Wok) and fry them off till they look good and brown.
You'll get even more fat out of them at this stage and this must be where the name Cracklins' come from because they do snap. crackle & pop at this stage.
The skin will puff up at this point so they are crunchy but not hard enough to wipe your teeth out.
Remove from the pan with your fave slotted spoon and put them on some kitchen towel to cool down a bit.
If you've done it right, there won't be fat dripping out of them any more, just what's on the surface.
When they've cooled down a bit, give them a sprinkle of your desired Cajun spice to taste. I used Tony Chatcherees as I had it to hand but whatever you like really.
Final result
Not sure of they look a bit burned in the picture. They certainly aren't but they are well done which is how they are supposed to be.
The meat is cooked to perfection, the fat has the consistency of something like a Crunchie bar and the skin is puffy. Not hard & not chewy.
It's like bbq, it's like bacon, it's like pork scratchings all at once.
It's Porknography, is what it is.
In retrospect, I probably should have done the final frying outside as it's a bit smokey when it gets going and there's a good chance of flaming pork shrapnel flying through the air if you get an awkward lump
Anyone else ever tried these?
If you've ever traveled through South East Texas or Louisiana, you might have tried these.
Called Cracklins' by the English speakers, Grattons by the Cajuns and Chicharrons by the Hispanics, these are jumped up Pork Scratchings.
Not just the skin, you get a layer of fat and a layer of meat.
Absolute heart attack in a little greasy brown bag but oh so tasty.
Nice day here today and I wanted to get the bbq out so nothing ventured nothing gained.
I started off with a nice big piece of Pork Belly. sliced it up into 1" wide strips and boiled it up for 30 minutes with some smokey pork rub in the water.
You need to do this to render some of the fat out.
Next, onto the bbq, indirect heat (say 225f) with some apple wood chips for a couple of hours.
This will render even more fat out. If your're one of those fancy types, put a pan underneath to catch the fat dripping off. It's Lard.
Once that's done, into a big frying pan (I used a Wok) and fry them off till they look good and brown.
You'll get even more fat out of them at this stage and this must be where the name Cracklins' come from because they do snap. crackle & pop at this stage.
The skin will puff up at this point so they are crunchy but not hard enough to wipe your teeth out.
Remove from the pan with your fave slotted spoon and put them on some kitchen towel to cool down a bit.
If you've done it right, there won't be fat dripping out of them any more, just what's on the surface.
When they've cooled down a bit, give them a sprinkle of your desired Cajun spice to taste. I used Tony Chatcherees as I had it to hand but whatever you like really.
Final result
Not sure of they look a bit burned in the picture. They certainly aren't but they are well done which is how they are supposed to be.
The meat is cooked to perfection, the fat has the consistency of something like a Crunchie bar and the skin is puffy. Not hard & not chewy.
It's like bbq, it's like bacon, it's like pork scratchings all at once.
It's Porknography, is what it is.
In retrospect, I probably should have done the final frying outside as it's a bit smokey when it gets going and there's a good chance of flaming pork shrapnel flying through the air if you get an awkward lump
Anyone else ever tried these?
Family all just got home from work and they're gone already.
I'll be cooking another batch tomorrow then
This is going to be my snack food starter along with the chips & dips for the big parties this year whilst the Brisket & Pork Shoulder is getting underway.
Might have to put my GP on speed dial at this rate
I'll be cooking another batch tomorrow then
This is going to be my snack food starter along with the chips & dips for the big parties this year whilst the Brisket & Pork Shoulder is getting underway.
Might have to put my GP on speed dial at this rate
That's exactly the pics I had in mind.I do something similar although never really knew it was a 'thing'.
I get pork belly strips from the shops, smoke them with apple or oak for about 2 hours really low (mainly to get flavour rather than try and properly cook them) with a bit of a salty rub.
After I get bored of waiting, I pop them into a hot oven for as long as it takes to turn them into crispy juicy little nuggets of flavor.
I can only describe them as a combination of a soft(ish) pork scratching and smokey bacon.
TOTAL WIN!
I get pork belly strips from the shops, smoke them with apple or oak for about 2 hours really low (mainly to get flavour rather than try and properly cook them) with a bit of a salty rub.
After I get bored of waiting, I pop them into a hot oven for as long as it takes to turn them into crispy juicy little nuggets of flavor.
I can only describe them as a combination of a soft(ish) pork scratching and smokey bacon.
TOTAL WIN!
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