"Cracklin's"

Looking for a change-up in snacks, my wife brought home a container labeled "Pork Rinds"!

Sounds like tree bark, lemon peel, parts of old footballs - or, as my dictionary states, a "hard or tough outer layer"!

Actually, they are not pork rinds at all, and I don't know who gave them that name. When I was a kid on the farm, we called them cracklin's. I loved them then, still do! Cracklin's are a by-product of rendering lard. Lard has been demonized by the health czars, but, used in moderation, it is not dangerous and imparts a flavor to fried chicken that has no equal.

When we butchered hogs on the farm, my dad trimmed off much of the fat before curing the hams and slabs of bacon. This fat was marbled with flesh, so it would be more accurate to say he trimmed away those parts that were mostly fat. These trimmings of "mostly fat" were the raw material for making lard.

Trimmings we put in a large pot and heated on the stove. I was too young then to remember details today, so I don't know how hot or how long, but eventually the fat melted and was drained - strained - off. This liquid fat was poured into large cans and, when cooled, was lard.

What was left was cracklin's, those traces of lean flesh, now cooked crisp and devoid of all fat. Or, almost all fat. Cracklin's do contain some fat... and calories.

Cracklin's are a great snack. As in the case of most simple foods, just remember the "M" word... moderation!