COOKING PORK RIND RECIPES

Steps:

• For the pork: Put the pork skin in a large pot and cover with water. Weigh down with a plate to keep it submerged. Bring the water to a boil and cook until the skin is soft and pliable but not falling apart and the water is white, 1 1/2 to 2 hours (adding more water as needed).
• Carefully remove with a large spider or slotted spoon and arrange the skin in an even layer, with no folds, on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Discard the cooking water. Put in the fridge, uncovered, and allow to cool until completely cold, about 2 hours.
• Once the skin is cold, use a spoon or bench scraper to remove all subcutaneous fat, being careful not to tear the skin. Place the scraped skin on a rack set over a baking sheet. Set the oven to its lowest possible setting (ours was at 200 degrees F) and dehydrate the skin overnight, until dry, brown and brittle.
• For the spicy-sweet blend: Mix the salt, sugar and chile powder in a small bowl.
• For the five-spice blend: Mix the five-spice and salt in a bowl.
• For the dipping sauce: Mix the vinegar, fish sauce, chili paste and garlic in a small bowl.
• To fry the pork skins: Snap the skin into small (1-inch square) pieces. Heat a deep-sided pot with about 4 inches of lard, peanut oil or a combination of the two to 385 to 400 degrees F. Fry one square at a time, prodding it until it puffs up and turns crispy, about 15 seconds. Remove to a paper-towel-lined tray and season with one of the spice blends while hot. Serve immediately or to cool to room temperature. Serve with Richmond's dipping sauce if desired.
• You can also store the squares in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days before frying.

Steps:

• 1. Place the pork chops, skin-side down, on a chopping board. Carefully run a sharp knife along the edge of the chops, removing the skin and leaving a thin layer of pork fat on the chop. (You could ask your butcher to do this for you.) Set aside.
  2. To make the marinade, pick and finely chop the rosemary leaves and most of the sage leaves, then lightly crush the unpeeled garlic cloves with the palm of your hand. Tip into a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Rub the marinade into the pork chops, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or preferably overnight.
  3. When you’re ready to cook your pork chops, slice the pork skin into 1cm-thick lardons and place in a large frying pan on a medium heat. Fry the lardons, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
  4. With a sharp knife, lightly score the pork fat on the chops and place one on top of the other. Place the pan back on a medium-high heat, then use tongs to hold the chops fat-side down in the pan and sear for 3 to 4 minutes, until the fat has started to render.
  5. Lay the chops down flat in the pan, throwing in the garlic too, and cook for 7 minutes, turning every minute or so and basting with the lovely pan juices, until browned and cooked through.
  6. With 2 minutes of the pork cooking time left to go, quarter and core the pears, then nestle them into the pan alongside the chops and poke in the remaining sage leaves and cook for 1 minute.
  7. Remove the pork to a board to rest, then reduce the temperature to medium-low and leave the pears to caramelise for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
  8. Slice the pork off the bone and carve into slices and squeeze the garlic from their skins. Serve with the caramelised pear, crispy sage, a little crispy crackling, your favourite style potatoes (I like hasselback) and some seasonal greens.