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Remove Rind or Leave Rind and why?

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sqwib

sqwib

Smoking Guru
Original poster
OTBS Member
Sep 25, 2007
5,962
1,034
Philadelphia
Hey fellow smokers

I have a couple of questions

I am doing a BuckBoard Bacon it's in the cure right now.

My plan is to cold smoke for 12-18 hours with an AMNS keeping the temps below 80°.

I have all that figured out but need persuading on the Rind.

Question #1

Seems like 80% of folks remove it. I wanted to know if anyone has had good results leaving the rind on and slicing thin for frying? My intentions are for a thin sliced bacon with the rind in place. I would remove the Rind if it were to be thick sliced but was curious about the texture thin sliced. Seems like most folks that hot smoke, remove the Rind and the only folks I have seen leave it on, cold smoke.

Question # 2

If I plan on removing the rind, I will make cracklins so...

When making cracklings which is preferred, rind be chunked or sliced and should I boil the rind till the fat renders out and dehydrate before frying.

Question # 3

Has anyone ever used baking powder and or salt before frying to help crisp up the cracklins.

If you answer the first question, please post whether you cold smoke or hot smoke

Thanks
 
SQWIB said:
Question #1
Seems like 80% of folks remove it. I wanted to know if anyone has had good results leaving the rind on and slicing thin for frying? My intentions are for a thin sliced bacon with the rind in place. I would remove the Rind if it were to be thick sliced but was curious about the texture thin sliced. Seems like most folks that hot smoke, remove the Rind and the only folks I have seen leave it on, cold smoke.
Click to expand...

The rind will be very tough, even sliced thin, unless cooked a very long time.
I cold smoke, but my answer would be the same either way.

SQWIB said:
Question # 2
If I plan on removing the rind, I will make cracklins so...
When making cracklings which is preferred, rind be chunked or sliced and should I boil the rind till the fat renders out and dehydrate before frying.
Click to expand...

If you want puffy rinds, boil the rind whole for about an hour, scrape off any fat, cut into squares (or any shape) dry well in a dehydrator and then deep fry.

SQWIB said:
Question # 3
Has anyone ever used baking powder and or salt before frying to help crisp up the cracklins.
Click to expand...

I haven't tried baking powder with rind, but it should increase the malliard reaction (theoretically anyway), which may not necessarily be a good thing when deep frying. It should also increase the "bubbliness" of the rind.


~Martin
 
Last edited:
US Butts purchased in supermarkets aren't supposed to have the skin intact (from my research anyhow) but this does.

Seems like a thin rind then a fat cap underneath then a thin layer of meat then a false cap its hard like skin but not very thick.

All the butts I have ever done never had this, its not as thick as the skin found in picnics but its hard like the picnic skin and a little pinker than the fat.It's hard to tell by the pic.

If its fat, its the weirdest fat I have ever seen.

I'll check it out closer when I remove it from the cure, if it gets any harder I will remove it before smoking.

Has anyone else ran into this?

20120922036.JPG

20120922036.JPG

 
Last edited:
Not to alter the subject too far off base, but I have one of the best tasting pork skin products in the most unlikely place. Micro-wave pork rinds. Fresh hot pork rinds, still crackling out of the nuker.

 
Think it depends on the source. The butt I got when I butchered my pig still has the skin. You can always choose to remove it if it's there but you certainly can't put it back if it's not.
 
Growing up we used to boil the fat down in a big cast iron kettle with a fire under it to render the lard.   Cracklins  are whats left of the fat after its been rendered.     I haven't done any bacon of any kind.  I'll probably cold smoke when I do though.   Just seems to make more sense to me.  Just my .02.
 
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