Chicharon

As a special treat, I made a tiny amount of homemade chicharon for the kids. Last year I was making some pork dish and cut the lean meat out of a whole pork shoulder. Such a shame to throw all that skin and fat away, and yet I was unwilling to feed my family such a careless indulgence all at one time, so the skin and fat got boiled, drained, cut into pieces, salted, and dried on a rack in my refrigerator. Every now and then when the mood hits I take out a few pieces and heat it up in a wok over low heat, until the fat drains away and we are left with the crispy chunks. Still too much saturated fat for everyday eating, but a treat is a treat and we enjoy it when we can. They love chicharon so much they’ve even created a little song for it. I can’t remember how it goes now, but it was truly inspired:).