Chicharrón

Chicharrón(Spanish:[tʃitʃaˈron], pluralchicharrones;Portuguese:torresmo[tuˈʁeʒmu,toˈʁezmu,toˈʁeʒmu];Tagalog:chicharon;Chamorro:chachalon) is a dish generally consisting of friedpork bellyor friedpork rinds.Chicharrónmay also be made from chicken, mutton, or beef.
Chicharrón, as a dish with sauces, orchicharronesas finger-food snacks, are popular inAndalusiaandCanariasin Spain,Latin Americaand other places with Spanish influence including theSouthwestern United States. It is part of the traditional cuisines ofBolivia,Brazil,Portugal(where it is calledtorresmo),Chile,Colombia,Costa Rica,Cuba, theDominican Republic,Ecuador,Guam,Guatemala,Haiti,Honduras,El Salvador,Mexico,Nicaragua,Panama,Peru, thePhilippines,Puerto Rico,Venezuela,Belizeand others. The singular form of the term or a variant of it is also used as amass nouninFilipinoandTagalog, languages in which stand-alone plurals do not exist.
Chicharronesare usually made from various cuts ofporkbut sometimes withmutton,chicken, or other meats. In some places they are made from pork ribs with skin attached and other meatier cuts, rather than just rinds.
Thepork rindvariant is the skin of the pork after it has been seasoned anddeep friedoften to a crispy, puffy state. Other styles may be fatty or meaty, not fried as much, and sometimes attached to ribs or other bones. In Mexico, they are eaten in atacoorgorditawithsalsa verde. Serving styles vary widely, including main course, side dish, filling for tortillas and other bread, the meat portion of stews, and as finger-food snacks.
InBelize,chicharrónmade from pork belly can be served withescabeche(onion soup). There are other variations ofchicharrónin Belize being made from beef skin.
Chicharrónis made of pork ribs seasoned with garlic, oregano and lemon. It is boiled then cooked in its own fat, adding beer orchichato the pot for more flavor. Pork chicharrón is normally served only on Sundays and is eaten withllajwa, a tomato salsa, andmote, a type of corn (maize). There are other variations of chicharrón made with chicken and fish.
In Brazil, it is known astorresmo. The dish may be seasoned with garlic, pepper, and/or other spices. It is cooked in its own fat or oil; the finished product is typically complemented with a wedge of lime.
Oreilles de crisseis a traditionalQuebecdish consisting of deep-friedsaltedfatback. It is generally served incabanes à sucre(sugar shacks) in spring time, as a "palate cleanser" between maple syrup-laden foods.
Chicharronesare made of fat, sometimes with a bit of meat, and are typically served with homemade bread.
Chicharrónis made from deep-fried pig skin with meat attached, but it can also be made from chicken skin. In theCaribbean coast, it is eaten along withbollo deyuca,bollo limpioor boiled yuca at breakfast at home or at any time of the day at restaurants. It is eaten chopped as a stuffing inarepas. InCórdoba, it is also prepared insancocho. It is also part ofbandeja paisa, a typical dish of Antioquia.
Chicharronesare made by frying pork (usually ribs) in fat, and are associated with several dishes. Most Costa Ricans eat them withrangpurorlimejuice and fried yuca, accompanied by tortillas. They are also a main ingredient in a popular dish calledchifrijo, which also combines red beans, rice, andpico de gallo.
Chicharrónis usually eaten withtostones. It is prepared by washing and drying pork and cutting it into small pieces, which are seasoned with a mix of lemon juice and salt.
Pupusasare often filled with choppedchicharrónas a stuffing.
The dish is known in the localChamorro languageaschachalon, derived from the food's Spanish name.
Chicharrónis eaten with tortillas, lime, guacamole, andmorongasausage, and sometimes served withpico de galloorChirmol salsa. Also known ascarnitasin Guatemala, these refer to a meatier part of the pork rind. Where achicharrónis, strictly speaking, skin and fat,carnitasdenotes skin with some meat as well. (In other places,carnitasgenerally refers to fried pork meat without skin or a stew-like dish made from it.)
Besideschicharrónmade from pig skin and fat, snack-food companiesBarcelandSabritashave commercialized vegetarian versions (primarily made of puffedcornmealbatter) withchileandlemonflavorings since the 1980s.Chicharrón de cerdoare also distributed by many salty snack companies in Mexico, sold in supermarkets, and made and sold by markets,tianguis, and street vendors.Tacos de chicharrón(chicharroneswrapped in a tortilla with someavocado, creamy cheese (such asqueso panela,queso blanco, orqueso fresco), and sometimes, hot sauce) are popular as snacks, appetizers, or a main dish. Popular dishes that make use ofchicharrónas a main ingredient includechicharrón consalsa verdeandgorditasde chicharrón. The North Mexico version is made with fried pork belly (and has more meat, compared to the South Mexico version), and is more based on Spanishtorreznos.
