Chicharrones (Fried Pork Rinds)

Chicharrones are fried pork rinds. Which is like fried crispy pork fat and skin sometimes with some meat on it. Chicharrones are the product left from rendering lard, you literally render all the fat from the pork belly or rinds and then they fry to a golden crunchy crisp.

It's a great deal and not expensive at all it was only 49 cents a pound when we bought it, for 5 bucks we got 8 pounds of the pork belly, rendered it's fat and had enough Chicharrones for about 6 of us with leftovers, and in addition we get 1/2 a gallon of rendered delicious flavorful lard to cook with great deal in my opinion (yes yes I am frugal)

These fried pork meats are popular in many many cultures, Mexicans, Cubans, and I believe almost any culture that renders pork fat for cooking. I am labeling the recipe as Mexican however since my mother taught me how to make it, it was the first time she ever made it she told me she learned from watching neighbors make them when she lived in Mexico in these large copper wok like pots called "Caso's"

Ingredients:
-8 lbs. Pork Belly (we by a cut in Spanish called "Lonja de Puerco" I don't know the English name I think it's pork belly, but with very little meat and mostly skin and fat)
-water (enough to barely cover pork belly)
-salt to taste

Directions:
(1) Clean pork belly into thick strips, then shave those thick strips just in case there is still hair on the skin... (I know sounds gross) now cut into large squares. Clean really well with water, my mom likes to clean them with lime and salt and water then rinse several times, you can just rinse if you wish.
(2) Put in a large wide copper pot Mexicans call this a Caso it's like a wok made of copper, we didn't have that so used a large NON-STICK wok. Put cut and cleaned pork bellies, cover with enough water to barely cover season liberally with slat (I put like 4 tsp.), and leave on high heat until it comes to a boil, let boil uncovered on medium high.
(3) Let boil uncovered for about 2 1/2 hours, the meat will start rendering it's fat, you need to carefully stir occasionally maybe every 30 minutes the first hour then every 15 once the water evaporates BE CAREFUL it will pop sometimes and throw bursts of hot boiling pork fat so it's dangerous, be careful, and don't over also. I stir from a distance firmly holding the woks handle. I still get a little splatter here and there but no bad burns.
(4) When the Chicharrones (pork rinds) are golden brown and crispy, turn off heat and take them out. They will have literally released about at least for me 1/2 a gallon of lard/ pork fat they will be deep-fried in their own fat.
(5) Set the Chicharrones aside and lightly salt them if necessary. You can enjoy them with any meal you wish as a meat dish, or a snack, we ate it at my house served over some boiled Yuca/ cassava root smothered in Mojo sauce (we call it Yuca Con Mojo), served with a mixed steamed yellow rice with corn (we call it Arroz Con Maiz), and some sauteed green beans (no recipe posted, but my mom stirfried green beans with finely chopped pork cracklings in the flavorful pork fat with onions and garlic seasoned with soy sauce and oyster sauce I know not very Cuban for this meal but damn delicious and went well with it). For dessert we had an Almond Flan and for beverage some chilled Hibiscus tea.
(6) Let the fat rendered from the chicharrones cool a bit, then you can strain it, and save it in containers so you can cook whatever you want with it. That's the main reason we make Chicharrones, to have some fresh rendered flavorful lard to use in certain dishes.

IMPORTANT TIPS TO READ DO NOT COOK WITHOUT READING THIS:
(1)Don't use a regular metal pot, the chicharrones will stick to the bottom and burn you'll end up with a mess.
(2) Don't cut them to small they will fall apart since they shrink about more than 1/2 their size.
(3)Don't stir so hard you break them.
(4)Be careful for splatters you may burn yourself it's risky I'm warning you but the rewards are great.
(5)Use something non-stick, or a large copper pan.
(6)You don't need measurements or exactly 8 lbs. just be sure whatever amount you have that it fits in a pot, cover with enough water to barely cover, and salt to taste.

Empanadillas al Horno (Oven Baked Empanadillas)

Before I start in Spain "Empanada" is usually a giant meat pie that is baked usually square shaped or round, "Empanadillas" are small meat pies baked or fried usually half-moon shape or round. In most Latin American countries Empanada is used to refer to what in Spain is considered "Empanadilla" or is used interchangeably.

