Pork cracklings, or “chicharrones de chancho,” are made by cooking pork fat that still contains some meat (such as pork belly) and frying it in its own lard.
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How to Make Chilean Pork Cracklings?
When preparing pork cracklings, the lard is filtered and stored for use in other recipes, such as bread or fried potatoes, making it a versatile and delicious ingredient.
Nutritional Facts
Each serving of pork cracklings contains approximately 450 kcal, 0 g of carbohydrates, 40 g of fat, 20 g of protein, 0 g of fiber, 0 g of sugars, 80 mg of cholesterol, and 300 mg of sodium.
Chilean Pork Cracklings Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 kg of pork meat
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 green chili
- Coarse salt
- Kneaded bread
- Cilantro
Preparation Steps
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the pork belly into small cubes of about 2 to 3 centimeters. Optionally, add a pinch of coarse salt to taste. Set aside.
- Heat a small amount of water over medium heat in a large pot. Add the cubes of fat and meat, stirring constantly to begin rendering the fat and prevent the pieces from sticking.
- Continue cooking over medium heat for approximately 40 minutes, or until the pieces turn golden brown and achieve a crispy texture. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully strain the hot fat using a fine sieve or metal mesh. Store the filtered lard in clean, dry containers.
- Serve the freshly prepared cracklings, optionally sprinkled with a pinch of salt. Pair them with a tomato, onion, and chili salsa (pebre) and some kneaded bread, or store the cracklings in a cool place covered with plastic wrap.
Why Are They Called “Chicharrones”?
The word chicharrón comes from the onomatopoeic sound “chich,” which is the noise made by the meat as it fries in its own fat. The term also relates to the word achicharrar, which means to cook something until it has a burnt flavor.
Did You Know?
Pork cracklings are known by different names around the world, such as torresmo in Brazil, cracklings in the United States, and cuchifritos in Puerto Rico.