Chicharrónin Perú is made using what is called "country-style pork rib" in the United States. The rind (skin and attached fat) is not used at all; instead, the meat is boiled with seasonings and spices until no water remains and then fried in its own fat. It is often served as a breakfast or brunch food on a baguette with a relish made from red onion and lime juice.Chicharróncan be eaten as anappetizeror snack, and the chicken variant can taste like fried chicken found in the United States. Side dishes include a kind ofred onionrelish, friedyuca, and other regional variants.Chicharróncan also be prepared with fish rather than pork.
Chicharon, less commonly spelledtsitsaronorsitsaron, is ubiquitous, as it is a well-loved snack, and may be bought anywhere, from large supermarket chains to small neighborhoodsari-saristoresand street vendors. It is popular aspulutanortapaswhich are foods to be eaten while consuming alcoholic beverages such asbeer. It is also used as a topping on many native vegetable and noodle dishes. Porkchicharonis prepared by deep-frying dried pork rind with a little salt. It may be dipped in coconut vinegar spiced withsoy sauce, chopped garlic andlabuyochili peppers, or eaten with other condiments likebagoonganchovies,lechongravy sauce, oratcharapapaya salad.
Aside from pork rind, chicken skin may also be made intochicharong manok, whereaschicharong bulaklak—literally 'flower chicharrón', named for its distinctive shape—is made from pork mesentery.
Tuna-skinchicharonis marketed as a healthier variation. InCagayan,water buffalohide is used to makecarabao chicharon.
A distinct variant ofchicharoninvolves cooking pork loin and meat in the same way, becomingbagnet. While similar and dissimilar tocrispypata, it is more popular as a meal than finger food, and has found its way to contemporary dishes and restaurants. Bagnet originates from Ilocos where it has been served since the 1960s.
Fullyveganversions ofchicharonare also made in the Philippines using deep-friedtofu skin, mushrooms,seaweed, starch, and other plant-based ingredients.CommercialchipslikeChicharron ni Mang JuanandMarty's Cracklin'are alsovegan, with the exception of a few flavors.
Mofongois a popular dish in which greenplantains,cassava, orbreadfruitare fried then mashed withchicharrónand other ingredients.Chuletakan-kanis found in Puerto Ricanfondas, using apork chop(chuleta) with rib, fat, and skin still attached, thenmarinated.Chuletakan-kanis deep-fried, formingchicharrónesof crispy skin attached to the rib and pork-chop meat. The city ofBayamón– nicknamed the "city ofchicharrón" – is famous for thechicharrónproduced locally, as is the Guavate barrio in the city ofCayey.Chicharrónis a popular ingredient in Puerto Ricanricewith addedsofrito,pigeon peas, spices and other ingredients.Rusiao de yucalike pasteles are made from grated cassava that has been dehydrated, toasted, then notably rehydrated with coconut milk intomasaand seasoned with anise, mashed or finely choppedchicharrón,oreganoamong other ingredients. They are then wrapped in banana leaf and grilled.
In Serbia they are calledčvarci. Usually made during the slaughter of pigs for the winter. Usually cooked with milk and lard to give them a nice gold color after they have been pressed through a pressure sift to make them have the texture of chips.
US-stylepork rindsare usually made from pig skin and fat without meat. They are commonly seasoned and sold in plastic bags, like corn andpotato chipsas a "junk food" item. Some brands in theSouthwestuse the Spanish termchicharrones, and Mexican-stylechicharróndishes are available in many Mexican and Southwestern restaurants in the region. In theDeep South, traditional home-cooked pork rinds are calledcracklingsor (colloquially)cracklins. They are made in a two-step process: the pork skin is first rendered and dried, and then fried and puffed.
InNew Mexico, the term is often taken to mean just fried pork fat, sometimes with incidental bits of lean meat. Similar to the Mexicanchicharrón, its use inNew Mexican cuisineis most commonly in bean burritos with choppedNew Mexico chile. It is colloquially prepared by frying in adisco, awok-like pan made from a repurposed tractor disc blade.
Chicharronesare a byproduct oftallowmaking in Uruguay. Usually extracted from the softest fat of the cow located on the kidneys, this fat is known asgrasa de pella. Thepellais heated until melt and the solid residue are thechicharrones.Chicharronesare traditionally used as additive for a typical bread calledrosca de chicharrones.
In central Venezuela,chicharronesare eaten withcachapasand also commonly sold alongside main highways as snacks. The recipe usually produces crispy sizable portions of pork skin with the underlying meat. Thecueritostype are also made with pork skin and marinated in vinegar instead of deep fried. They are eaten as a snack.
Pork rindis also eaten in many other countries in forms unrelated to thechicharróntradition. For example, inDenmark,flæskesværis pork skin deep-fried with or without a layer of fat. It is usually eaten as a snack, like crisps (chips) or popcorn. At Christmas-time it is also traditional to eat fried strips of pork belly the skin on, with or without meat in addition to fat.
In the countryside in Greece, during Christmas time people prepare "tsigarídes" which is deep fried pork belly skin.
In the United Kingdom, pork rinds are called "porkscratchings". They are a popular snack sold in pubs and bars, packaged in small plastic bags like potato crisps.