Apr 24 2015
Pork cracklins are my favorite memory from growing up around my Uncle Jack’s slaughter house in the 1950’s; he also had a meat market grocery in a small town of 2000. Cracklins were a byproduct when he rendered lard for cooking. He had a large cast iron kettle about 4 foot diameter that was gas fired. It was filled with pork fat cut in about 2 inch chunks. After most all the fat was cooked out he dipped it into a wooden lard press about 2 foot diameter. He had several 5 gallon lard cans to fill as he turned the press.
The press was lined with cheese cloth and when he had it compressed to get all the lard out he would crank the press open and lift out the delicious cracklins. He dumped them on some butcher paper where my cousin and I stoop by ready to devour as much as we could hold. We were always looking for some with a little meat left on, they were the best. I don’t think he ever sold the cracklins but gave them away to whoever wanted them at the grocery; that was after my cousin and I had our fill!
The best cracklins too were when he scalded the hogs and scrapped the hair off. The fat he cut up still had the skin on. Later when he started skinning out the hogs the cracklins were not as good but we still ate them!
These are not like any you buy at the grocery now puffed up bacon skins or rinds. The closest I can find now, my butcher sells in one pound bags; they have the skins on. After eating them for years and after at least 4 crowns from cracked teeth I gave them up! Once in a while I would still buy some and nuke them in the microwave until they puffed up and were easier on the teeth.
I got to thinking why don’t I try to smoke some in my Traeger. I bought a bag to try it. I also had a half pound of my butcher’s bacon to use up. I had a BLT sandwich at a restaurant a while back and they said it was with their caramelized bacon. It was good but the bacon just tasted to me like they had sprinkled it with a little sugar before frying. I had made some pig candy a few times using Savor’s Super Pig rub and I thought it was a bit too sweet. I thought dummy quit putting so much on. With this I just put a light coating on it.
I put the cracklins in my Weber grill pan and laid the bacon on a frog mat. My smoker was preheated to 225 deg. after 45 minutes I went to 250 deg. The bacon was done after an hour and 15 minutes and the cracklins were on for 2 hours.
The cracklins did not turn out the way I wanted; some of the thinner pieces were good but the thicker larger ones still need to be nuked before I can eat them. I haven’t given up though will try at higher temps when I have the time.
Now the Super Pig candy was a different story, loved it! Sometimes it pays to lighten up! I can’t wait for some good garden tomatoes; a BLT made with Super Pig bacon is a must.
Cracklins and the bacon
1/2 hour in
Bacons done
Cracklins
Bacon, 3 pieces disappeared
Cracklins after nuking
Smokin Don
