Chicharrón de Cerdo (Crispy Pork Belly Bites)
Juicy pork belly bites with puffed, crackling skin, seasoned with garlic and oregano and served with lime.
Recipe in testing: I'm cooking it in my TM7™ and will update the steps and the photo with my own.
Chicharrón de cerdo, chunks of pork belly fried until the skin puffs into crackling bubbles while the meat stays juicy, is a party and roadside favorite across Latin America, from the lechoneras of Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic and Colombia. A squeeze of lime cuts through the richness, and tostones or yuca on the side make it a feast.
The Thermomix® TM7™ chops a garlic, oregano and lime marinade, then simmers the marinated pork on reverse at soft speed until tender, the step that keeps the meat moist inside. Once the pieces are patted dry, a fry in a deep pot on the stove turns the skin golden, puffed and crisp.
Made in the Thermomix® TM7™
Chicharrón de Cerdo (Crispy Pork Belly Bites)
Makes: About 30 pieces
- Prep15 min
- Cook1 h
- Total2 h 15 min
- Serves8
Ingredients
For the marinade
For the pork
To fry and serve
Instructions
- Place the garlic, salt, oregano and pepper in the mixing bowl and chop 5 sec/speed 7. Scrape down the sides, add the lime juice and mix 5 sec/speed 4.
- Rub the paste all over the pork belly in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Place the pork with its marinade, the water and the bay leaf in the mixing bowl. Place the simmering basket on the mixing bowl lid instead of the measuring cup and cook 40 min/100°C (212°F)/reverse/speed soft, until the meat is tender.
- Drain the pork, discard the bay leaf and pat every piece very dry with paper towels. Let the pieces air-dry on a rack for 30 minutes, or uncovered in the fridge up to 1 day: dry skin puffs better and spatters less.
- Heat 5 cm (2 in) of oil in a deep, heavy pot on the stove to 180°C (360°F). Fry the pork in small batches, skin side down at first, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the skin is puffed, blistered and golden. Use a splatter screen and long tongs, because the skin pops.
- Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with coarse salt and serve hot with the lime wedges.
Tips
- Oven option, with less spattering: after drying, roast the pieces skin side up on a rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet at 220°C (425°F) for 35 to 45 minutes, until the skin is crisp.
- Look for skin-on pork belly at Latin and Asian markets or at the meat counter of your supermarket, and ask for it cut into chunks.
- Never fill the pot more than halfway with oil, and lower the pork in gently. Moisture in the skin makes the oil bubble up.
- Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge. Re-crisp them in the oven at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes.
