Cajun Pork Rinds Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to cook Louisiana cracklins? ›

Fill a cast-iron pot halfway with oil and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees F. Add the pork belly to the oil and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and the skins begin to float, crack and pop, about 1 hour. Drain on a sheet tray lined with paper towel and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

Sausage, bacon, and ham were typically cured for use throughout the harsher winter months, while the lard was rendered and saved for baking or frying. It was during this rendering process that Cajuns discovered the tasty treat known as cracklin—or “graton” to French speakers.

Pork rinds come from the skin of pigs. As the main ingredient, the pig skin is first removed and boiled in water until clean and tender. Once tender, the meat is then rendered to remove excess fat. Finally, the pork rind is then flash fried or baked so that it expands into a crunchy protein puff.

A close cousin to pork rinds, cracklins are essentially what happens when you leave a little bit of fat on the pork skin and fry it up. The result is a heavier, chewier product with a meatier crunch. Though they don't puff up like pork rinds, they're addictively satisfying in their own right.

Preheat oven to 230°C, 210°C fan or Gas Mark 8. Put the joint in a roasting tin on the top shelf for 20 minutes. This sudden blast of heat is the key to crispy crackling. Reduce the temperature to 180-190°C, 160-170°C fan or Gas Mark 4-5 and follow the cooking times below to ensure the joint is cooked through.

Place the pork in a cold pan on top of the stove, skin-side-down, with a little olive oil and gently heat it for 5–10 minutes so that the fat starts to come out. It's very important to put the pork in a cold pan rather than a hot pan, as if it's added straight to a very hot pan it will simply scorch.

What is boudin? Boudin is traditionally a blend of cooked pork, rice, onions, peppers and seasonings stuffed into a sausage casing, although boudin makers today sometimes get creative with unusual fillings like seafood.

Chicharrones land somewhere between rinds and cracklins—basically, like those people who said they were Team Switzerland when everyone else was Team Edward or Jacob (yes, the Twilight renaissance is happening). They tend to have a bit more meat attached to the skin, but with lower fat content.

While they are very similar, they do utilize different ingredients. Cajun food is typically spicier than Creole food, and it also contains more pork and crawfish. Creole food utilizes more ingredients like tomatoes, shrimp, oysters, and crab.

They have a fair number of calories and are quite high in unhealthy saturated fat. Plus, a serving of pork rinds provides nearly half the amount of sodium you should eat in a day. If you want to eat pork rinds, look for brands that are lower in sodium and free of artificial ingredients.

What is the difference between pork rinds and chicharrones? ›

Pork rinds are only made with fried pork skin, but traditional chicharrones can be made with many different types of meat, including pork skins. So, if they're made from pork, they're virtually identical to pork rinds, but if they're made from mutton or beef, they are not very similar at all.

Pork rinds may be fried in peanut oil, vegetable oil, or even lard. During the frying process, whatever moisture remains in the skin evaporates when it hits the hot oil, causing the skin to puff as it fries. The rinds are seasoned while they're still hot, and then cooled, resulting in the snacks we know and love.

Simply put, chicharrones is the Spanish word for a salty, savory, and crunchy snack known as pork rinds in the United States.

Chitlins, also called chitterlings, are the large intestines of swine (hogs) but can also come from calf or veal. Chitlins are typically either slow-cooked or fried, but because they are labor-intensive to clean and prepare, chitlins are often reserved for special occasions.

Definitely! This keto friendly snack is a go-to for every low carb diet. But don't forget, that consuming too many pork rinds can ruin your meal plan, so be sure to check your macronutrients and align them according to your plan.

Pour oil into a pot deep enough that top of oil is at least 6 inches from rim; place over medium-high heat. When oil reaches 225 degrees on a deep-fat frying thermometer, add pork cubes and immediately stir gently to prevent clumping. Cook pork until it is lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 220C or 200C fan-forced. Place crackling rind-side up onto a rack over a shallow baking dish. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until small bubbles form on surface and rind is golden and crisp. Cool for 5 minutes, then slice & enjoy!