Doughs also vary, some countries make a more pie crust like dough, some make a more pizza like dough, some use butter, some use lard, some shortening, some oil, others use water others use wine, some use a mixture of both, some milk, etc. varies tons as well as techniques.

I tried empanada doughs with lard, butter, combinations of lard and butter, all oil etc. The types of empanada doughs I use and am most fond of is the one that's more common in Spain and that is a oil based pastry, that is tender yet somewhat crisp and won't fall apart like a pie crust it isn't crumbly. I like the oil based pastry.

I've been working with various doughs for empanadillas over time to try to find one that I really really liked. I wanted a good dough for making small spanish meat pies in the oven (empanadillas) over time I experimented with various recipes, some had doughs to hard to work with, others hard as a rock when baked in the oven, to elastic, etc.

Today I found the perfect dough for me, easy to work with, flavorful, crisp yet tender pastry.

Ingredients for dough (this dough is only good for oven empanadillas fried it isn't the best- 12/ 9/ 09):
-1 cup oil (preferably olive oil or sunflower oil, but whatever you'd like)
-1 cup water
-1 teaspoonful salt
-3 teaspoons sweet smoked spanish paprika (not essential but makes a huge difference)
-all purpose flour as needed (I ended up using around 5 1/2 cups of flour about 700 grams more or less just depends on the constistency use your judgement)

Ingredients for Filling (anything you want here is links to some of the stuff I use as fillings):
-Fricasse de Pollo (leftover fricasse de pollo shredded up)
-Picadillo Salteado (minus the potatoes)
-Ropa Vieja
-Aporreado de Pollo (Stewed Shredded Chicken)
-Tuna Filling (sautee 1 onions, 4 garlic cloves, 1 bell pepper in olive oil, add 8 oz. tomato sauce, 4 drained cans of tuna, mix and flake into the sautee season with salt and 1 tsp. cumin add lots of mined parsley or cilantro towards end add olives and capers if desired as well as hard boiled egg chopped)

Directions for Making Dough:
(1) In a large pot mix oil, water, salt, and sweet smoked Spanish paprika. Bring to a simmer on medium high heat (don’t let it boil just barely a bubble when you see it barely bubble turn it off) on medium high heat stirring occasionally.)
(2)Remove from heat, and stir in flour until it get’s a dough consistency and starts forming a ball and kind of clumping up.
(3)Put it back on the stove on medium heat this time and stir quickly well to incorporate everything. And doesn’t stick to pot.
(4)Remove dough and need a bit, put it in a plastic bag sealed leave at room temp. for later use. If ready to use proceed. ( I still leave it in zip lock bag or wrapped in plastic and get dough as needed while I'm making empanadas so it doesn't dry out I forgot to take picture early on so I took picture later when only 3/4 of dough remained)
Directions for Making Empanadillas:
(1)On a wooden board, get a golf size ball of empanada dough, roll it out into a circle, thin but not to thin I used a cup to roll it out, since my boyfriend was making some and I let him use the rolling pin (use your own judgement on the thickness, not too thin or they will break)

(2) Add about a heaping tablespoon of filling towards the top of the circle.
(3) Fold over to the other side making half moon, press dough around it (don’t worry about excess dough just press) then to give it good shape, with a knife push excess dough towards the empanada making it thick and compact, use a fork to give it a nice shape.

(4) Repeat, when all are done, bake in oven at around 375- 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20- 30 minutes (until slightly browned or fully cooked the dough already has great color, but if you wish you can brush it with beaten egg)
they were actually orange even after baked but brightness of camera made them look yellow... (yes I know I am amateurish)
Please Note:
(1) I made 24 empanadas I saved 12 already assembled empanadillas (but not baked just assembled with filling and all) in the freezer, the 12 I froze I will fry them some other day that I don’t feel like cooking to much, I have no clue how this dough will be fried so I’ll update you guys, it’s good in the oven but might not be the same for frying so stay tuned 

UPDATE VERY VERY IMPORTANT (12/ 9/ 09) this empanada dough is only good for baked empanadas, I tried frying some and the texture is crumbly it doesn't bubble or puff. The best dough I've used so far for frying is one of Pilar Lechuza's recipes "Empanadillas Fritas" (small fried spanish meat pies):

http://nathanscomida.blogspot.com/2009/10/empanadilla-de-carne-mini-galician-meat.html



(2) Also please excuse some of the odd shaped ones, this time I was good at making empanadas and my boyfriend flet like experimenting with the dough making different shapes, made some to thin, and some looked messy…

(3) You can infuse the dough with sofrito flavor and the fillings flavor, sautee the aromatics for the filling in about 1 1/2 cups oil, add the meat or seafood sautee, then drain the filling on a colander to get oil now the oil you retrieve is flavorful and the dough can have the flavor of the filling.

