To keep the skins submerged in the water, you may want to weigh them down by placing a heat-resistant plate on top of them as they boil.
To keep the skins submerged in the water, you may want to weigh them down by placing a heat-resistant plate on top of them as they boil.
At this point, if you’d like to give your chicharrónes an extra dash of flavor, sprinkle your vinegar evenly over the pork skins.
The easiest way to dry the skins is in an oven. Set the oven to its absolute lowest setting. Aim for no higher than 200o F (about 93o C). Place the skins on their cooling rack and baking sheet in the oven overnight. Traditionally, chicharrónes are dried in the hot sun. If you live in a hot, dry area, try setting the chicharrónes outdoors in a secure spot that receives constant sunlight all day, checking on them occasionally. Other methods for drying can also work well. If you have access to a heat lamp or an electric drying fan, you may want to experiment with these things.
Be ready to remove the chicharrónes quickly - the frying process can take as little as 10-20 seconds!
Other great seasonings include various other chile powders, sugar, and Chinese spice blends. Try experimenting with your own seasoning mixes!
Note that this chicharrón recipe will differ in appearance and taste from the traditional one above, as it includes the fat and meat of the pork belly, rather than just the skin.
Make sure that your cuts are fairly deep but do not reach the skin of the pork belly strips or they may break up during the cooking process.
Be careful when you remove the pot lid to flip the meat, as the water/fat mixture can sputter, sending hot grease your way. Since this recipe uses pork belly meat and fat in addition to the skin, we won’t need to use any cooking oil, as the pork fat will naturally render as it cooks.
