More story time.
About heads.
My uncles owned a Coto de Caza ( the exclusive rights to a game reserve ) up in the Pyrenees.
And they owned an old fashioned, long wheel base Land Rover... green with spot lights and racks and all kinds of stuff like that.
They hunted big wild boar, big old males.
When they came home, about a mile of so from home, they'd put the biggest boar on the hood of the Rover... legs splayed out with the head facing forward... this, naturally, used to mortify the females in the family, much to the delight of Yours Truly and my boy cousins.
So, the family had a collection, big collection, of mounted Big Boar Head Trophies..with shiny glass eyeballs. The museum at our All Boys School finally asked us not to give them any more.... It was scary as hell opening the door to the foyer, with those beady eyes at the far wall reflecting the light from outside... they followed you around.
About heads.
My uncles owned a Coto de Caza ( the exclusive rights to a game reserve ) up in the Pyrenees.
And they owned an old fashioned, long wheel base Land Rover... green with spot lights and racks and all kinds of stuff like that.
They hunted big wild boar, big old males.
When they came home, about a mile of so from home, they'd put the biggest boar on the hood of the Rover... legs splayed out with the head facing forward... this, naturally, used to mortify the females in the family, much to the delight of Yours Truly and my boy cousins.
So, the family had a collection, big collection, of mounted Big Boar Head Trophies..with shiny glass eyeballs. The museum at our All Boys School finally asked us not to give them any more.... It was scary as hell opening the door to the foyer, with those beady eyes at the far wall reflecting the light from outside... they followed you around.
Chicarrones is just the skin.
Lechon is belly plus skin.
Prepared differently. Chiccarones are actually a little tricky.
There are also many ways to make Lechon. This is the easiest and best I have tried so far.
Skin side up, poke 100 holes in the skin of the size piece you see. Then...
Skin side down, score it 3/4 through at 3 cm intervals.
Use your fingers to spread the meat and get your dry rub ingredients in there. Leave for 2 hours.
Turn over and slow roast with the skin side up at 280F for 2.5 hours. Then...
Broil until the skin does what you see.
* Important: It must rest for 30 minutes skin side up before eating.
Turn over and continue the cut you made right the way through and however small you wish the pieces.
Lechon is belly plus skin.
Prepared differently. Chiccarones are actually a little tricky.
There are also many ways to make Lechon. This is the easiest and best I have tried so far.
Skin side up, poke 100 holes in the skin of the size piece you see. Then...
Skin side down, score it 3/4 through at 3 cm intervals.
Use your fingers to spread the meat and get your dry rub ingredients in there. Leave for 2 hours.
Turn over and slow roast with the skin side up at 280F for 2.5 hours. Then...
Broil until the skin does what you see.
* Important: It must rest for 30 minutes skin side up before eating.
Turn over and continue the cut you made right the way through and however small you wish the pieces.
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Chicarrones is a bit of a process.
You boil the skin in a highly vinegar seasoned water. Cut into small pieces. (It expands a lot as you can see)
Dry it to remove the internal moisture. (If you overlook this step you'll start a kitchen fire. It's as bad as putting a frozen turkey in the fryer.)
Deep fry.
Season with flavoured salt and bag it.
You boil the skin in a highly vinegar seasoned water. Cut into small pieces. (It expands a lot as you can see)
Dry it to remove the internal moisture. (If you overlook this step you'll start a kitchen fire. It's as bad as putting a frozen turkey in the fryer.)
Deep fry.
Season with flavoured salt and bag it.
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You know when you get old, things don't come to you as quickly as they used to, if at all.
It wasn't until I was going through the 'food' folder that I came upon an old favourite.
Mom made it for decades and I'm coming up on that too.
It's a harvest time snack and I forgot completely about it this year.
This version, yes, it has peanuts. My mother, bless her soul, added them because she didn't grasp the concept that cheerios were the nuts and pretzels the bolts. I add them to this day, in her honour.
No goldfish though. WhoTF ever started that?
I sometimes use Chex cereal along with Shreddies because I love the way they disintegrate and leave that pile of dust in the bottom of the bag.
Makes a great soup or salad topping.
It wasn't until I was going through the 'food' folder that I came upon an old favourite.
Mom made it for decades and I'm coming up on that too.
It's a harvest time snack and I forgot completely about it this year.
This version, yes, it has peanuts. My mother, bless her soul, added them because she didn't grasp the concept that cheerios were the nuts and pretzels the bolts. I add them to this day, in her honour.
No goldfish though. WhoTF ever started that?
I sometimes use Chex cereal along with Shreddies because I love the way they disintegrate and leave that pile of dust in the bottom of the bag.
Makes a great soup or salad topping.
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Quick dinner tonight as I had to work on some custom fixtures for a new restaurant.
Chicken drums, seasoned, breaded and baked. S&P, smoked paprika, herbs de prevonce, sumac, bread crumbs. Baked, served over buttery jasmine rice cooked in chicken broth. Green salad.
Gratuitous pic of my apprentice, Francis Bean. She's in charge of the fresh vegetable inventory and enforces a strict QC program, personally selecting the freshest leafy greens. She just loves to ride in my pocket while I'm cooking.
Chicken drums, seasoned, breaded and baked. S&P, smoked paprika, herbs de prevonce, sumac, bread crumbs. Baked, served over buttery jasmine rice cooked in chicken broth. Green salad.
Gratuitous pic of my apprentice, Francis Bean. She's in charge of the fresh vegetable inventory and enforces a strict QC program, personally selecting the freshest leafy greens. She just loves to ride in my pocket while I'm cooking.
Ok so what's the difference between that and a pork scratching, the ultimate accompaniment to beer (or at least it used to be for me) ?
Nope. Not here at least. And I expect elsewhere.
Scratchings appear to be similar to Cracklin’ but someone else can probably confirm.
Chicarrones are not the same thing at all.
Cracklin’ is roasted pork skin. Chicarrones is the process I showed.
I will go to the desktop computer and post the differences.
Scratchings appear to be similar to Cracklin’ but someone else can probably confirm.
Chicarrones are not the same thing at all.
Cracklin’ is roasted pork skin. Chicarrones is the process I showed.
I will go to the desktop computer and post the differences.
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!. They both are just skin.
2. Cracklin' is seasoned, sliced and roasted. It's a hearty and hardy crunchy snack, your dentist loves you to eat.
3. Chicaronnes is a multi-day, multi-step process. It is light and fluffy and can be eaten with dentures, or just gums for that matter. Ask Grandpa.
2. Cracklin' is seasoned, sliced and roasted. It's a hearty and hardy crunchy snack, your dentist loves you to eat.
3. Chicaronnes is a multi-day, multi-step process. It is light and fluffy and can be eaten with dentures, or just gums for that matter. Ask Grandpa.
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