Gourmet Pork Rinds
Gourmet Pork Rinds come and go, but one that is making a serious comeback right now is pork rinds. The crunchy, salty snacks are a favorite of many modern dieters who follow Keto or Paleo diets. But a glance at the nutrition label shows that they are high in fat, which may raise red flags for some.
Essentially, pork rinds are made from cooked pig skin. The pig skin is first sliced and boiled or slow-cooked, which reduces it to about a fourth of its original size. After that, it is drained and deep-fried, which causes the rinds to puff up into their signature shape. Once fried, the rinds are typically hit with seasoning, like tangy barbeque or chili lime.
But even when they are plain, pork rinds offer an indulgent, savory crunch with a slightly chewy center. They are a staple snack at convenience stores and gas stations and are starting to pop up in mainstream grocery stores, too, along with more gourmet flavors.
The Best Spicy Pork Rinds for Heat Lovers
There are three main varieties of fried pig skin, all of which are popular in the South. The basic pork rind has no fat on the skin, which makes it snap into that familiar puffy curl when submerged in a deep fryer. Cracklings are a bit different, as they have some of the fat on the skin, which gives them a richer and meatier flavor. And finally, fatbacks have the most fat of all three and are akin to French lardons in terms of texture.