Killing me softly with pork crackling (Chicharon)

Oh My. Pork crackling (a.k.a chicharon).  This gives us Filipinos a bad name. When it comes to fried and fatty foods, we have a reputation for being good at it.  Filipinos love chicharon and it can be found being sold all over the Philippines.  My parents and their friends used to joke about chicharon and called them "killing me softly" as you can imagine, these can not be good for your health.  In fact, my brother and I monitor their chicharon intake.

My parents had perfected the art of making these little crunchy gems many years ago.  As a young girl, I remember large hand made nets strewn across the back yard when they used to dry the pork rind under the sun for 2 days before deep frying them.

My parents now use the oven to dry out the pork rind.  It only takes half the time and is not dependent on the weather. 

To dry out the pork rind, preheat the oven 75degC.  Lay the rind in a single layer on a tray.  Cook for 12 hours or until the skin is really dry and hard.  Mix it up every hour or so.

It can now be stored until ready to be deep fried.

When deep frying the rind, only fry a few at a time and keep them submerged in the hot oil.  You can do this by placing a frying basket on top.  Fry until they are slightly golden and has expanded double it's size.

Remove and drain on paper towel or sieve.  These little babies are best eaten with white vinegar  with salt, pepper, chopped chillies and crushed garlic.