Pork skins

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johnnyo

Fire Starter
Original poster
Went yesterday to get a couple of loins.. Lo & behold a big sign outside says $1.49 a pound so wifey & me goes in, but the loins still got ribs & skins on them. We buy them regardless, & the guy says we'll do anything but cook them for you. So I get him to cut off the ribs, & take the skin off, & there's not much fat on it.. he also cut the loins in half, & throws everything in the bags.. Now I got 4 nice loins, 4 chunks of ribs, & 2 big skins..
Question, any suggestions what to do with the skins.. how do I make piggy puffs? is there a special procedure? or do just cut them up & throw them into my Turkey frier?? when I went to a grocery store in South Texas I saw jars on a shelf that had "Pickled Pork Skins", I've never tasted them..but I do like Pickled eggs...Does anybody have a recipe for making Pickled Pork Skins.. OR should they just be ground & make dog food for our Chihuahua???
 
you can make pork rinds, pork puffs,cracklins

IngredientsPork fat with or with out meat attached DirectionsTo make cracklins you use a cut of pork that has the pork skin, pork fat and pork meat all attached. Pork Rinds, on the other hand, use only the pork fat.

The easiest place to get the pork skin/pork fat for cracklings is from either a pork butt roast (Boston Butt), rump roast, and sometimes you can find the skin and fat still attached to a loin cut. You will see the skin/fat still attached to the roast. Actually, virtually any piece of pork that has skin or fat attached to it can be used to make cracklins. What my long time Cajun friend, Dale Begnaud, told me was that his Dad would collect and freeze the pieces of fat and skin from the roast and other cuts until he had enough to make his cracklins.

In his day, the fire was lit to boil the water at 3:00 in the morning to slaughter the hog that was going to be used for the cracklins. The hog was covered in heavy burlap and the hot water poured over the hog. Pouring boiling water directly on the hog scalds the skin. The skin was then shaved to remove the hair. The process was repeated until the skin was clean and slick.

Most Cajuns season to taste with a combination of salt, black pepper and red pepper. Commercial products such as Tony Chachereâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s, Slap Yo Momma, Zatarins, Best Stop Cajun Seasoning, Season-All, Lite salt and the list goes on can all be used to season your delights. It is strictly a matter of preference. No magic here. Cracklins and pork rinds have to be seasoned immediately after coming out of the pot. So get those seasonings you want ready.

Pork Rinds – Baconettes

If you have only the fat (no meat or skin), cut in 1x1 inch squares. To make them fluffier, at the beginning of the cooking process, chill the fat by placing in the refrigerator. Now that the fat has been cut and chilled, you are ready to cook them. Since you are cooking pork rinds/baconettes it is most authentic to use lard, but you may substitute peanut oil or any other frying oil that does not smoke at high temperatures. In your black cast iron pot get several inches of oil very hot. Place the fat pieces in the hot oil and deep fry until light and golden brown. Do not overcook as the pork rind can get hard. Also be careful when placing the fat in the pot as the oil can easily pop due to the cold being placed in the hot oil.

Once they are brown, remove from the pot and place on paper towels to drain and immediately season them. You would store in an airtight container to preserve freshness.



Cracklins /Grattons

To make cracklins, the pork meat will be cut with the skin, fat and some meat attached. Old Cajuns generally used ¾ x ¾ inch thick pieces. As you will be cooking with water and letting the cracklins cook in their own grease, make sure that your pot size fits the amount of meat being cooked.

Fill your pot with water to one quarter of the depth of the pot. Note this is not one quarter inch, a mistake I had once made. Bring the water to a boil. Place the pork pieces in the water and keep a strong fire going. The water will dissolve the fat and also evaporate leaving the pork pieces to cook in their own melted grease (lard). Fry the pieces until light and golden brown. As the cracklins can turn hard it is important not to overcook them. True Cajun cracklins are supposed to be very crunchy and firm to hard in texture. If you do overcook them and they become hard, they will still be edible with the same great flavor just not as easy to chew.

If the pork pieces are mainly skin and meat, it would be ok to fry as you would the pork rinds and not have to use the water. The water as mentioned is an important agent used to help melt the fat.

Remove to paper towels for draining and immediately season the cracklins. To preserve the flavor and freshness, store in an airtight container.
 
Thanks much.. Yup never thought of typing in "Cracklins" ... Now hope to locate a recipe for Pickled pig skins.. I am sure it wouldn't differ much from Pickled eggs, but would they have to be cooked in some form, boiled, Fried etc, or just pickled raw.? Sure am kicking myself now for not buying a jar to see the ingredients & to taste them, .. but who woulda thought I'd be buying loins with skins on them...
 
jar.jpg


i would assume these are canned and cooked just like pickled pigs ears....

i found a recipe but i have not tested it, well as i am not going to test it..lol

i am still on the search for a recipe for pickled rinds

4 qt Water
1 tb Alum
2 c Distilled white vinegar
2 c Granulated sugar
1 ts Salt
2 lb Pigs' ears

Instructions:
Lip-smacking, tangy, chewy, and exotic, these morsels go perfectly with
drinks before dinner, and very well without drinks at any time.

Boil 2 quarts of the water with the alum for 5 minutes, then remove from
the heat and allow to cool.

Boil the vinegar with the sugar and salt for a few minutes, or until the
sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool.

Boil the remaining 2 quarts water and drop in the pigs' ears. Boil for 20
minutes. Remove the pigs' ears and cut them into lengthwise slices 1/4 inch
wide. After the sliced pigs' ears have cooled, return them to the alum
water to soak for 2 hours, then drain and rinse under cold water. Dry
lightly.

Place the pigs' ears in a jar, pressing them down. Pour in enough cooled
vinegar mixture to completely cover the contents of the jar. Refrigerate.

NOTE: This can be eaten after 3 day and will keep for several weeks in the
refrigerator.

Yields 2 quarts
 
Hey teacup, looks like you & me is lookin' for the same thing.. The jar I saw in Texas had "Pickled pig Skins" on the label. The jar you got pictured says Pickled Pork Rinds. I am assuming they are one & the same, just called different.. Just like bagged piggy puffs, Chicheron, Fried Skins...
 
the one you saw in texas was probably in the mexican part of the grocery.... if i was still down there as well i would be able ask some of my spanish friends
 
So I just trimmed the skin with some fat from a picnic that I am brining to make a ham. Looks like the water method above may be the way for me to go.. 
 
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