Southern Style Pork Cracklins

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Easily make top quality Southern style pork cracklins at home with only two ingredients, pork belly and Cajun spice.

Making cracklins is rather simple but it is a time consuming process that is well worth the wait. Cracklins are pieces of pork fat with layers of meat and skin where the fat has been rendered away from for several hours at a low temperature and then flash fried to cracklin’ perfection and seasoned with a Cajun spice. Cracklins can be found in Cajun country, like Louisianian meat markets. Crackins are actually cousins of chicharrons.

If you’ve ever driven to New Orleans and stopped at a roadside restaurant you may have seen cracklins on the menu. The famous Rabideaux Sausage Kitchen in Iowa, Louisiana inspired me to create the recipe. Since living in Kansas/Missouri we don’t have access to cracklins like we found in Louisiana. Therefore, I have recreated this recipe for home cooking. We highly recommend making a stop to Rabideaux’s to experience their counter-service where they feature deli meats, sausages and Cajun grub such as boudin and cracklins and some unique Southern frozen items as well like alligator and deep fried pork chops.

Making cracklins at home is really not that big of a deal. Although it is time consuming, it is well worth the wait. I’ve heard horror stories where some people have said to leave making cracklins to the professionals. Well, I’m here to show you how to easily make cracklins in your very own home.

What is the difference between cracklins, chicharrons and pork rinds?

Cracklins, chicharrons and pork rinds are all made from pork. The cracklins are small pieces of pork belly consisting of skin, fat and meat that is rendered, flash fried to perfection and seasoned. Chicharrons are similar to cracklins only they are much larger and deep fried and not seasoned. Pork rinds are made from pork skin and they puff up when deep fried.

Do you need cooking oil to make cracklins?

Adding cooking oil is not necessary for making pork cracklins. The oil to make cracklins is derived directly from the rendering of the fat from the pork belly but it’s not an ingredient added to this recipe. Instead, this recipe uses rendered lard extracted from the pork belly. The rendered lard is then used to fry and make crispy cracklins.

How do you make rendered lard from pork belly?

Making rendered lard is rather simple. Simply cut pork belly into 2×2-inch cubes and slowly cook over low heat for up to five or even eight hours depending on how much pork belly is being cooked. The pork fat melts making rendered lard.

Homemade Cracklins Recipe

For making this recipe I used a portable induction cooktop so when cooking the temperature would hold at 200 and 220 degrees Fahrenheit without having to use a cooking thermometer. I also used a 6-QT Dutch Oven, a flat wooden spatula and a stainless steel fish spatula.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds raw pork belly with skin (more fat than meat)
• 2 Tablespoons Cajun spice of choice or season to taste (If using Jett’s Kitchen Cajun Recipe add salt as desired). Please note that Jett’s Homemade Cajun Spice recipe will make a little over 1/2 cup
• 2 brown paper lunch bags (optional but recommended for authenticity)

Instructions:

Prepare Pork

Use a sharp knife and cut pork belly into 2×2-inch squares.

Render Pork

Place diced pork belly into a 6-Quart Dutch oven and place pot onto a portable induction cooktop. I used the cooktop so when cooking, the temperature will hold at 200 and 220 degrees Fahrenheit without having to use a cooking thermometer. Start out slow and set the temperature at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook and stir pork belly constantly with a flat wooden spatula until fat juices begin to form. Then turn the heat up to 220 degrees Fahrenheit and continue cooking for approximately four hours or until the pork belly begins to brown. Be sure to stir occasionally throughout the cooking process. Towards the end of the cooking time the pork belly will start browning in the rendered fat.

Remove Browned Pork Belly

Using a stainless steel fish spatula carefully remove browned pork belly and transfer to a bowl or pan lined with foil and turn induction oven off. Allow rendered fat to cool. Using a fine mesh strainer pour cooled fat into a bowl allowing the strainer to catch the fond bits or the solid matter. Wipe the Dutch oven using a paper towel to remove any fine particles. Place rendered fat back into the Dutch oven.

Flash Fry Browned Pork Belly

Turn portable induction cooktop oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place Dutch oven with rendered fat on cooktop and bring to temperature. Carefully place a small batch of browned pork belly into hot fat and cook for about 30 seconds or until pork belly finishes cracklin. Carefully remove cooked cracklins with the stainless steel fish spatula and place in a bowl lined with paper towels. Immediately sprinkle Cajun spice on cooked cracklins and toss to coat evenly. Continue frying the remainder of the browned pork belly. Take both brown paper bags and place one inside the other and fold edges down. Once all cracklins have been cooked and seasoned place them into the brown paper lunch sack for authenticity and enjoy!

I AM EXCITED YOU ARE VIEWING JETT’S RECIPE FOR MAKING SOUTHERN STYLE PORK CRACKLINS AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW YOURS TURNS OUT SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO MAKE IT!

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