Chicharrones (pork belly cracklings)

servings

Those chicharrones are made of pork belly parboiled and fried on its own fat. Serve as a tasty snack along with salsa and your favorite drinks.

prep 10

cook 1 50

Resting time 10

total 2 10

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Cut the pork belly into 2 inches-wide strips.
Make deep cuts to the meaty side of each strip ensuring you don’t cut through the skin.
Place the meat in a large heavy pan or pot along with garlic cloves, bay leaves, lime peel, lime juice, and salt.
Add water to slightly cover the meat and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Cook with the pot uncovered and mix from time to time until almost all water has evaporated (about 40-50 minutes).
Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes flipping the meat every 10 minutes or so to allow it to release its fat and starts to fry.
Continue cooking for another 30 minutes using tongs to flip the meat and fry on all sides (see notes).
When you see the meat has become dark golden brown and the pork rind is bubbly and nicely crispy, chicharrones are ready.
Remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
Cut them into bite-sized pieces and serve warm or allow them to cool down completely and enjoy later.

Keep a close eye on it while frying the chicharrones. They can go from golden and crispy to burnt quite quickly.
The frying process can cause hot oil to splatter. Using a splatter screen or lid can help protect you from oil splatters.
Avoid placing the chicharron over paper towels as they can create steam and make the crispy meat soggy.
Allow them to cool slightly before enjoying, as they’ll become even crispier!
The fat released during the cooking process is called manteca (lard, in English) and can be used in many other recipes, such as tamales or refried beans.