Ep. 19 | Nashville Hot Chicharron

Nashville Hot Chicharron Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 kg skin-on pork belly
• 2 tablespoons of Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 2 tablespoons of Nashville hot seasoning (adjust according to your preferred level of spiciness)
• 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 cup of lard or frying oil
• Apple cider vinegar for spritzing
• Frying oil, for shallow frying

Procedure:

1. Dry the pork belly with paper towels and score the skin in a diamond pattern. Be careful not to cut into the meat, just the fat and skin.

2. Combine the kosher salt and baking powder, then rub it evenly into the scored skin.

3. Leave the pork belly uncovered in the refrigerator overnight to allow the skin to dry out.

4. Preheat your oven to 150°C (302°F). Bake the pork belly skin-side up for 2.5 hours.

5. Remove the pork belly from the oven and spritz the skin lightly with apple cider vinegar.

6. Allow the pork belly to rest for about 15-20 minutes at room temperature.

7. Cut the rested pork belly into bite-sized pieces.

8. Heat a shallow layer of frying oil in a pan until very hot. Fry the pork belly pieces in batches, until they are golden and crispy on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fried pork belly pieces and let them drain on a wire rack or paper towels.

9. Prepare the Nashville hot seasoning by combining the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Reserve half of this dry mix for the final seasoning.

10. Melt the lard in a small saucepan. Stir in the remaining half of the Nashville hot seasoning to form a spicy and rich glaze.

11. Toss the crispy pork belly chunks in the spicy glaze, ensuring each piece is evenly coated.

12. Sprinkle the reserved dry Nashville seasoning over the glazed pork belly pieces.