Pork Skin -- What is it good for?

15 years ago

Last week at our local farmers market I bought half of a fresh pork leg (ham) that came complete with the skin. A couple of months ago I got a pork shoulder from a local market that also came with the skin attached. In both cases, I removed the skin, slow roasted the pieces, and made pulled pork. But when I told my daughter about it, she thought maybe I should have left the skin on for the slow roasting. Should I have left the skin alone? Are there fascinating things I could have done with the skin? Just curious and want to be better prepared for my next encounter with pork skin. Thanks!

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Comments (10)

Lars
15 years ago
You can make chicharrones with the pork skins, which are very popular in Mexico and the Southwest U.S. All you have to do is cut the skins into sizes you want, salt them, and store them in the fridge for a couple of hours before deep frying at 375 degrees for 4-5 minutes. Serve with chili and lime.

Lars
doucanoe
15 years ago
Okay, I admit I'm a dork. But when I read your title the tune just started running thru my head and I can't get it out!

PORK...SKIN...good Gody'all...what is it good for....absolutely nothin...say it again.....

Sorry....I have nothing to contribute to the actual conversation. LOL

Linda
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Well, here is what I am doing. I have it in the crockpot now. Everyone's recipes sound good, but I had all of these ingredients on hand. Didn't want to make the trip into town if I didn't have to. I made it simpler by coating the pork with the rub mixture, then placing in the crockpot and adding some of the basting sauce. I made the BBQ sauce, too, and will probably mix some of it with the pork before I freeze it. I'll let you know how it turns out. Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Homemade BBQ Sauce Courtesy Emeril Lagasse 1 boneless pork butt, about 4 pounds 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons Essence 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon paprika 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon cayenne Wet Mop Basting Sauce, recipe follows Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows Place the pork in a baking dish. In a bowl, combine the sugar, Essence, salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, and cayenne. Rub the seasoning evenly over the pork to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat an oven or smoker to 225 degrees F. Bring the pork to room temperature and place in a roasting pan, fat side up. Slow cook in the oven, basting with the Wet Mop Basting Sauce every 45 minutes, until tender and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. (The cooking should take about 6 to 7 hours.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. With a knife and fork or two forks, pull the meat apart into small slices or chunks. Toss with the Barbecue Sauce, to taste, and divide among the hamburger buns. Top with coleslaw. Serve with additional Barbecue Sauce on the side. Wet Mop Basting Sauce: 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper 1 tablespoon salt The night before you cook the pork, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well. Refrigerate and let the flavors blend overnight. Yield: 2 1/4 cups Barbecue Sauce: 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 cup ketchup 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 1 tablespoon molasses 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk well to dissolve the sugar. Place in a squeeze bottle and dress the pulled pork sandwiches to taste. Yield: about 2 cups Linda
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Holly Kay, there are places that allow you to return product you are not happy with. You might order one from one of them (Blue Mercury is one) and then look for the best price if you want auto-delivery after that. You won't be out anything other than the return postage i you don't like it and the price difference one time as insurance if you do like it. A lot of places will make you a sample if they don't have samples to give you --- but that means a store you can go into. I reccently saw a Blue Mercury when I was travelling and picked up two samples while I was there. Sephora and some places that sell Philosophy will do that, but it doesn't hurt to ask for a sample anywhere and see if they have one or can make you one.
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pkramer60
15 years ago
Why, to keep your roast moist and full of flavor! And to nibble on the crispy skin when no one is looking.
shambo
Original Author
15 years ago
Lars, I haven't deep fried anything for years. Mainly because the process intimidates me. Also, I'm not sure that once I've gone to all that trouble, I'd be able to eat the stuff. It'd still be skin to me.

Peppi, so I should have left the skin on while roasting?

The skin is so thick and tough, almost impossible to cut with a knife. How does it end up crispy and fit to nibble on when it's just roasted?
lindac
15 years ago
I remove the pork skin.....and lots of the fat beneath when doing a fresh ham....
There's a huge "Ewww!" factor to me~
Linda C
Islay_Corbel
15 years ago
For roasting pork with the skin on, finely score the skin - you'll need a really sharp knife. Poor a kettle of boiling water over the skin and drain then leave it to dry out in the fridge for a couple of hours. When roasted, you'll have the most delicious, crunchy crackling to eat!
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
15 years ago
I have pictures of pork skin crackling in my other "Dork's Pork" thread.

I said "The skin was made into a sheet of priceless cracklings. It was almost worth throwing away the meat just to have the skin. "

In fact, recently I went to a fancy birthday party; one of the dishes was a whole roasted suckling pig. They only served the crispy skin which was considered a divine delicacy. They did not serve the meat. They just cut up the meat for whoever wanted to take it home.

"----------- The skin is so thick and tough, almost impossible to cut with a knife. How does it end up crispy and fit to nibble on when it's just roasted?"

The skin is not that tough, just very resilient. You do need a razor sharp knife to cut into it. Yes, RAZOR sharp. I actually use a surgical scalpel I got on eBay to do the scoring. That makes it very easy.

You don't have to fry the skin. There are many recipes for roasting crispy pork rind on the WEB and on youtube.

Don't throw away the best part of the pig!!!

dcarch
lindac
15 years ago
The pig you showed on your birthday party was a young piglet....maybe 60 pounds....the pigs that are "market hogs" and of a size to have a ham on it weigh about 200 pounds and are older....with tougher skin.
The "skin" on a cured ham is often a rind not the actual skin that once grew hair. But....sometimes there will be some skin left....I cut that off.
Don't like chicharrones either...:-).
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
15 years ago
"------the pigs that are "market hogs" and of a size to have a ham on it weigh about 200 pounds and are older....with tougher skin. "

Piglet has very delicate skin. "Market" hog's skin is not as delicate, but not tough either. Roasted "market hog" with crispy skin done to perfection is a very common item in Chinese stores.

A few more dishes of my roasted pork rind.

dcarch

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1526114}}
riverrat1
15 years ago
Pork Cracklins are a staple where I'm from! I've never actually deep fried the skin because "it" is readily available in any meat market in my area.

I do indulge on occasion when someone brings them to me...

Pork Skin -- What is it good for?

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Lars

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Pork Skin -- What is it good for?

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