Pan Fried Pork Chicharrones (Central American Style)
"Learned this recipe from my uncle who is the king of Q' and chicharrones! Very simple and can easily be turned into a wonderful easy meal. Just add salsa, onions and warm tortillas and you got your self some taquitos de chicharrones. Also makes a great breakfast taco. When choosing the meat, make sure to buy pork meat that has nearly the same meat to fat ratio (50/50). It will usually come cubed or cut up and ready for chicharrones (or it can sometimes be labeled as meat for carnitas). The difference is that carnitas take hours to bake and they are usually shredded afterwards and chicharrones have a higher fat content, take about 30 mins to fry and are not shredded. Be very careful when frying as chicharrones tend to splatter (a splatter screen comes in handy now). Avoid using a fork to handle pork during cooking process as piercing it causes juices (what makes meat tender) to leak out. Use tongs instead."
photo by Chef Sarita in Aust
- Ready In:
- 40mins
- Ingredients:
- 7
- Serves:
-
3-4
ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 - 2 lbs boneless pork (butt, roast or pork for carnitas (cut into 1 1/2 in cubed chunks )
- 2 -3 tablespoons cumin powder
- salt
- pepper
- 1 large lemon (halfed)
- 2 tablespoons sour orage juice (Goya Naranja agria)
- 1 1⁄2 cups cooking oil (corn prefferably)
directions
- Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium high.
- In a large bowl: Squeeze lemon juice over pork. Season pork with cumin, pepper and salt to taste. Pour orange juice over pork and toss. Let sit for about 30 minutes.
- Test oil rediness by dropping a small piece of pork into oil. If it sizzles instantly, it is ready.
- Discard marinade and place pork (slowly, one by one) into hot pan with tongs not fork. Cover with foil/lid and fry for about 15 minute Remove foil/lid and let fry for another 5 mins uncovered. Turn pork pieces and fry evenly on other sides (about 5-7 mins more). Finally, with tongs, stir pork around (turning frequently) in the hot pan for about 2 more mins or until you see a nice dark golden caramalized color on pork. Remove from pan with tongs and drain on paper towel. Serve warm.
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Reviews
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This is too plain. I even add garlic powder and marinate it overnight. The smell is wonderful. For those who would want to try this recipe you can jazz it up by adding some spices and dipping sauce to go with it.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I was born in Honduras, Central America. I came to the states when I was about 2 yrs old and now currently have a full time job in the medical field. I have a family of 100+ relatives also living in Austin and we all share a passion for good food. I am known for the foods that I prepare for my dinner parties and special occassion gatherings. Weekends at my house are packed with family and friends because we usually have the grill going. I also have a knack for baking. I have been told by several people that I should open my own bakery or restaurant...which I am seriously considering in the near future. I absolutley love to cook and this is why Zaar is a heaven sent! I like to take other peoples feeings into consideration when rating recipes so my rating system reflects that. I do not rate below a 3 just for the simple fact that everyones taste is different and what might taste magnificant to some, might not be too great for others. I always give everything a second try unless I absolutley hate it (then I take a second look at the recipe and find out what attracted me to this recipe and how can I alter it a bit to my taste). I usually spend my free time brainbstorming recipes and creating them with my beautiful daughters (pictured above)!
