Chicharon may be intimidating to try since it is normally done by specialty and pasalubong shops.
Actually, there are many stores and stalls in the Philippines that are selling chicharon, which is also known as deep-fried pork rinds. Filipinos are more used to buying them in their ready-to-eat state than trying to make them using their very own hands.
The Filipino crispy snack is actually influenced by its Spanish counterpart - the chicharrón. Even by their names, it can be easily identified that the Filipinos derived its name from the original chicharrón.
There are many provinces in the Philippines that are known when it comes to huge production and delicious chicharon. Two of the popular Chicharon production are in the provinces of Bulacan and Cebu. They are considered to be part of the top producers of the snack.
Nowadays, the market has been releasing more variations of the snack and lots of them are surprisingly healthy compared to pork which is high in cholesterol.
Mushroom and fish skin are some of the healthier versions of the crispy snack, plus they are just as enjoyable and delicious too. They may also be high in fats, but their fat contents are made from healthy fats, thus they are not dangerous.
Tips How to Make Chicharon
- Making Chicharon takes a lot of patience, you need to sun dry the pork skin for 3-5 days.
- I used pork skin for this recipe, you may also use pork belly.
- Use a drying rack or hang the skin when sun drying them. Expect the fat will drip.
- Cook the pork skin by boiling it until tender but not falling apart.
- Deep-fry int hot oil to make it crunchy.
You can try doing the Chicharon Recipe if you feel like snacking on something crispy and homemade. It can also be eaten together with rice meals, that’s how Pinoys do it sometimes.
Very crispy, sometimes airy or completely packed - chicharon is a nice change of pace because of its salty flavor. Dip it in vinegar and it will taste even better.
Recipe
Chicharon Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork skin
- 36 oz water add more if necessary
- 4 tbsp salt
- cooking oil for frying
Instructions
- Place a large pot of water in medium heat. Add the pork skin, making sure everything is fully submerge in the water. Add 2 tbsp salt then let it boil for 20-30 minutes or until the pork skin is tender but not falling apart.
- Remove from the pot and drain the water. Transfer to a large bowl and add the remaining salt. Make sure the salt is well distributed.
- Cut the pork skin into 1 ½ to 2 inches size and arrange them on a rack. Sun dry the meat for at least 3-5 days until dehydrated and shrunken.
- Heat a pan over medium heat, add the cooking oil. Wait until the oil is hot enough, carefully add the pork skin in batches. Do not overcrowd the meat. Cook until lightly golden brown and puffy.
- Remove from the pan and drain excess oil. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
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