Chad's Cajun Cracklin


Chad's Cajun Cracklin

For preparing my Cajun Cracklin Recipe you should use a cast iron pot and the deeper the better. A 3-5 gal pot will be adequate for this recipe.

1 gallon of Lard (or vegetable oil)
5-6 lbs of Pork Belly (skin attached and cubed 1" x 1")
Should yield approximately 1 lb of cracklins
Chad's All Out Seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, lemon powder, celery seed, clove)

Purchasing this cut of pork may require a phone call to the local butcher. Secondly, you may have to cut up the pork belly. I recommend cutting it up in a semi frozen state. It is much easier since pork belly is very fatty and just a mess at room temp.

To get started, heat grease to 350 degrees. Add cubed pork a little at a time to control an overreaction with the grease. Be sure no water or ice is present, as it will not mix well hot grease! This will temper the grease, so keeping high available is a must. Keep a grease thermometer handy and track the grease back to 350 degrees and maintain.

At this point, stirring of the meat pieces is necessary until the pork is rendered. The goal is not to allow the meat to stick to the bottom. The pieces of meat will shrink down considerably and fit nicely in the pot once they cook for a while. Don't be concerned if their appears to be to little oil for frying. 5 lbs of pork bellies will yield only about a 1 lb of edible crackling!

The pork should fry for about 50-55 minutues until golden brown then you must "pop" the skin on the pork. This the most important part of the process! This part will determine if your cracklins will have that crunchy outer that every one loves.

Too "pop" the skin you should crank up the heat on the oil (up to 375 degrees) and listen for the "popping" sounds. 5-6 minutes of popping is adequate, then turn off the heat to the oil, as not to burn the crackilin or the oil. Have a paper towel lined pan ready and remove the cracklin fromthe oil. Season with Cajun seasoning and shake pan vigorously to coat all pieces of meat. Let cool before eating. The cracklins will not get crunchy until cooling takes place.

From: Cajun Food Specialties
recipe picture
Cajun Food Specialties