Chicharron de cerdo (Dominican chicharrones, or pork crackling) is one of our national guilty pleasures; few can resist it. It is the type of food that we enjoy on its own, but can also be used to make many of our other favorite dishes: from a flavorful locrio to a fritura plate.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Oct 15, 2010
Why we ❤️ it
The words "guilty pleasure" always come to mind when I think of chicharron de cerdo (Dominican pork crackling). We don't seem to have an equivalent of "guilty pleasure" in Spanish.
I am sure that somebody smarter than me can write a whole treatise on the linguistic, sociological, or cultural implications of this, but I'd rather write about food, so let me tell you not only how to make it but all the ways we can enjoy it.
What's chicharron
In English, chicharrón is "pork rind" or "pork crackling".
Classic chicharron is deep-fried pork skin - usually, pork belly - which is seasoned, marinated, and traditionally fried in lard (its own fat released during cooking) until the skin is crispy and bubbles up.
Other fried or toasted dishes have borrowed its name, like Chicharrón de leche (the part that sticks to the bottom of the pot when making Dulce de leche), and Chicharrón de pollo, or crispy fried chicken bites.
Dominican chicharrón
In the Dominican Republic, you can find chicharron meat being sold in practically every town, but it is Villa Mella, a village founded by early Dominicans of African origin--and also famous for its syncretic music--that is known as the capital of chicharrones.
This isn't surprising, pigs were common in poor households, where they would be fed scraps, and nearly every part of the animal would be put to use.
Chicharron originated in Spain, and was brought to Latin America (along with pigs) and to other former colonies (like the Philippines). It can be found practically all over the continent, with different touches in every country or region, from Mexico to Colombia to Peru.
Chicharron de cerdo and cuerito (pork rind).
Serving suggestions
The easiest, most popular choice to serve chicharron is a plateful of freshly-fried crispy Tostones (twice-fried plantains) and a few lime wedges to drizzle the chicharrones (lemon juice will do if you don't have limes). Some people offer some hot sauce on the side, so try that if it appeals to you.
You can also serve them with Batata frita (fried sweet potato slices), Yuca frita (cassava fries), Guineos verdes en escabeche (unripe bananas) or Yuca al mojo de ajo (boiled cassava in garlic sauce).
Top tips
- Safety: It is very important to avoid hot oil splatters when frying chicharrones. When it's frying, the oil gets pretty "explosive", so be very careful when uncovering the pot in which you fry it.
- Splatter guard: It's best to use a splatter guard (link to affiliate store) or glass lid (with a hole to let the steam out), so you can see how things are going without uncovering. Remove from the heat before removing the lid to let the oil cool down a bit.
- More seasonings: Some people may add a few garlic cloves, and/or two halves of red onion to the water for boiling. You can try that if you want.
- Meat: You can pick the pork belly to have less or more meat on it. We call the one with mostly skin "cueritos", and is also very popular.
About our recipe
While I can't promise you that this Chicharrones de puerco recipe will result in chicharrones of Villa Mella quality, it is easy to follow, and you'll love the results. Time to engage in some guilty pleasure.
If you want to try something lighter, don't miss our Air fryer chicharrones recipe, and you can't serve them with Air fryer tostones.
And if your family has a secret touch to your chicharrones, please do share.
Video
Recipe
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Chicharron de Cerdo [Video+Recipe] Chicharrones Pork Crackling
Ingredients
- 2 pound pork belly, [0.9 kg]
- ½ gallon water, [2 liters of water]
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano (dry, ground)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
- ¼ cup bitter orange juice, (or lime juice)
- 1 cup oil for frying, (canola, corn or peanut)
- 6 Lime wedges to garnish
Instructions
1. Season the pork
In a thick-bottomed big pot, mix pork belly, water, salt, oregano, pepper, and bitter orange juice.
2. Cooking the pork
Cook uncovered over medium heat until all the liquid has evaporated (there will be some fat from the pork). Scoop as much of the herbs and seasonings as you can (so they don't burn and produce excess smoke).
3. Frying chicharrones
- Add the oil to the pot. Set the temperature to medium-high heat (if measured with a deep-fry thermometer til it reaches 360 ºF [182 ºC]).Fry the chicharrones covered with a splatter guard (see notes) skin side down. Cook until it has turned a dark golden brown and the skin is bubbly and crispy.
4. Serve
Remove it from the grease with a slotted spoon, and place it on paper towels to absorb the excess grease.Cut into small cubes (2 inches [5 cm]) and serve per the suggestions above.
Cook's Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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Recipes with chicharrones
Alongside Carne frita and Longaniza frita, chicharrón is one of our favorite fried meat. We eat chicharron on its own as lunch, dinner, as a snack, or as part of a fritura platter. But we also use it to make other dishes that also have fantastic flavor. Here are some traditional Dominican recipes and/or recipes inspired by our cuisine using chicharrones.
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