Pork belly crackling with a hot dipping sauce recipe
When I was living in Puerto Rico, I’d drive home every day along the old road out of San Juan. Lining its side were couples, young and old, selling chicharrón (pork crackling) out of the back of their cars.
The chicharrón came as one long strip, liberally doused in salt, the skin rock hard with a little bit of flesh and fat on the other side. They served it in a paper bag with a whole lemon. I’d bite the end off the lemon, spit it out, squeeze on the juices and eat the chicharrón on my drive home.
Tasty little snack. The crackling takes a while to prepare, so have a beverage close by — two or three beers should get you over the line.
Note that the quantities specified here will make about two litres of hot sauce. If that sounds like too much for your needs, adjust the proportions to make a smaller amount.
You could also just use a store-bought sauce if you have less time.
Remember: oil expands as it is heated. Use a pan that has plenty of room to allow this to happen, and never leave hot oil unattended.
Ingredients
- 200 g long red fresno chillies
- 200 g brown onions, halved
- 1 l white vinegar
- 100 g sea salt
- 100 g garlic cloves
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 7.1 oz long red fresno chillies
- 7.1 oz brown onions, halved
- 1.8 pints white vinegar
- 3.5 oz sea salt
- 3.5 oz garlic cloves
- 3.5 oz unsalted butter
- 7.1 oz long red fresno chillies
- 7.1 oz brown onions, halved
- 4.2 cups white vinegar
- 3.5 oz sea salt
- 3.5 oz garlic cloves
- 3.5 oz unsalted butter
- 250 g oak food-grade woodchips (never use chunks or pellets)
- 8.8 oz oak food-grade woodchips (never use chunks or pellets)
- 8.8 oz oak food-grade woodchips (never use chunks or pellets)
- 4 l canola oil
- 1 kg pork belly, skin on, cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 tbsp shichimi togarashi
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 7 pints canola oil
- 2.2 lbs pork belly, skin on, cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 tbsp shichimi togarashi
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 16.9 cups canola oil
- 2.2 lbs pork belly, skin on, cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 tbsp shichimi togarashi
- 1 tbsp sea salt
Details
- Cuisine: American
- Recipe Type: Snack
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 25 mins
- Cooking Time: 30 mins
- Serves: 6
Step-by-step
- To make the hot sauce: on a barbecue with a lid, lay out half the chillies and half the onions, leaving enough space to house a black cast-iron pan. Place the empty cast-iron pan on the stovetop until ridiculously hot (roughly 5 minutes on full heat).
- Meanwhile, in a 3 litre (105 fl oz/12 cup) stockpot, combine the remaining chillies and onions, the vinegar, sea salt and garlic. Bring to a slow simmer, never allowing the mixture to boil.
- When the cast-iron pan is at smelting temperature, cover the bottom with at least 1 cm (½ inch) of oak chips. Leave until the chips start to smoulder and smoke (almost instantaneous) — they should never ignite.
- Move the cast-iron pan to the barbecue very carefully, then close the barbecue lid and leave to smoke. If the chips are still smoking after a minimum of 20 minutes, let them go until they’re finished; but if they’re done, place the whole smoked vegetables in the simmering stockpot (which by now should have been bubbling away for 30 minutes).
- Simmer for a further 30 minutes, ensuring the mixture never boils. After 1 hour of total cooking, remove the stockpot from the heat. Stir in the butter, then wrap the top of the hot container with plastic wrap to form a seal. Leave at room temperature for 48 hours.
- After 2 days, blend all the ingredients until they’re smooth enough to strain through a colander. This should remove large chunks, leaving behind a fine pulp.
- Transfer to sterile bottles or airtight containers and refrigerate until required; the sauce will easily keep for a week or two.
- To make the crackling: pour the canola oil into a stockpot, leaving 15 cm (6 inches) between the top of the oil and the top of the pot. Heat to 125°C.
- Slowly add the pork pieces, two or three at a time, until all are submerged. Deep-fry for 20–25 minutes, stirring very slowly every 5 minutes, so the pieces don’t stick together. Cook until golden brown and crispy, then remove using tongs or a spatula and drain on paper towel.
- Increase the oil temperature to 200°C. Return the pork to the oil and cook for a further 5 minutes. At this point, the skin will crackle and puff due to the higher temperature. Drain again on paper towel.
- Serve warm, with the shichimi togarashi and sea salt mixed together as a seasoning, and a small bowl of hot sauce. Serving with fresh or grilled lemon or lime wedges will not be frowned upon.
Recipe taken from Fried Chicken + Friends by Gregory Llewelyn and Naomi Hart (Murdoch Books, £20.00). Photography by John Laurie.
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