You want cornbread or cracklins with that?” the lady behind the steam table asked.
That’s a question I don’t think I’ve ever heard in a restaurant before. But the folks who run the soul food kitchen inside Discount Foods on Homestead and Laura Koppe are pretty
proud of their cracklins. The guy in line in front me opted for the cracklins instead of the cornbread. I went with the cornbread — and I bought a pound of cracklins to go for $4.
I love the way cracklins crunch audibly and then melt into a bacon-flavored slick of roasted pork fat on your tongue. I ate quite a few in the car on the way home.
Ingredients :
1 lb skin on pork belly
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tbs smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp granulated garlic
These cracklings have no relationship to the pork rinds that you find at many convenience stores. These have crispy skin as well as flavorful meat.
Directions :
Cut the pork belly into 1 and 1/2 inch cubes.
Heat oil to 220 degrees and fry the pork belly for 20 minutes.
Remove the pork belly and drain on paper towels.
Reheat the oil to 400 degrees and re-fry the pork belly for 3-5 minutes or until crispy.
Toss the cooked pork belly with the spice mixture and serve.