(4) I was thinking if I used Cuban fillings maybe substituting the sweet smoked spanish paprika for "Sazon Goya Culantro Con Achiote"

IMPORTANT:
*This dough is a combination of Margarrete's recipe for Empanadilla dough (click on link below):

http://acibecheria.blogspot.com/2007/12/empanadillas-de-bacalao.html

and a combination of Gertudis recipe which I saw in video format on youtube (a woman from Murcian region of Spain) link for video 1 and 2 see below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky5c0h_KgKY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOf41xYB1Io&feature=related

ALSO here is one of my favorite fried ones I learned from Pilar Lechuza:

http://nathanscomida.blogspot.com/2009/10/empanadilla-de-carne-mini-galician-meat.html

Guiso de Berenjena (Cuban Eggplant Stew)

This eggplant dish is very healthy in that the eggplant being a vegetable that absorbs a lot of oil doesn't get deep-fried or sauteed in oil instead it is simmered in a savory creole style tomato based sauce with bits of ham, pork or beef for flavor and for freshness minced cilantro or parsley towards the end.

This is my Tata's recipe (grandmother) right now she is at home with us recovering from a fracture she had from a fall, and moved back in temporarily or permanently (the choice is hers I love her) anyways I had 3 Chinese eggplants sitting in the fridge, I was gonna make eggplant in a Chinese fashion braised in "Yuxiang" sauce (sauteed garlic, ginger, scallions, chili peppers, chili bean sauce, soy sauce, salt, sugar brought together with some chicken stock thickened with corn starch to form a sauce can have ground pork, beef, or be vegetarian and if you please some Sichuan peppercorns can be added to add a numbing effect) but knowing my grandmother she wouldn't be able to eat this (doesn't tolerate spiciness and isn't very open to different things) so I wanted to make something with flavors she is more used to.

So I asked her, "Tata I read somewhere about a Cuban eggplant stew do you know a recipe for it or how to make it? Have you ever made it?" she was like sure "do this and that, etc." and so here is the recipe. Let me tell you it was very very delicious and I think I will be making it again :)

Ingredients:
-3 large Chinese Eggplants (or 1 large American one) cut into small cubes
-1 large onion minced
-1 green or red bell pepper minced
-4 cloves garlic mashed to a paste or finely minced
-1/2 lbs. ham or beef or pork meat cut into tiny cubes (like less than 1/2 inch small minced)
-1 can 8 oz. tomato sauce
-2 cups beef broth or water
-salt to taste
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 bunch of very finely minced parsley or cilantro
-extra- virgin olive oil (generous amount to coat pan well)

Directions:
(1) Heat oil on medium high, brown chopped meat or ham together with onion and bell pepper, when meat or ham is slightly browned and onions are translucent add garlic, sautee until fragrant.

(2) Add tomato sauce, higher heat to high let it bubble, add beef broth or water bring to a high boil, now add cumin, stir well, taste if it needs more salt.

(3) Add chopped eggplant to boiling sauce, stir well, when boiling cover on medium low for about 5-10 minutes (depends)

(4) Now sprinkle in generous amount of parsley or cilantro and turn off heat. Serve with rice and whatever meat dish you want.

PLEASE NOTE:
*The meat or ham is added for flavor, it's not the main part of the dish. My grandmother say's you can also use a little ground pork or beef instead of tiny cubed meat, and if you don't have ham that can be cut in chunks just chop finely the sliced ham about 4-6 slices. She doesn't like this vegetarian by the way but if you insist go head it will still be delicious in my opinion (common a sofrito, cumin, and beef broth it's bound to be delicious)

*If using American eggplant you may want to peel it.