Smoked Chicharrón
Chicharrón, the crispy fried or roasted pork from Latin America, is reinterpreted here through smoking and subsequent high-temperature cooking. The smoky pre-phase gives the pork belly a deep aroma before the high heat creates the legendary crispiness of the skin. The result is a chicharrón with complex smoky flavor and irresistible crunch.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Dry curing and preparation
12 hoursMix all spices thoroughly and rub the pork belly evenly with them. Apply especially generously to the meat side, only lightly salt the skin. Store the pork belly on a rack uncovered in the refrigerator so the skin dries out. After 12 hours, carefully pat the surface dry.
Smoking
3-4 hoursPreheat the smoker with mesquite and pecan chunks to 110-120 °C. Place the pork belly skin-side up. Smoke at a constant temperature until a core temperature of 75-80 °C is reached. Regularly add smoking wood for consistent smoke density.
Cooling and high-temperature cooking
2 hours cooling + 20-30 minutes cookingLet the smoked pork belly cool completely to room temperature, ideally resting 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. Then heat an oven or grill zone to 230-250 °C and cook the pork belly for 20-30 minutes until the skin is completely blistered, golden brown, and crispy.
Pro Tip
After smoking, let the pork belly cool completely and then blast it at 220-250 °C in the oven or on the high-temperature grill area of the smoker for 20-30 minutes. The two-stage process is the key to perfect chicharrón.
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