Mexican chicharrón prensado uses hydraulic presses at 2,000 PSI to extract every drop of fat—creating impossibly crispy texture.
Pressed Pork Cracklings
Dive into the delightful world of pressed pork cracklings, a mouthwatering twist on a classic Mexican favorite! Tender pork trimmings simmered in a bold, zesty red sauce create a flavor explosion that's hard to resist. Perfect for snacking or as a topping, these cracklings are sure to elevate your next meal!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 10🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 10g garlic cloves (2pcs) (0.35 oz)
- 80g onion (1/2pc) (2.82 oz)
- 370g tomatoes (3pcs) (13.1 oz)
- 350ml water (11.8 fl oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 bay leave
- 1tsp oregano (5 ml)
- Salt to taste
📦Other(5)
- 15g ancho chile (1pc) (0.53 oz)
- 350g Grammeln (12.4 oz)
- 25g guajillo chile (3-4pcs) (0.88 oz)
- Lard
- 1tsp peppercorns (5 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Roughly chop the tomatoes and onions.
- 2
Deseed the chiles and cut them into small pieces.
- 3
Warm a pan over medium heat, add a little lard, and sauté the chiles, tomatoes, onions, and garlic until softened. Stir in the bay leaf, oregano, and peppercorns.
- 4
Pour in water and simmer until all the ingredients are tender.
- 5
Transfer everything to a blender and process until smooth. Season with salt, then strain the sauce back into a hot pan with a little lard.
- 6
Roughly chop the grammeln into small pieces and stir them into the sauce.
- 7
Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes to allow the Grammeln to absorb the flavors.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Render pork fat at 225-250°F in the oven rather than stovetop to achieve even crispness without burning, as this low temperature allows moisture to evaporate slowly while collagen converts to gelatin.technique225-250°F
- ✓Cut pork skin into uniform 1/4-inch pieces because consistent sizing ensures even rendering - smaller pieces crisp faster while larger pieces may remain chewy.technique1/4-inch pieces
- ✓Score pork skin in a crosshatch pattern every 1/8-inch before rendering to create more surface area and prevent curling, allowing fat to render more efficiently.technique1/8-inch scoring
- ✓Add grammeln to the sauce during the last 10 minutes of cooking to prevent them from becoming soggy, as overcooked cracklings lose their textural contrast.timing10 minutes
- ✓Strain the chile sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to remove fibrous particles that would interfere with the smooth texture needed to properly coat the crispy grammeln.technique
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Mexican chicharrón prensado uses hydraulic presses at 2,000 PSI to extract every drop of fat—creating impossibly crispy texture.
Pressed Pork Cracklings
Dive into the delightful world of pressed pork cracklings, a mouthwatering twist on a classic Mexican favorite! Tender pork trimmings simmered in a bold, zesty red sauce create a flavor explosion that's hard to resist. Perfect for snacking or as a topping, these cracklings are sure to elevate your next meal!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 10🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 10g garlic cloves (2pcs) (0.35 oz)
- 80g onion (1/2pc) (2.82 oz)
- 370g tomatoes (3pcs) (13.1 oz)
- 350ml water (11.8 fl oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 bay leave
- 1tsp oregano (5 ml)
- Salt to taste
📦Other(5)
- 15g ancho chile (1pc) (0.53 oz)
- 350g Grammeln (12.4 oz)
- 25g guajillo chile (3-4pcs) (0.88 oz)
- Lard
- 1tsp peppercorns (5 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Roughly chop the tomatoes and onions.
- 2
Deseed the chiles and cut them into small pieces.
- 3
Warm a pan over medium heat, add a little lard, and sauté the chiles, tomatoes, onions, and garlic until softened. Stir in the bay leaf, oregano, and peppercorns.
- 4
Pour in water and simmer until all the ingredients are tender.
- 5
Transfer everything to a blender and process until smooth. Season with salt, then strain the sauce back into a hot pan with a little lard.
- 6
Roughly chop the grammeln into small pieces and stir them into the sauce.
- 7
Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes to allow the Grammeln to absorb the flavors.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Render pork fat at 225-250°F in the oven rather than stovetop to achieve even crispness without burning, as this low temperature allows moisture to evaporate slowly while collagen converts to gelatin.technique225-250°F
- ✓Cut pork skin into uniform 1/4-inch pieces because consistent sizing ensures even rendering - smaller pieces crisp faster while larger pieces may remain chewy.technique1/4-inch pieces
- ✓Score pork skin in a crosshatch pattern every 1/8-inch before rendering to create more surface area and prevent curling, allowing fat to render more efficiently.technique1/8-inch scoring
- ✓Add grammeln to the sauce during the last 10 minutes of cooking to prevent them from becoming soggy, as overcooked cracklings lose their textural contrast.timing10 minutes
- ✓Strain the chile sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to remove fibrous particles that would interfere with the smooth texture needed to properly coat the crispy grammeln.technique